NEWS ROUND-UP NEWS IN BRIEF


Post Office Travel Money finds price fall in 29 cities


Prices for UK tourists have fallen in 29 of 44 European cities surveyed for a new report by Post Office Travel Money. The biggest falls were in traditional favourites including Venice, where prices dropped more than 23% year on year.


Saga considers selling Titan and Destinology


Saga has appointed financial advisory firm Duff & Phelps as it explores the possible sale of escorted touring arm Titan Travel and luxury specialist Destinology. The brands have been valued at a combined £100 million.


Coalition fights legal battle over new Heathrow runway


The High Court in London has begun a judicial review into the government’s green light for a third runway at Heathrow. A coalition of councils, residents, environmental charities and the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is fighting a legal battle, claiming the expansion plans fail to properly address the impact on air quality, climate change, noise and congestion.


James Villas’ parent changes name to Awaze


The parent of Hoseasons and James Villas has changed its name from European Vacation Rentals to Awaze. The group was sold to Platinum Equity by Wyndham Worldwide for $1.3 billion last May and includes the Cottages.com, Novasol and Landal GreenParks brands.


Barrhead offers chauffeur service for luxury clients


Barrhead Travel is to offer free chauffeured transfers for luxury cruise clients. The service, launching this month, will be available for clients booked on top-end ocean or river cruises. It will be rolled out to the group’s Cruise Direct and The Cruise Specialists divisions.


IN THE PICTURE: Jet2’s 100th aircraft gets paint job


Jet2.com has completed the livery on its 100th aircraft, which will fly emblazoned with tour operator Jet2holidays’ ‘starburst’ and branding. The next-generation Boeing 737-800 is the last of 34 to be delivered from the US aircraft manufacturer, and underwent a two-day paint job at Airbourne Colours, Bournemouth, last week. Chief executive Steve Heapy said the arrival of the 100th aircraft was “momentous”. The company has released a 45-second time-lapse video of the paint job, which can be viewed at tinyurl.com/jet2livery100.


Cook in talks with Collette about future of tours arm


Juliet Dennis juliet.dennis@travelweekly.co.uk


Thomas Cook is in talks with Collette about the future of its tours business following the operator’s decision to pull out of the UK after 20 years.


Collette, which has run Thomas


Cook Tours since 2014, is to close its UK business at the end of April 2020 after failing to hit targets for several years. It said “fewer than 20 employees” faced redundancy. The operator will continue to


take bookings until then, including for Thomas Cook Tours. Thomas Cook sales and e-commerce director Phil Gardner said: “We continue to have a positive relationship with Collette and are working with their team.” Observers blamed Collette’s


poor UK performance on its failure to adapt to the UK market and claimed it would have been a “huge wrench to admit defeat after 20 years” for chief executive Dan


8travelweekly.co.uk14 March 2019


JEFF ROY: ‘With Brexit looming it’s an appropriate time to exit the UK’


Sullivan. In comparison, Collette has been “hugely successful” in its native US market. Collette UK sales team members Simeon Douglas and Neil Sehmbhy, alongside head of partnerships in the UK, Stephen Mills, are understood to have left their jobs last Friday (March 8). Their departures follow those of Lisa


Rhodes and Tony Mahoney in December. The office and call centre in Uxbridge will close next April. The move comes less than a


year after Collette expanded its UK sales team to boost bookings from agents, who account for 90% of UK business. Collette is licensed to carry just under 1,900 passengers a year in the UK, according to the CAA. Jeff Roy, executive vice-president


of Collette, said: “After consecutive years of performing below our targets, as well as the uncertainty in the UK market relating to Brexit, we identified this as an appropriate time to remove our physical presence in the UK to redirect global resources towards our highest-performing businesses.” Collette’s US and Australian business had continued to grow “while the UK market has struggled”, he added. The company, which aims to focus on its US, Canada and Australian businesses instead, is considering selling its tours in the UK on a wholesale basis.


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