p4 News Feb19 Matt 17/2/10 21:13 Page 4
news
19.02.2010
Aito: Tip us off
EX
TT
CL
G
Cook’s Canaries
USIVE
about ‘crooks’
sales drop 50%
THOMAS COOK’s winter sales to the Canary
islands have dropped by 50% over two years.
Chris Gray.
competitors let customers arrange Chief executive Manny Fontenla-Novoa said
AITO LEADERS are turning trading their own flight and offered the that there had been a bit of an improvment
standards officers and asking accommodation and activity with in Spanish sales, but no real recovery in the
for tip-offs from operators and no bonding at all, even though it sector.
agents so they can investigate was required under the PTD. “The Canary Islands are about 25% down
“rogue traders”. Aito now wants non-Aito this winter on the back of being 25% down
They are pledging to write to members to help in a crackdown. the previous winter, so there’s no real recovery
offending companies, “hassle” He said: “It’s a question of self- in the sector,” he said.
them for an explanation, threaten preservation, but also a consumer “Even if there is a bit of a recovery, making up
them with private prosecutions, and perception problem; why should we let a 50% reduction is going to take some time.”
badger trading standards to take crooks tar us with their mucky brush?” Meanwhile, Sunvil managing director Noel
action. Aito is taking matters into its own hands Some companies claimed they did not know Josephides said the crisis in Greece was helping
because reduced local authority budgets mean about the PTD, but they could not argue that if sales slightly as it was starting to bring down the
trading standards officials no longer have the Aito told them about their obligations, and value of the euro against the pound.
resources to investigate companies the associa- passed their details to trading standards, he said.
tion suspects are operating with no bonding at all. Aito council member Noel Josephides said it ■ Cook to boost medium-haul capacity, p14
The clampdown is aimed at operators with was trading standards’ duty to enforce the PTD
“non-licensable” turnover that does not come for non-licensable turnover, but they had been
under Atol because it does not involve a flight, failing to take action because of budget cuts.
but is covered by the Package Travel Directive. That meant offending companies thought
It is aimed at mostly small or medium-sized there was “zero” chance of being caught but Aito
Jet2 saves 13 lions
companies offering packages combining intended to make them think again.
accommodation and other travel components “If the government is not going to step up to
from Romanian zoo
in the destination, which could be transport, an policing this, then we will have to do it,” he said.
adventure activity or cultural tour. Aito wants anyone with suspicions about a NO-FRILLS airline Jet2.com swapped holiday-
Many Aito members offer similar holidays with company in their sector of the industry to send makers for big cats when it helped rescue 13 lions
full bonding, but chairman Derek Moore said the firm’s details to: roguetraders@aito.com from a rundown zoo in Romania last week.
The carrier flew the lions to Doncaster Robin
Hood Airport after they were rescued from the
Staff trauma
dures but was working with trauma counsellors to zoo in Oradea, where they were being kept in a
support those involved, including the customer. poor condition.
The operator has a retail incident support Managing director Ian Doubtfire (below) said
after gun raid
team in each region trained to deal with such in- the airline offered its free support to the York-
cidents. Detective Constable Damien McIntyre, shire Wildlife Park, where the lions will be kept,
who leads the investigation said: “This was a after hearing about its mission to save them.
THOMSON staff are undergoing counselling fol- hostile armed robbery that has left those in the
lowing a raid by two masked gunmen on an shop at the time in a severe state of shock.
agency near Heathrow on Tuesday. “The victims are understandably shaken by
Two female agents were threatened by the this crime, which could easily have turned into a
two men and forced into toilets at the back of the much more violent situation, had they not coop-
shop while several thousand pounds of cash in erated with the offenders.”
different currencies was taken from the safe. The The attack came days after a raider on a
men then fled in a silver Mercedes E Class. Thomas Cook shop in North London was
Thomson said it will not change in-store proce- sentenced to at least five years in prison.
04 19.02.2010
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