p12 jan16 14/1/09 16:59 Page 12
news
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Co-op Travel gains access
In brief
■ Real Hotel Group suspends share trading
to sell 4,000 Jet2 seats
The Real Hotel Group, which runs 50 budget
hotels across the UK, has suspended its shares
from trading on the Alternative Investment
Market. It requested the move after shares fell
Chris Gray.
answer yet to difficulties caused by agents 35% and revenue for the first week of 2009 was
JET2.COM is giving The Co-operative Travel shops screen-scraping no-frills airlines’ websites. 34% lower than last year as occupancy levels
direct access to its seats in a deal the retail chain That practice prompted Ryanair to threaten and related food sales fell. The company said it
said revived the “good old days” of co-operation legal action against screen-scrapers last year in was considering all options and that its outlook
between the trade and airlines. a bid to stamp it out. remained unpredictable.
The no-frills airline has given the chain 4,000 The Co-operative Travel/Jet2 deal goes a step
seats at preferential rates for agents to sell further than previous moves by no-frills airlines ■ Portugal seeks closer ties with UK operators
through the Co-op’s Escape dynamic packaging – such as easyJet putting seats on GDSs. Fears that the credit crunch will affect travel
system, rather than booking via
Jet2.com. Co-op agents can now book Jet2 seats at pref- bookings in 2009 have prompted Portugal to
Jet2 sales director Philip Ward said the deal erential rates direct via an XML feed. seek closer links with UK tour operators.
would widen Leeds-based Jet2’s distribution, and Hinds said: “It is like the good old days where Portugal’s tourism minister, Bernardo Trindade,
showed how the airline was evolving from its airlines valued agents and we worked together.” visited UK operators this week to discuss joint
origins as a no-frills carrier. The seats cover routes from all of Jet2’s six promotions to attract Britons to his country. The
“We are no longer just a low-cost airline. We airports – Belfast, Blackpool, Leeds, Manchester, operators included Tui Travel, Thomas Cook and
must be a leisure airline and give people lounge Edinburgh and Newcastle – to destinations Monarch Holidays. Portugal has increased its
access, pre-booked seats and hot meals, and including Turkey and Sharm el Sheikh as well as tourism promotion budget by 20% this year.
loyalty points for regular travellers,” he said. the Spanish Costas and Balearic Islands.
Shaun Hinds, The Co-operative Travel’s The deal is initially until the end of March. ■ Cook named 2010 World Cup tour operator
commercial director, said the deal was the best Thomas Cook Sport has been appointed as an
official tour operator for the 2010 Fifa World
Cup in South Africa. The company will offer
authorised travel packages to fans travelling to
the tournament from the UK. The packages are
due to go on sale from this summer.
■ Jumeirah House appoints sales director
The Jumeirah Essex House hotel in New York
has appointed Simon Barnett as sales director.
He will oversee marketing, public relations,
advertising and sales for all the hotel’s major
market segments.
■ Lastminute teams up with National Rail
Lastminute.com has started offering a hotel
booking service for customers using the
From left: Jet2’s Alan Cross, Phil Ward and Steve Lee join forces with the Co-operative Travel’s Shaun Hinds National Rail Enquiries website. Customers
will be able to book and pay for hotels at the
Jet2 steps in to run flights for Palmair
same time as planning a rail journey or buying
a train ticket on
nationalrail.co.uk. Lastminute
is also redesigning its website to widen the page
JET2.COM has taken over operating Palmair, the Palmair surprised the industry when it was size and add new tools. The new version is due to
airline used by Bath Travel for its packages from named third-best airline in the world by Which? go live next month.
Bournemouth airport. last year for its personal service.
Bath Travel previously used a 30-year-old Managing director David Skillicorn said the ■ Virgin/BMI extend code-share deal
Palmair-branded Boeing 737-200 based at new aircraft was Jet2 branded and was being run Virgin Atlantic and BMI have expanded their
Bournemouth that was owned by European by a Jet2 crew. However, Palmair’s original crew code-share agreement to cover BMI’s domestic
Aviation Air Charter Ltd, which went into admin- was being trained in the aircraft and would take and Middle Eastern networks and Virgin’s North
istration before Christmas. Its parent company, over when that was finished, he added. American services. Passengers can now book
European Aviation Group, was not affected. Palmair is offering up to 25% off prices in its New York-Amman via Heathrow, for example.
Jet2 provided a replacement 737-300 within summer brochure for bookings made in January.
24 hours as a temporary measure in what will
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For the latest news, reviews and comment
now be a long-term arrangement. ■ TTG spends a day with Bath Travel, p14 from the travel industry, visit
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12 16.01.2009
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