p11 news mar27 25/3/09 14:27 Page 11
ttglive.com
news
In brief
■ Airline punctuality improves as flights cut RCCL: no-frills
Airlines’ punctuality at 10 UK airports improved
in the last quarter of 2008 as carriers cut the
number of flights they operated. The proportion of
scheduled flights departing or arriving within 15
minutes of their due time rose by eight percentage
points to 77% between October and December
but not Ryanair
last year, the CAA revealed. The number of flights
dropped by 6% in the same period year-on-year.
Lee Hayhurst.
said ‘why not?’ This is about giving customers
■ Kenya Tourist Board to hold April roadshows PREMIUM cruise line Celebrity Cruises and sister choice.”
The Kenya Tourist Board is holding a series of brand Royal Caribbean International have Rzymowska said the advantage of buying a
agent roadshows across the UK. The first is in expanded their flying programmes to include no-frills flight package put together by Royal
London on April 20, followed by Manchester easyJet. Caribbean was that if anything goes wrong with
(April 21), Edinburgh (April 22), Dublin (April 23), But the cruise group said that despite deciding the flight the operator has responsibility.
and Cork (April 24). Call 020 7367 0930 or email to broaden its range of partner airlines, it would Parent company Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s
gwendolinemeyrick@hillsbalfoursynergy.com. not be working with Ryanair due to service issues 2010 launch has focused heavily on Celebrity
associated with the Irish carrier. Cruises, which will base a ship in Southampton
■ EasyJet hastens expansion at Manchester Last month, Carnival Corporation-owned Costa next year and launch Equinox (see below) in the
EasyJet is bringing forward its expansion at Cruises announced a partnership that means its port in July.
Manchester airport by moving the start of four cruises are featured on Ryanair’s website. In a first for the line, a British godmother will
new routes to Corfu, Athens, Bastia and Dalaman Royal Caribbean’s UK managing director, be selected to oversee proceedings.
from August to May 21. The expansion will see an Jo Rzymowska, said the move reflected a decline Celebrity is offering two key changes.
additional aircraft based at Manchester and in- in regional charter flying and the need to be A new kids’ programme has been introduced
creased frequencies to the summer destinations “smarter when buying air”. specifically for young guests aged between six
of Alicante, Malaga, Malta, Paphos and Tenerife. The company has just completed a series of months and three years old.
Manchester Airports Group eyes Glasgow bid, p28 regional meetings with agents at which it And suite passengers are to be given extras
revealed details of its new 2010 programme such as priority restaurant bookings and exclu-
■ Qatar Airways to remain on Sabre including the flying programme. sive areas for activities including sunbathing.
Qatar Airways has backed down on a decision to “As an industry we have to crack air travel,” Rzymowska added: “What we have taken on
delist its content from Sabre. In a letter to travel said Rzymowska. “The truth is not everyone board from feedback is we have a lot of repeat
agents in December, the airline’s regional man- wants to sail from the UK and not all our ships suite guests and they feel for the level they are
ager in Qatar, Ehad Amin, said all content would are based in the UK. paying they would like to feel more recognised.”
be removed from the global distribution system “Some agents have said ‘you can’t put a
by February. But Sabre said it had come to an Celebrity guest on an easyJet flight’, but others ■ Swan swoops for Hebridean customers, p22
agreement with Qatar and the airline’s inventory
will continue to be available on the system.
■ The Network’s Jane Dyson named in top 100
Jane Dyson, founder of field marketing specialist
The Network, has been named one of the top 100
most entrepreneurial women in the UK by Real
Business magazine. Other travel industry names
on the list include Jennifer Davis of Holiday
Rooms Direct, Tamara Heber-Percy of hotel chain
Mr & Mrs Smith, Rita Sharma of Bestattravel.com
and Julia Hands of Hand Picked Hotels.
■ MSC Cruises offers sailings for £1
MSC Cruises is repeating a Cruise for £1 offer to
mark the launch of its 2009-10 brochure. From
April 4 to 20 any passenger paying full brochure
price will pay just £1 for a second passenger. The
offer excludes Dover sailings on MSC Opera and OPPORTUNITY EQUINOX: Celebrity Cruises is due to take delivery of new Solstice-class
MSC’s premium Yacht Club bookings. In addition, ship Equinox on July 16, ahead of a naming ceremony in Southampton later that month.
MSC Cruises has slashed the deposit on all cruises The maiden voyage will be an eight-night Norwegian Fjords cruise, departing July 31.
to £50 except transatlantic sailings which is £150. Equinox is pictured here being built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany.
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