NEWS ROUND-UP NEWS IN BRIEF


Flights to EU ‘will cease’ without a Brexit air deal


Flights to European Union countries could cease to operate from the UK unless a Brexit air service deal can be agreed, Brussels has confirmed. Brian Strutton, general secretary of trade union the British Airline Pilots’ Association, said: “Here it is in black and white from the European Commission. We need the UK government to sort air traffic rights now. Once again, no deal is not an option.”


Icelolly to focus on cruise in peaks TV ad campaign


Cruise will be the focus of a post-Christmas TV advertising push by online holiday price-comparison website Icelolly.com. The move follows interest in cruises rising by a claimed 20% year on year. The site has struck partnerships with Iglu Cruise, Vision Cruise and Cruise Kings. Bespoke print ads featuring major cruise lines are also being produced.


G Adventures makes two new sales appointments


Former Virgin Atlantic head of business readiness Rachel Coffey has been taken on by G Adventures as UK and Ireland sales director. At the same time, Stu Darnley has been promoted to the newly-created position of UK national sales manager. The small-group operator now has 11 people in its UK sales team.


Princess delays Ocean Medallion rollout to ‘fine-tune’ technology


Princess Cruises has delayed the rollout of Ocean Medallion technology so the line can “fine-tune” the product. The wearable technology,


which serves as a room key, onboard charge card and a virtual concierge, was


8 travelweekly.co.uk 14 December 2017


Travel Counsellors backs Reuben’s Retreat in 2018


Juliet Dennis juliet.dennis@travelweekly.co.uk


Travel Counsellors has launched an official year-long partnership with charity Reuben’s Retreat as it reveals plans to give the equivalent of at least 1% of annual operating profits in time and money to good causes.


It is the first time the group has


entered into an official agreement to support a charity in this way. The pledge is worth £200,000


in terms of monies raised and time donated through employees’ paid charitable days. Reuben’s Retreat supports and


offers counselling to families of children with life-threatening or life-limiting illnesses and is embarking on the fourth phase of a 10-phase £3.5 million renovation project to complete its retreat in Glossop, Derbyshire. Travel Counsellors will


also partner with The Travel Foundation to support sustainable travel and is sponsoring a customer, Nadia Clarke, who has cerebral palsy and is deaf, to go on trips and become a brand ambassador for Travel Counsellors. Chief executive Steve Byrne said all three partnerships form part


OceanMedallion was introduced on Regal Princess


TOUGH MUDDER: Travel Counsellors staff raised £1,300 for RR this summer


of its efforts to give back to local communities and customers in 2018. He said: “We want to get to


a point where the company is giving time and money worth the equivalent of at least 1% of our annual operating profits. “We think it’s important to


give back and make a difference outside of Travel Counsellors. “I don’t think there is any limit


to what we would be able to raise for Reuben’s Retreat. We wanted a cause that means something to Travel Counsellors.” It will channel all fundraising efforts in 2018 into Reuben’s


unveiled on Regal Princess to a select number of passengers last month. Ocean Medallion technology


was set to launch on Royal Princess in January and then be rolled out on five other Princess ships later next year. In a statement, Princess


said it wanted to take the time “required to successfully incorporate all refinements to achieve excellence”.


Retreat, set up by Nicola and Mike Graham following the death of their son Reuben in 2012. Mike now works at Travel Counsellors as head of sales promotion. Nicola said: “We are thrilled.


Their support will have a huge impact on our renovation in 2018.” The group has a series of events planned for head office staff, of which there are 280 in the UK, and its 1,100 home-based UK agents. Paid staff have three charitable


days per year which they can use for voluntary or fundraising work. It will also donate breaks to families supported by Reuben’s Retreat.


The statement read: “The


launch of Ocean Medallion Vacations is well under way aboard Regal Princess. “We are gathering real-time


guest and technology feedback, which is allowing us to identify a number of refinements and enhancements we need to make. “Further fine-tuning is sure to happen as the initial activation expands in scope to more guests and eventually the full ship.”


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