p2 jan16 14/1/09 21:52 Page 2
Fight the ridiculous
APD hike – and help
news
people around world
IT’S A classic case of not thinking something through.
The way the government has worked out how APD
should be calculated could have disastrous conse-
quences if we don’t act now to get it changed.
The inflexible band system, based on distances
between the capital cities of the countries people are
flying from and to, will see customers flying to the
Caribbean paying more tax than those on their way
to Hawaii – 3,000 miles farther east.
this week
It’s nonsensical. And at £150 a head in premium
economy, it will mean an extra £600 for a family of
four going to the Dom Rep after November 2010.
When cost-conscious consumers are looking
to get the best-value holidays, the increased APD
could put them off going to a particular destination
altogether, prompting them to opt for somewhere in
a cheaper (but not necessarily nearer) band instead.
And that could be seriously damaging for places
Travel Gives Back. . . on Oceana
such as the Caribbean and Kenya, whose economies P&O Cruises’ passengers raised £5,000 on an Oceana cruise over Christmas
depend on tourism. They will be penalised by the with a charity auction, £2,700 of which went to the Challenor School, a
proposed APD structure. charity in Barbados. Pictured are captain Julian Burgess with June Blackman,
The industry has to accept the government is not acting director of the school. Join our Fair Fares campaign against APD
going to drop the tax – even though many believe changes that will unfairly hit Caribbean destinations. p6-7
it should, after it “promoted” it as a green levy then
refused to guarantee the money raised would be Complaint. days” of relationships with agents
used to help the environment. Neilson joins chat forum p4 and airlines
But the system can be improved. The boss of Thomas Cook-owned
So our Fair Fares campaign (p6) aims to pressure Neilson discovered the power of Expansion.
the government to redress its poorly conceived APD social media this week when a Cruise boss branches out p14
plan before people whose livelihoods depend on single complaint led to 14 pages Cruise retailer Get Cruising, the
tourism start to suffer the impact of fewer visitors. of comments viewed by more agency opened by former Cruise
Standing up for developing countries, which than 9,000 people Store boss Gary Wardrope a year
the UK travel industry has helped to prosper, is ago, has revealed plans to expand
exactly why we launched our Travel Gives Back Business rates. and open a ski division
campaign last year. Tax hike warning p5
It’s essential that we do everything The British Retail Consortium has City & finance.
possible to support and sustain such warned a planned 30% increase Gulf Air break-even plan p16
destinations – not put in them in peril by in business rates could push Middle East carrier Gulf Air has
allowing barriers to entry to be imposed. struggling retailers over the edge said it expects to be in profit by
That’s why we urge you to sign the 2011 after the completion a three-
petition we have set up on the No 10 Protection. year turn-around programme
Downing Street website and send Call for new consumer law p9
the letter from our website, Abta and the FTO have renewed Cruise.
ttglive.com, to your local MP. calls for a shake-up of UK financial P&O denies discount rap p22
The Treasury appears willing protection laws and said merely P&O Cruises has said the line is not
to listen to the industry, so there hoping that the EU would change unduly discounting after reports
is a real chance of effecting change. the rules was just a way of in the national press of unruly
But we have only a matter of weeks avoiding the issue behaviour by customers on cheap
before officials finalise the rules. So deals on a Ventura cruise
time is short. Please sign up now. Tie-up.
Jet2/Co-op seat deal p12 SECTORS.
The Co-op has heralded a deal with Cruise p22
Lucy Huxley Editor
Jet2.com to have direct access to its Operators p28
seats as bringing back the “golden Air p30
02 16.01.2009
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80