WTM meeting brings deal to increase airlift from southwest as agency owner rallies trade to do more
Teleticket helps plug XL gap
Edward Robertson
ed.robertson@rbi.co.uk
An emergency delegation at
World Travel Market has persuaded
tour operator Teleticket
to help fi ll the gap in fl ights
out of Bristol airport following
XL Leisure Group’s collapse.
But agent Anthony Goord,
owner of Peter Goord Travel,
warned agents may have to
start taking commitments
with airlines and operators to
secure further regional fl ights
for local holidaymakers.
The commitment by Teleticket
followed a decision by
Goord and Bristol airport staff
to travel to WTM for talks
with airlines and operators to
secure new fl ights in the south-
Charlotte’s
marathon eff ort
Travel agent Charlotte Bell
is paying tribute to her late
husband by running her
fi rst half-marathon.
Charlotte, of First Choice
Hypermarket in Sheffi eld,
lost her husband John last
February. He died of motor
neurone disease aged 31.
She hopes to raise £1,000
for the MND Association by
running the race next April.
Charlotte said: “John raised
funds for the MNDA and I
wanted to continue on his
behalf.” Go to justgiving.com/
charlottebell2 to sponsor her.
www.travelweekly.co.uk
west lost as a result of the
demise of XL in September.
Teleticket, which was reviewing
its fl ights following
XL’s collapse, is to introduce
four weekly fl ights to Tenerife,
Lanzarote, Paphos and Las
Palmas next Easter.
But Goord said agents may
have to rethink their entire
business models by accepting
additional commercial responsibilities
if they want to halt
the trend for airlines to
cut regional fl ights as the
economic downturn worsens.
He said: “We were really
hoping for more [deals at WTM]
but it is a good start. It is down
to us to get other operators to
commit themselves as it is the
agents who have been feeling
Opinion Developing countries will
suff er most from ailing pound: page 29
From left, are Jason Wescott, Bristol International Airport and
Neil Chapman, Teleticket
TUI Travel makes 28%
winter capacity chops
The TUI Travel group has
cut its UK winter 2008/09
capacity by 28% to maintain
stronger average selling
prices, a trading update has
revealed.
The drop in
capacity, which
represents a
further 9%
cut since
the group’s
pre-close statement
at the end of
September, has helped
the company maintain selling
prices at 10% up on the previous
year, with prices 12% ahead
over the past eight weeks.
Following the cuts, the
company has now sold half its
the cuts. What’s still missing are
fl ights to Greece and Egypt.
“For some of the independent
operators, it seems the risk
is too high to take on alone and
they’re looking for commitment
from travel agents and airports.
“Being independent travel
agents, we have to consider it,
although it could be a fi nancial
risk which some agents don’t
seem willing to take. We may
have to take it.”
Bristol airport head of sales
Jason Wescott said the airport
had already agreed to help
with marketing and agent incentivising
costs as part of the
Teleticket deal.
He added: “We will all share
the successes and reap the
benefi ts if it works.”
winter stock, leaving it at an
equal pegging on sales as this
time last year, although it has
9% less stock to sell.
For summer 2009, TUI
Travel has dropped
UK capacity by
16%. The resulting
cuts have
meant average
prices are up by
11%, even though the volume
of sales is 17% lower.
TUI added summer 2008
closed in line with expectations
with average selling
prices closing
11% up despite
a 4% drop in
customers, but following a 6%
capacity cut.
November 11 2008 | Travel Weekly | 5
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