p5 News Oct23 21/10/09 21:54 Page 5
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In brief
■ Memorial evening for Michael Stevens
An open invitation has been made to anyone in
Sunvil chief to
the industry who knew former Affordable Travel
Group and Accor Hotels director Michael Stevens
to attend a gathering in London in his memory.
Stevens died on August 8 after contracting
pneumonia. The event will take place at Vivat
head Viking UK
Bacchus, London Bridge, on Friday, October 30
from 6.30pm. To confirm attendance, email
angeladay@theaffordabletravelgroup.com
Chris Gray.
“I lost £100,000 on XL but by flying
NOEL JOSEPHIDES is set to head a
C
O
with Viking this summer I have saved
■ Delta reinstates Manchester-New York route new UK offshoot of Viking Airlines, myself £200,000 on rates quoted by
Delta Air Lines has backtracked on a decision to the Sweden-based carrier with links
STO
VER
R
Y
other airlines,” he said. “This will save
ditch its daily service between Manchester and to the failed XL Leisure Group. independent tour operators money.”
New York JFK. Last month the airline said the The Sunvil managing director, Abta Viking has previously attracted
route was no longer financially viable and the board member and Aito director will be non- complaints about quality of service, but
operation would cease on January 7. The carrier executive chairman of Viking Airlines UK if it is Josephides said he would ensure it was a “Rolls-
has now decided to relaunch the service on May 2 granted an air operator’s certificate by the CAA. Royce” service. “I am not about to do anything
and to operate throughout the summer. The move will be seen as controversial because that would compromise my reputation,” he said.
former XL chief executive Phil Wyatt controls The new airline plans to operate a fleet of up
■ BA in talks to avoid Christmas strikes about 40% of Viking Airlines through his to five 189-seat Boeing 737-800s to mid-haul
Discussions were continuing this week between investment vehicle, Black Pearl Investments. destinations such as Egypt and Turkey, as well as
British Airways and Unite trade union leaders Josephides said Wyatt would have no direct Greece and the Canary Islands.
in the hope of avoiding a strike by cabin crew involvement in Viking UK and the new airline was Viking operates under a Swedish operating
during Christmas. The airline is looking to cut needed to provide capacity for small operators licence and needs the CAA certificate to fly from
1,700 jobs, introduce a pay freeze and reduce pay that have struggled to access seats on Tui, the UK to more EU destinations.
for new starters. BA wants to make £140 million Thomas Cook and Monarch flights. Josephides said the licence application was
of savings after losing £400 million last year. “There are a lot of people who are not going likely to be submitted within three weeks and the
to like it but this is a benefit for the independent airline should be operating by next spring.
■ Queen Mary 2 celebrates fifth birthday tour operator. It’s important we have an Last year Josephides was involved in an
Cunard’s Queen Mary 2, the world’s largest ocean independent carrier,” he said. unsuccessful attempt to set up a similar
liner, was celebrating its fifth birthday this week Josephides was highly critical of the XL group operation, code-named Project James, with
with a round-Britain cruise. On Tuesday it visited after its collapse in 2008, but in May he praised former Zoom UK boss Jonathan Hinkles, which
Liverpool, home to the company’s former head- Viking as the “saviour” of small operators. many operators hoped would rival Viking.
quarters in the Cunard Building, which it vacated
in the 1960s when relocating to Southampton.
■ Agent welcomes OFT pricing investigation
The investigation into online holiday pricing
announced by the Office of Fair Trading has been
welcomed by a leading online travel agent.
Sunshine.co.uk founder Chris Brown said it had
been campaigning to stop firms using “deceptive
tactics” to lure customers.
■ Travel Counsellors wins Guardian accolade
Travel Counsellors was voted by readers as best
travel agent for a third time in The Guardian,
Observer and guardian.co.uk travel awards.
The Bolton-based agency, which employs 760
home-based agents, regained the title from TTG
Travel Awards winner Journeys a la Carte. Third
place went to Travelbag, fourth to British Airways
Holidays and fifth to Dial A Flight.
SALUTES YOU, SIR: Three Midlands Co-operative Travel cruise specialist agents have
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been awarded “Ambassador” status by the Association of Cruise Experts. The awards
from the travel industry, visit ttglive.com went to Solihull’s Jason Veal (pictured), Rubery’s Karen Harold and Ilkeston’s Mike Powell
23.10.2009 05
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