p6 news June26 24/6/09 19:50 Page 6
news
ttglive.com
BA mulls calls to
McEwan rebuts
revive commission
‘witless’ jibe
ABTA chairman John McEwan has hit back at
Michael O’Leary after the Ryanair boss claimed
Martin Ferguson.
the association’s campaign against Air Passenger
BRITISH AIRWAYS has refused to rule out a Duty would fail because it was run by a “bunch of
return to paying agents commission as calls from witless, useless travel agents”.
the travel trade mount for the reintroduction of O’Leary has launched his own campaign
the scheme that was scrapped in 2005. against APD. He blamed the levy for Ryanair’s
Scott Davies, BA’s head of TMC channels, said decision to freeze all growth at its UK airports.
nothing had been ruled out in the airline’s But he said he would not join forces with Abta,
consultation process with agents to evaluate claiming that by focusing its campaign on long-
incentives, such as sales and marketing haul routes it was favouring wealthy passengers
agreements, revealed in TTG last week. who flew longer distances rather than “poor
Advantage’s Ken McLeod said then that BA people travelling to Spain for a cheap holiday”.
and other airlines might have to reconsider McEwan said other airlines were working with
commission. consultation with TMCs but added: “We moved to Abta on the campaign, which was to the benefit
Ken McNab, managing director of The Travel 0% commission in 2005, recognising that the of the whole travel industry.
Company Edinburgh, said the reintroduction of role of the travel agent had changed. It allowed “Working together to oppose APD is for the
commission would go a long way to helping the agents to charge their own scale of service fees common good, and I’m surprised O’Leary can’t
airline. Rivals Emirates and Virgin Atlantic were in addition to the ticket price. Services offered see that,” he said.
“faring well” because they both “reward the by agents will continue to be driven by customer “Is he seriously suggesting no rich people fly
trade for its work”, he said. needs, with agents charging for the services to Spain to visit their second homes?”
“BA has shot itself in the foot. It shouldn’t have which their customers require.”
bitten off the hand that fed it,” he said. Meanwhile, HRG director Tony Berry said BA
McNab said nett fares would be a step in the would get trade support for its decision to go
right direction, but he urged BA to “pay agents ahead with its new all-business-class service
Corfu trial could
for their work”. from London City to New York JFK, tickets for
Davies admitted the industry had “changed which went on sale this week. hit Greece sales
radically” in recent years and said the airline had “London City is in a good position for workers
to move with the times. in the City and Canary Wharf. That might just give AGENTS may stop selling holidays to Greece if the
He said nothing had been ruled out in the it the edge,” he said. two Thomas Cook reps on trial are found guilty,
out of fear of being prosecuted themselves.
The trial of Richard Carson and Nicola Gibson,
in connection with the deaths of two children in
Corfu in 2006, was due to begin yesterday.
The decision to prosecute the pair has angered
agents, who have voiced their disgust on the
Facebook page created by TTG and a former
colleague of Carson’s.
One, Lucy Hawke of Wickers World Travel,
urged agents to join the group, warning that if a
rep could be prosecuted then so could an agent.
“In this time of dynamic packaging we could
all be susceptible to this kind of case if it is not
made clear that the responsibility lies with the
hotel,” she said.
Hawke believes many reps would refuse to
work in Greece if Carson and Gibson are found
guilty. “If there are no reps in a resort I am far
less likely to sell holidays there because many
customers don’t want a holiday without one.”
BRANSON GATHERS MOSS: Virgin Atlantic celebrated its 25th anniversary this week So far, more than 100 supporters have posted
with a £2.1 billion order for 10 aircraft, staff bonuses and a birthday party in New York. comments on the TTG Facebook page.
Sir Richard Branson shrugged off the environmental protests at Heathrow to sweep
supermodel Kate Moss off her feet before the flight departed. ■ Facebook page: http://tinyurl.com/nh8oao
06 26.06.2009
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