p6 News Jan15 13/1/10 16:44 Page 6
news
ttglive.com
Formula reveals
Viking sets up
Greek airline
VIKING AIRLINES has started a Greek operation
key to local sales
and is launching a three times weekly service
from Manchester to Athens with onward
connections to Iraq from February 1.
The new arm of Sweden-based Viking Airlines
AB is called Viking Hellas Airlines and is based in
Athens.
Rupert Murray.
their customers Its Manchester-Athens route is targeting
TRAVEL Counsellors would come from leisure tourists. The connections to Iraq will
is hoping to attract as a homeworker. target Iraqi ex-pats, and eastern Europeans
new talent with a “Every day we looking for work in Iraq.
website that reveals mix with people, Viking Hellas also has agreements with
how much money some we know, Olympic Air and Aegean Airlines to provide con-
a potential recruit some we don’t,” nections from Athens to Greek cities and islands,
can earn in their he said. “The trick the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.
area. is spotting the Roger Gatt, Viking Hellas commercial director,
The website asks opportunity to said: “We also look forward to working with
possible counsellors communicate agents to improve travel options from the north
questions such as with them so next of England to Greece and beyond.”
numbers of friends time they want Viking has links to the failed XL Leisure Group
on Facebook, phone to book a holiday because former XL chief executive Phil Wyatt
contacts, local gyms or business trip, controls around 40% of the carrier through his
and houses in their street. they remember you. investment vehicle Black Pearl Investments.
It then works out total potential sales and “We provide agents with the skills and tools to It has also revealed it is working with industry
earnings for that person in their first year. make contact with these potential clients and stalwart Noel Josephides to set-up a UK-based
The formula has been created by looking at keep them.” airline – Viking Airlines UK – to provide capacity
the 750 UK Travel Counsellors, the areas in which Bryne believes this system of proactively for small operators such as Sunvil.
they operate and the company’s average conver- seeking business from family, friends and the
sion, sales value and commission. local community is more fulfilling and profitable
Managing director Steve Bryne said the site, than homeworkers being fed leads created by
travelhomeworking.co.uk/openyoureyes, aimed channels such as Teletext.
Lancing puts end
to answer concerns that agents considering He added that those leads were drying up as
leaving the high street might have about where previous customers moved online.
to Journeys cover
A DISGRUNTLED travel agent boss has told her
staff to stop selling Journeys Travel Insurance
following blunders over commission payments.
Cheryl Craft, manager of Lancing Travel in
West Sussex, said she had vetoed the travel
insurance firm over commission payment issues
dating back to January 2009.
Journeys Travel Insurance pays 20% commis-
sion for agent referrals to the call centre and
25% for agent referrals to online.
Craft said she was only paid the January to
March commission after her consortium Advan-
tage chased up the payment. She received no
commission since May and was listed as being
entitled to only 5%.
Journeys Travel Insurance boss Patrick Chong
COOK STARS AT CO-OP AWARDS: Cook wins best overall operator for trade support said a glitch in the IT system was to blame.
at The Co-operative Travel’s Star awards. From left: Mike Greenacre, Co-op Travel But the firm had sent a cheque for July-October
managing director; Tina Hodge, Cook sales manager; Chris Harrison, Thomas Cook commission to Lancing and outstanding transac-
head of third party sales; and Shaun Hinds, Co-op Travel director of commercial tions from November would be paid by February.
06 15.01.2010
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