p6 news May15 13/5/09 18:18 Page 6
news
ttglive.com
Iata pay plan would have
‘huge impact’ on TMCs
Martin Ferguson.
credit period for their corporate clients, which dated accounts. This meant agencies and their
TRAVEL management companies could be forced would inevitably push them away,” he said. parent or holding companies had to fulfil strict
out of business if Iata insists airline bookings be “Secondly, there would be significant profitability and liquidity rules to be exempt
paid every two weeks, an industry leader warned. administrative costs associated with having to from paying a bond, so some well-run and prof-
Maurice Veronique, chairman of the Guild of make more frequent payments.” itable agencies were forced to pay large bonds.
Travel Management Companies, told TTG any Veronique said leisure travel would not suffer Now PwC has recommended these rules be
such move could push vulnerable agencies over the same impact, and he called for distinction reviewed, suggesting each case be evaluated on
the edge. between the two sectors. its own merit.
Iata’s UK country manager, Noel Gilmartin, He said: “Leisure agents sell flights and then Gilmartin said the Agency Programme Joint
told delegates at this week’s GTMC conference in sit on the cash. Why should TMCs be viewed in Council, a liaison group of travel trade figures
Dubai that a move to fortnightly remittances was the same way?” and airlines, had confirmed the recommenda-
being considered, though consultation with the Iata had more positive news for agents with its tion. It now had to be ratified by the Iata board in
trade was ongoing. intention to relax criteria for agency bonding. Geneva, which could take up to two weeks.
But Veronique said the proposal would have a Gilmartin said its UK consultancy, Pricewater-
“huge impact” on a TMC’s cashflow. houseCoopers, had previously recommended ■ For more from the GTMC conference, see
“Firstly, it would force TMCs to reduce the Iata base its bonding requirements on consoli- ttgbusiness.com and next week’s TTG
Monarch stops
Worldchoice
free lounge passes
goes to press
MONARCH Airlines has scrapped free lounge
access for members of its frequent-flyer scheme
as a cost-cutting measure. WORLDCHOICE members received their first
The access for Gold Vantage Club members internal newsletter last week.
has been dropped for all bookings made after A bespoke version of the Travel Trust
May 1. Association’s quarterly Insight magazine has
Members will now have to pay £13.95 to been circulated to Worldchoice members.
use the lounges, a reduction from the standard The middle four pages are identical to those in
£18 fee. the TTA’s version, but the outside four contain
Managing director Liz Savage said there had news and information specific to the consortium.
been some objections from members, but many The first issue focuses on Worldchoice’s Abta
would still have free access through their credit Alternative scheme, which the association claims
cards. was requested by a third of all Worldchoice
The move will be followed by a revamp of the members who responded to a poll.
frequent-flyer scheme, which Savage said would Insight magazine reports: “It is not a system
become more tailored to individuals. designed to weaken Abta,
Savage also said the battle between easyJet but simply a solution for
and Aer Lingus at Gatwick was hitting Monarch’s those members who wish to
yields on Malaga and Faro – destinations which STRIKE! Keely Johnson, branch manager change. It keeps members
all three airlines now serve from Gatwick. of The Co-operative Travel in Oldham, has in Worldchoice but allows
But she questioned whether Aer Lingus would fun raising money for charity. She was one them to leave Abta.”
be able to sustain its pricing on Gatwick routes, of a group of Co-op staff in Manchester Other features cover a
given the scale of its financial losses. who raised more than £500 at a bowling new dynamic packaging
EasyJet and Ryanair this week claimed Aer event to support the company’s charity of tool called Trust-Trips, and
Lingus would be forced to drop Gatwick routes the year, the Royal National Institute for a spotlight on TTA World-
after it suspended winter flights between Belfast Deaf People. The Co-op hopes to raise choice managing director
and Paris, Rome, Milan, Faro and Barcelona. more than £2 million by the year’s end. Simon Hargreaves.
06 15.05.2009
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