TM Insider 225

The TravelMole Insider – Issue 225
ISSN 1474-2292
11 September 2002
https://www.travelmole.com

Feature: Web Tools in Travel, sponsored by Dot New Media.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/89358

A message from ThisisTravel:
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LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS
1. WTO: The state of tourism
2. US flights restricted and cancelled on 11 September
3. European flights unaffected on 11 September
4. Second hijack attempt in 10 days
5. Holidaymakers not afraid to fly
6. Interview: Noel Josephides, managing director, Sunvil Holidays
7. CAA asks for comments on ATOL issue
8. ASTA’s Orbitz complaint rejected
9. Eliza Travel buys Grove
10. National Airlines to come out of Chapter 11
11. Fares gap widening
12. NCL plans big expansion
13. Airlines crack down on ‘big bags’
14. Ryanair in trouble over wheelchair charges
15. Good news for frequent flyers
16. Cathay selects Shepherd Systems
17. Galileo Ireland joins the Galileo fold
18. Sabre names Scandinavian conquest
19. Amadeus creates new role for Spagnou
20. Cruises puts Hawke in top sales job
21. Six Continents launches website for last minute deals
22. Caribbean gambles $16m on recovery plan

COMMENT by Jeremy Skidmore
As the summer season comes to a close, it will be interesting to
see just how tour operators have faired. Recently the big
companies have been making positive noises. Thomson, MyTravel
and First Choice have all said that they have had a reasonable
summer and bookings have not been nearly as bad as some had
predicted. Of course, they have all had to discount to shift
stock, but there’s nothing new there.

The key to a profitable 2003 will be reducing, or at least
holding, capacity. As Sunvil Holidays managing director Noel
Josephides points out, the low-cost airlines have destabilised
the market and effectively added millions of extra holidays.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/90183
People are now much more adventurous when it comes to booking a
low-cost flight over the Internet and coupling it with a hotel
booking. The net result is that the choice for consumers is now
mind-boggling and there are just more than enough holidays and
flights to go around.

One positive thing for operators is that the weather at home has
been lousy this summer. The UK has enjoyed strong bookings on
the back of fears over flying but those who have been on the
English coast in July and August will probably want to go abroad
next year. Even so, there is still too much capacity around. If
something isn’t done about it, we’ll have the usual situation
where drastic discounts are needed to shift holidays – and not
just in the shoulder season. All talk of charging a premium and
holding prices will be quickly shelved.

Jeremy Skidmore

—
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or any other TravelMole article, click on the ‘Add a Comment’
button at the top of the story.

Best wishes
Richard Hammond
mailto:[email protected]

LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS
Breaking Stories: https://www.travelmole.com/news/index.html

1. WTO: The state of tourism
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The World Tourism Organisation has argued that the decline in
tourism last year was as much a statistical product, as a
reaction to 11 September.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/90269

2. US flights restricted and cancelled on 11 September
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The US Department of Transportation has imposed restrictions on
flights over key cities in the US today while events take
place to commemorate those who lost their lives on 11 September.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/90176

3. European flights unaffected on 11 September
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Despite a slump in bookings, flights within Europe will operate
as normal today, but there are restrictions over London.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/90197

4. Second hijack attempt in 10 days
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A hijack attempt on an Air Seychelles flight was thwarted by
cabin crew.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/90085

5. Holidaymakers not afraid to fly
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Despite the low bookings on 11 September, visitor numbers to the
UK suggest holidaymakers are not afraid to fly.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/90137

6.Interview: Noel Josephides, managing director, Sunvil Holidays
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Massive overcapacity in the package holiday market will lead to
further consolidation and bankruptcies, according to Noel
Josephides, deputy chairman of AITO and md of Sunvil Holidays.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/90183

7. CAA asks for comments on ATOL issue
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The CAA is urging agents and trade bodies to offer their
comments on the amendments it wants to make to Air Travel
Oraganiser’s Licences.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/89936

8. ASTA’s Orbitz complaint rejected
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The US Transportation Department has dismissed a complaint made
by the American Society of Travel Agents against Orbitz.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/89945

9. Eliza Travel buys Grove
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eliza Travel has bought the assets and trading names of the
bankrupt Grove Travel.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/90170

10. National Airlines to come out of Chapter 11
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
National Airlines has reached a deal on a $112m financing
package after lengthy discussions with key creditors and expects
to emerge from bankruptcy protection in October.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/90196

11. Fares gap widening
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The gap between leisure and business class fares is widening,
according to a new study in the US.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/90195

12. NCL plans big expansion
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Norwegian Cruise Line’s owner Star Cruises is planning a big
expansion for the group after reporting a 37-fold increase in
first half profits to $23m.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/89722

13. Airlines crack down on ‘big bags’
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
US airlines are cracking down on luggage size and penalising
customers who go over the limit.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/89721

14. Ryanair in trouble over wheelchair charges
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ryanair is facing a discrimination lawsuit for charging disabled
travellers to use its wheelchairs.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/89683

15. Good news for frequent flyers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic Airways have co-ordinated
frequent flyer schemes.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/89944

16. Cathay selects Shepherd Systems
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Galileo can name Cathay Pacific as a client after the airline
signed up with its subsidiary, Shepherd Systems.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/89679

17. Galileo Ireland joins the Galileo fold
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Galileo International has bought its Irish distribution partner,
Galileo Ireland.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/90101

18. Sabre names Scandinavian conquest
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Danish company, Check Point Travel is the latest agency to
convert to Sabre.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/90074

19. Amadeus creates new role for Spagnou
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amadeus has appointed Frederic Spagnou as vice president of
marketing.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/89706

20. P&O Cruises puts Hawke in top sales job
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
P&O Princess Cruises has overhauled its sales team, and named
Giles Hawkes its head.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/90086

21. Six Continents launches website for last minute deals
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Six Continents Hotels has launched a website to sell last minute
hotel packages in the US.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/89595

22. Caribbean gambles $16m on recovery plan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Caribbean leaders are ploughing $16m into a new marketing
campaign in the US to try to win back lost tourists. The
campaign will be backed up by a separate effort in the UK and
Europe in 2003.
https://www.travelmole.com/item/90193

LATEST PRESS POSTINGS
04-Sep: e-Travel spells streamlined management and an even
better end-user experience
30-Aug: Oden Resor switches to Sabre, highlighting a trend
29-Aug: Stena Line revolutionises agents’ bookings as website
proves huge ‘hit’
29-Aug: e-Travel and Tim/Timatic b.v. pioneer solution for
online visa and health information
26-Aug: HotelClub.net launches ‘hotel deals’ offer with Yahoo!
UK & Ireland
19-Aug: Atlas Travel insurance join Farebase web portal
12-Aug: Active Hotels management team strengthened to commence
aggressive growth strategy
https://www.travelmole.com/news/press

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