Agents show their worth once again A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR


Agents hoping for a quiet bank holiday weekend will have had a sinking feeling on Monday as the extent of UK’s air traffic control systems meltdown became clear (page 5). Some will have heard about the disruption from colleagues or via the national media, but many will have been alerted by customers who were directly affected. For some, it wasn’t their first concerned call of the weekend – Westoe Travel was one agency that noted staff had already been dealing with the fallout from storms in Spain and the collision involving P&O Cruises’ Britannia that resulted from them. The exact cause of the air traffic problem remained unclear as Travel


Weekly went to press, with the industry awaiting the results of the CAA’s report to government. But once again, the incident demonstrated how those


who booked through a travel agent had someone to turn to as they tried to navigate the situation. In the immediate fallout, some in the trade took to social media to call for better communication


from airlines and suppliers in such circumstances, arguing that a lack of information made it harder to support their customers. And this issue is also at the heart of challenges to the introduction of airlines’ New Distribution


Capability technology, with claims that removing bookings from the GDSs curtails agents’ ability to properly service their clients’ requirements (pages 4 and 47). As always in these rapidly developing situations, it is impossible for agents to have all the


answers when first contacted. However, for worried customers, the knowledge that they have a trusted professional working tirelessly to support them is hugely reassuring.


us Lucy Huxley, editor-in-chief, Travel Weekly Group CONTENTS NEWS


Iglu.com; Jason Krimmel, NCL; Dave Mills, Iglu.com; and Gary Lewis, The


Travel Network Group page 8


Photo: Lucy Huxley


COVER photo From left: Sally Mills,


BTA backs American NDC complaint 4 Tui’s trade shift sparks mixed reaction 4 Calls for ‘reality check’ after ATC failure 5 NCLH praises agents; Tipto to mark 25th 6 Reuben’s fundraising; Westoe scores 8 comment


Ted Wake: Take pride in good service 10


NEWS YOU CAN USE Product Jet2, Gatwick, Latam, Wizz, G Touring 13 Titan Travel, JG Travel Group


Celebrity, Nicko, Riviera, Fred Olsen 20


FRONTLINE close-up Iglu Ski, Bailey’s Travel, Idle Travel


THE QUEEN’S AWARDS FOR ENTERPRISE:


INTERNATIONAL TRADE 2020


FRONT COVER AND THIS PAGE: Andrew Fosker/PinPep; Shutterstock/kaskip, Ralf Maassen (DTEurope); Manta TrustPM; Dean Rossiter Photography; Steve Dunlop


travelweekly.co.uk


WHAT LUCY DID THIS WEEK


OSpent three nights in the Med with UK agents on board NCL’s newest ship Norwegian Viva on one of its very first sailings.


OConfirmed the final speakers for T


ravel


Weekly’s Future of Travel conference at Google’s King’s Cross headquarters on September 21.


OSpent the final few days of the summer holidays on Studland beach in Dorset before Tom heads into Year 13 and Marijke into Year 10.


Your stories Destination Rainbow’s Elle Pinkard


23


competitions Win trips to Ajman, Dom Rep, Greece 24


DESTINATIONS Winter sun


Maldives: Sharks, stingrays, manta rays – just some of the marine life guests can spot as citizen scientists at InterContinental property26


Wendy Wu Tours’ record Japan range 16 Agent sets up property search site


14 19


Senegal: Direct flights with Tui are making West African country a winter hotspot 30 Europe


Portugal: A Michelin guide may put focus on fine dining but there’s plenty more to tantalise the taste buds 36


21


agent diary Sharon Thompson: Some airlines have caused us big problems 22


FOLLOW US: @travelweekly


Greece: Sani sets sustainable standard 40 BUSINESS NEWS


Jet fuel alternatives ‘still decades away’ 46 Asta files complaint against American 47 ‘ChatGPT has tons of uses in travel’ 48


travelweeklyuk @travelweeklyuk 31 AUGUST 2023 3


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