Travel Matters Issue 10 - January 2018

Welcome to our world of cruises!
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I am fast approaching my nine-year anniversary at United Airlines and my time here has just own by! I am an Account Manager for Scotland and the North East of England, responsible for travel management companies, leisure accounts and a number of corporates.
What I love most about my job is the sheer diversity of the role. It’s vital we are a ‘jack of all trades’, and get stuck into whatever comes our way, be it organising events, exhibiting at trade
and client shows, escorting agent fam trips, or organising a sales blitz.
Last year I was
asked by Alan Glen
to dress as Elvis for a
Glen Travel carpool
karaoke video
that was shown at
the SPAA Awards.
Without a doubt,
one of the more
unusual days on
the job! The travel
trade community
is extremely
important to us
at United. Every
year we hold a
TAAB (Travel
Agent Advisory
Board) lunch for
the Scottish travel
community. It’s not
only a thank you to our top agents for their business, but also an open forum for discussion: we really value and appreciate feedback from our customers.
United has a strong ethos of working together and this was certainly in evidence at the recent United Airlines Soccer Classic football tournament in Las Vegas. I was lucky enough
to join the hundreds of colleagues from all over the globe who took part, from Ramp Agents, to Pilots, to
a humble Account Manager from Scotland! Although my team was knocked out in the rst round, with a 4-1 defeat and
a small matter of
four o side goals, a fantastic time was had by all.
With such a highly respected product and service, it’s great working for United.
We have served Scotland for almost 20 years and it’s a true honour to have been awarded the SPAA Best Transatlantic Airline award for the past 14 consecutive years. I’d be lying if
I said I didn’t love the travel perks as well – it’s amazing to be able to jump on a ight to New York whenever the fancy takes you!
When I’m not at work, I can usually be found being Dad taxi or attending live gigs. I’ve been lucky to be able to y with United to see some of my favourite artists in the States, including Paul McCartney in Houston, Foo Fighters in New York, Kasabian in Washington and Arctic Monkeys in Indianapolis.
I’m also known as a bit of a David Bowie fanatic, so when he sadly passed away a couple of years ago, I changed my name on Facebook to Major Tom Sneddon, which seems to have stuck. To many people, I’m now simply Major Tom!
Right, I’m o for a quick game of 5-a-side!
EXPANDING THE BOUNDARIES JANUARY 2018
with
TOM SNEDDON (Major Tom) Account Manager,
Scotland and NE England
United Airlines


I have worked for United Airlines for 18 years. Like Tom, I am also an Account Manager for Scotland and Cumbria with my portfolio primarily covering leisure accounts and some TMCs. (Major) Tom and I are responsible for United and Joint Venture sales for our accounts, together with our Atlantic Joint Venture (AJV) colleagues.
I can safely say that no two days are the same in my job. I’m currently working with Choose Chicago and Washington DC tourist boards on joint training sessions with key accounts across Scotland. Over the next couple of months, Tom and I will be racing across Scotland and the North East of England visiting approximately 150 agents as part of a major United sales blitz.
2018 is a big year for United in Scotland: with the launch
of our new summer seasonal service from Edinburgh to Washington/Dulles, the 20th anniversary of our Glasgow to New York/Newark service and the extended seasonal service from Edinburgh to Chicago O’Hare, we’ll be busier than ever, talking to all our travel trade partners, with a host of giveaways and competitions with fantastic prizes to be won!
United is an incredible airline
to work for, with a real focus on the inclusiveness of all its employees and their individual circumstances, as I can personally testify. United’s exibility enables me to work
a four-day week to allow me to have extra time with my eight-year-old son Scott who has
classic autism.
My son and I were
lucky to be part of
the recent United
Airlines UK Fantasy
Flight when we joined children and families supported by Barnardo’s for a festive adventure of a lifetime, ying o to meet Santa at the ‘North Pole’ on board a Boeing 767-300 from London Heathrow. It was a truly magical experience which Scott will always remember.
As Tom has said, we work extremely closely with the travel trade community in Scotland and they will all know my guilty pleasure – whirlwind shopping sprees in the Big Apple! In the summer I enjoy jetting o with United to New York/Newark for a few hours of retail indulgence, nishing just in time to catch the evening ight home to Glasgow!
Right, I’m o now to do some more shopping!
JANUARY 2018
51
with
NICOLA WILKIESON
Account Manager, Scotland and Cumbria United Airlines


NEWS
The Canny Lad...
DARREN PHILLIPS
Hi guys! I hope you all had a great time over the Christmas holidays and are back, feeling refreshed, ready, poised and focused for the year ahead!
Well the GRAFTAS Awards dinner on 14th December was another great success and went without a hitch (apart from me dropping an award the day before and having to get a cake made instead for Julie from Silversea for being ‘Rep with the Best Goodies)!
I’m glad that so many of you were rewarded and recognised for the great work you do in our industry. Fi een awards were handed out to our very well deserved winners - many congratulations to the winners, runners up and all who were nominated.
Also a big thank you to the sponsors on the night - DFDS, Emirates, Jet2holidays (the chip butties and bacon butties at midnight were very well received and sco ed!), Silversea Cruises, Tuxedo Money Solutions and 3For. Also a big thank you to Gary and Hilary from Travel Matters, for putting together a spread of photos from the night in the magazine for you all to see! More pictures are available - simply email me at [email protected] and I will send you acopy.
Preparations are now underway for the 18th, yes 18th, Geordie Ball on Thursday 8th March at the Marriott Gosforth Park Hotel.
Again this is always a great,
relaxed and fun night and a
chance for all the North East agents
to get back together and enjoy a good night
out, let your hair down and relax a bit a er the post-Christmas rush!
If you want to book a table or need any further information, then please get in touch and I will be more than happy to sort it - email [email protected] or telephone 07885 859300.
Looking forward to catching up with you all real soon. Happy selling
Darren
2017 GRAFTA Awards Kindly sponsored by...
and the Winners are:
HHHHH HHHHH HHHHH HHHHH HHHHH
Best Tour Operator Best Cruise Line Best Airline Best Niche Company Best Bedbank
Jet2 Celebrity Cruises Emirates DoSomethingDi erent Superbreak
HHHHH HHHHH HHHHH HHHHH HHHHH HHHHH HHHHH HHHHH HHHHH HHHHH
Best Travel Agents
Website
Broadway Travel
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The Rep with the
Best Goodies
The Fastest Invoice Payer Rush Insurance
Agency with the Best Cuppa Sea Side Travel
Best Company Representative David Steven (Emirates)
Best Business
Travel Agency
Norseman Travel
Best Cruise
Agency
Northumbria Travel
Best Small
Travel Agency
Gazelle Travel
Best Large Travel Agency
Dawson and Sanderson
Newcastle branch
HHHHH HHHHH HHHHH HHHHH
Julie Nunes (Silversea Cruises)
HHHHH HHHHH HHHHH HHHHH
HHHHH OUTSTANDINGCONTRIBUTIONTOTHETRAVELINDUSTRY-ALANCROSS(Jet2)HHHHH
52
EXPANDING THE BOUNDARIES JANUARY 2018


NEWS
New campaign from Newcastle Airport
Newcastle International Airport has launched it newest marketing campaign, ‘That’s why I y from Newcastle’, highlighting its award-winning airport experience.
The airport, which recently placed h on a list of the world’s happiest airports, will reach over 3.5 million people with its fully integrated, multimedia campaign across the whole of the North East, as well as a wider area stretching up to the Scottish Borders, down to Yorkshire and across to Cumbria.
‘That’s why I y from Newcastle’ aims to highlight Newcastle Airport’s unique selling points, including its friendly sta , low queuing times, punctual ights and choice of destinations through a range of radio, press, outdoor and digital advertising. For the rst time ever, Newcastle Airport has also launched its very own TV advert. The campaign will run until the end
of March.
More passengers and new aircra for Norwegian
Norwegian has reported its highest ever passenger gures in a single year, with more than 33 million passengers and a load factor of 87.5 per cent in 2017.
The low-cost carrier ew 5.8 million passengers from the UK & Ireland and launched more than 15 routes in 2017. Norwegian also received several international customer awards last
year, including two SkyTrax Awards: ‘Europe’s Best Low-Cost Carrier’ for the h consecutive year and the ‘World’s Best Low-Cost Long-Haul Airline’ for the third year in a row.
Norwegian has announced rapid expansion plans for 2018, including a new enhanced Premium cabin and in ight Wi-Fi to new long-haul aircra , as well as adding more ights to its most popular US destinations.
Twelve new Boeing 737 MAX aircra will join Norwegian’s eet to service the carrier’s transatlantic ights.
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JANUARY 2018
53


This month’s
SNAPSH TS...
THE GRAFTAS 2017
EXPANDING THE BOUNDARIES JANUARY 2018


january 2018
55


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