p6 news Dec4 2/12/09 21:06 Page 6
news
ttglive.com
Light Blue gets
‘Seize chance to
trade-friendly
SPECIALIST operator Light Blue Travel has said it
shape protection’
may sell more through agents after taking on
trade bookings with Holiday Options when the
operator went into administration.
Chris Gray.
industry’s response to the EU’s
Cambridge-based Light Blue took on about ABTA chairman John McEwan review of the Package Travel
1,000 forward bookings for next summer from has urged members to grab Directive, which started last
Holiday Options when it collapsed last month. the opportunity to influence week.
Most of Light Blue’s sales are direct but about the outcome of a “three- The first move from the
80% of Holiday Options bookings were through year journey” to reshaping group – which includes Aito,
the trade. consumer protection. the PSA, The Co-operative
Light Blue managing director Rupert Thomson McEwan (pictured) said it Travel Group, Advantage and
said his experience of dealing with agents in would be at least 2012 before Worldchoice – is to send a
sorting out new contracts for customers had the EU’s review of package questionnaire to every Abta
persuaded him to use the trade more. travel regulations and protec- member asking them to give
The process had run smoothly and nearly all tion for airline customers was their views by December 22.
customers had now been catered for, he added. completed. Abta plans to submit the findings to the EU
Light Blue will apply to increase its Atol licence But this week Abta convened its first meeting in February.
next spring because of the extra bookings it has of a working party set up to co-ordinate the McEwan said it was important members
taken on. Thomson said its existing licence was responded to the questionnaire and also took
sufficient to cover the few hundred extra winter part in the Department for Transport’s review of
bookings it had taken on from Holiday Options. Bed bank talks: Abta’s Mark Tanzer was in the Atol system, due to start this month.
The link between the two companies came talks with bed bank bosses this week to find a That review could bring change within
about partly because All Leisure Group chairman way to protect clients’ money that was acceptable 18 months, which could then affect the result of
Roger Allard is a non-executive chairman of to agents and accommodation suppliers. The meeting the EU review, he said.
Light Blue Travel. came after Youtravel, Hotels4U and Medhotels “We are on a journey of three years. In the short
quit Abta when it introduced rules making them term we have an opportunity to extend protection
responsible for money collected by agents. to consumers. That should then be taken into
Artemis sells out
account as part of the European review.”
in just 17 minutes
YouTube sparks £10k Oasis sale
THE FINAL voyage for
P&O Cruises’ Artemis TTG Face of Travel winner Martin Owens’ video The customer left a comment praising the
sold out within 17 diary of his visit to Oasis of the Seas is set to pay video and Owens responded by offering to arrange
minutes of going on off with a £10,000 booking. a cruise for the viewer if they were interested.
sale. His videos of his preview trip onboard the giant They then discussed the deal more on Facebook
The ship’s 14-night cruise ship, presented jointly with fellow Face and Owens said he was now on the verge of
farewell cruise in of Travel winner Natasha Grech, appeared on signing up the customer for two Crown Loft or
April 2011 was put on sale at 10am on Tuesday ttglive.com and YouTube, where they were Sky Loft suites on Oasis, worth up to £5,000 for
and all cabins on the 1,196-passenger ship were spotted by a potential customer. each suite.
quickly snapped up. Future Travel Cruise agent Owens has previ-
The final cruise, which was added to the P&O ously relied heavily on Teletext for bookings, but
programme only two weeks ago, will sail from is losing much of his distribution because the
Southampton on April 12, 2011. analogue Teletext service is being turned off.
It will visit Gibraltar, Alicante, Palma, Sorrento, He said the potential success of the video diary
Rome, Monte Carlo and Barcelona. had persuaded him to start showing more videos
The voyage will also include an onboard jazz on Facebook and other sites to attract business.
and classical music festival, commemorative “This customer had never heard or seen me
memorabilia and surprise guest entertainers. before he saw the video. It has had a fantastic
Prices started from £1,199. impact,” he said.
Artemis was sold to MS Artania Shipping in
September but chartered back by P&O so the ■ Oasis news, p20; agent diaries, p38; plus
ship could complete the cruise programme. all the videos at ttglive.com/oasis/videos
06 04.12.2009
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