p5 News may29 27/5/09 20:19 Page 5
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In brief
■ Monarch seeks to avert summer strikes
Monarch Airlines is in talks with trade union
Agents slam P&O
Unite to try to avert strike action during the
summer holidays. Union members will vote in
July on whether to take industrial action over a
dispute about pay and conditions.
direct discounts
■ Jet2holidays’ Bodin to quit in September
Richard Bodin is to step down as managing
director of Jet2holidays on September 30. The
Lee Hayhurst.
“If P&O wants to review its pricing on certain
company told TTG: “Richard has been integral in P&O CRUISES has doubled its online direct sailings, doing co-operative marketing with
the set-up of Jet2holidays. He felt it was the right discount to 10% for the first time to boost sales agent partners would be a better place to start.”
time to move on to his next challenge.” – but claimed the offer does not undercut agents. Westall admitted clients were holding off but
The promotion, emailed to customers last was confident that bookings would still come if
■ Former Freedom director joins Hays... week, applies to a range of cruises between July lines held their nerve on pricing.
Nick Jackson, a former director of failed and March 2010, for which the line said bookings Carnival UK sales director Giles Hawke said:
north-east retailer Freedom Direct Holidays, has were not as healthy as hoped. “The discount is on select cruises where we have
been made head of web and direct marketing at Agents criticised the move, saying it could ex- bonus commissions available to travel agents.
Hays Travel. Hays bought the Freedom Direct acerbate the discounting culture, and played into “We are trying everything we can to stimulate
database and intellectual property rights from the hands of customers waiting for late deals. demand for some cruises. The chances are a
the company’s liquidators last month. Jetline Cruise director Ian Gilder said he travel agent will be able to offer clients at least
‘Freedom sunk by regulators’: Letters, p28 understood that if agents were not selling well as good a deal, if not better.”
for the line it had to act. But he would have Discounting in the cruise sector is said to be
■
...as Hays delays launch of tour operation preferred the discount to be kept at around 7%, creeping up from the usual 10%, with between
Hays Travel has delayed launching its tour opera- below the usual 10% third party retail discount. 12% and 13% now commonplace.
tion due to the economic climate. Hays Faraway “If P&O gets more direct sales, will it be However,
SmartCruiser.co.uk, the UK version
was originally intended to begin operations in encouraged to do it more often?” he said. of a US website, was advertising 15% off Royal
early 2008, along with Hays Beds which launched “Customers know if they hold on, they can Caribbean cruises on Google this week.
a year ago and is “performing well”. Managing basically pick and choose their deal. They are
OF
director John Hays said Hays would focus on core not stupid: they know what they can get.”
D
B
O
Y
A
business until the economy improves.
B
Bad Boy columnist: The self-styled
Cumbria Cruises general manager Alison
S
E
B-BOC, aka Ian Gilder, is our latest
Westall feared P&O Cruises’ doubled discount
CR
U
I
columnist on
ttgive.com. Go online now
■ Iata claims ‘the worst may be over’ sent out the wrong message, adding: “We have
to read his no-holds-barred views on Google
International air passenger numbers fell 3.1% in spent years educating people to book early for
pricing, discounting and the recession.
April, a mild recovery from the 11.1% slump in the best deal, but this takes us full circle.
March, according to Iata figures. Iata said March’s
figures were skewed by up to 2% as Easter fell in
April, but reduced fares had boosted volumes.
“The worst may be over. However, we have not
yet seen any signs that recovery is imminent,”
said Iata chief executive Giovanni Bisignani.
■ Air Berlin reports ¤88m loss
Air Berlin has reported an ¤88.4 million net loss
for the first quarter of 2009. The loss is ¤28.6
million (27.3%) greater than in the same period
last year. But the airline’s bosses said profit and
revenue “came in according to plan”.
■ Libra launches flights to Sharm el Sheikh
Libra Holidays will start a twice-weekly service
from Gatwick to Egyptian resort Sharm el Sheikh
on October 24. The winter schedule services will
fly on Saturday and Sunday until April 25, 2010.
RCCL’S GOOD SPORTS: Royal Caribbean staff competed in a sports day to help raise
ttglive.com
For the latest news, reviews and comment
£10,000 for the Steve Redgrave Fund, part of Sport Relief. Sir Steve himself (centre)
from the travel industry, visit
ttglive.com was on hand to adjudicate. The line has already raised £125,000 for the charity.
29.05.2009 05
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