Travel-Matters-Issue14-May18

aIrlIne news
First Thomas Cook Airlines flight takes-off from Edinburgh
to Antalya
thomas cook Airlines has launched a new weekly flight (Saturday departure) from edinburgh Airport to Antalya, turkey.
CheCk-In wIth...
Flybe is europe’s largest regional airline with over 200 routes serving 15 countries from 79 departure points1. A Flybe airport is ‘close to you’.
Our 2018 summer programme features plenty of choice for day return travel
or longer breaks.
Plus, our winter
18/19 programme is now on sale, offering connectivity and choice to business and consumers.
Key focus routes from Scotland and Northern Ireland include our multiple frequency routes to our Manchester and Birmingham hubs; Aberdeen and Edinburgh to London Heathrow; Edinburgh to London City; plus regional services to Cardiff and Southampton.
We’ve recently added an extra 12 flights a week on our popular London City to Belfast City service offering up to 6 services per weekday2.
Plus, we connect Scotland and Northern Ireland directly with regular services between Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness to Belfast City Airport.
Providing convenient seamless connections from the regions to the rest
of the world through key airport hubs is increasingly popular with our customers. It’s easy to connect to another Flybe flight – or on to one operated by some of the world’s leading airlines whose long haul flights connect smoothly with our own. For example, fly from your local airport to one of our larger regional airports, and you can connect to your long-haul flight with ease with one of our many global codeshare and interline partners including Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Etihad, Singapore Airlines, United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic3.
Flybe has three franchise partners, Blue Islands, Eastern Airways and Stobart Air and is the largest scheduled airline measured by air traffic movements at Aberdeen, Belfast City, Birmingham, Exeter, Isle of Man and Jersey Airports4.
We’re consistently recognised for our on time performance record, being named as the most punctual UK-based airline in the ‘Best and Worst Airlines’ issued by leading consumer watchdog Which? (Jan ’18)5. We’ve also been rated sixth in the world in the global airlines’ punctuality league.
Flybe is passionate about connecting regional
communities – and because we operate more
UK domestic flights than any other airline, one out of every two
passengers travelling within mainland Britain
(excluding London) is a Flybe customer!
1. All routes on sale Apr’18–Jan’19 2. See flybe.com for terms and full schedule. Available for travel from 08.05.18 – 27.10.18, subject to availability. Some flights may be operated by Eastern Airways. 3. Please see flybe.com/codeshares for our full list of codeshare partners 4. UK CAA Dec ’17
5. Which? Report (Jan 2018) on ‘Best and Worst Airlines’.
The airline has increased the number of seats on sale from Scotland to Turkey by 43 per cent this year and now has more than 140 weekly departures to Turkey from fourteen UK airports.
The new flight comes as the Thomas Cook Holiday Report 2018 reveals that holidaymakers are returning to Turkey this summer with a surge in bookings compared to last year. Thomas Cook Airlines is the largest UK carrier serving Turkey and Thomas Cook’s holiday bookings to Turkey are up 84% year-on-year.
Flight-only prices from Edinburgh to Antalya, one- way in economy, start from £90 and seven-nights, staying at the four-star SENTIDO Flora Garden on an all-inclusive basis, starts from £469 per person.
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expanding the boundaries
march 2018


in Fred. Olsen’s Summer Sale
Special discounts on June-September 2018 sailings
SAVE
up to
£300
per person
on cruises from Rosyth
SAVE with Solo Cruising Offers
on selected cruises
SAVE
up to
£300
per person
on cruises from Newcastle
Eleven ocean cruises aboard a revitalised Balmoral
Four June & July departures from Edinburgh, Rosyth
Seven sailings from Newcastle, Port of Tyne, from July-September
Your customers can save when they discover the world with Fred. Olsen this summer For information call Trade Support on 01473 746 164, or visit fredolsencruises.com/agent
These Terms and Conditions are in addition to Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ standard Terms and Conditions, which are available in full on our website, fredolsencruises.com and on request. These must be read before booking. Information shown is correct at time of going to press (April 2018). Offers are subject to availability and are capacity controlled, cannot be combined with any other offer (exception: the Enjoyment Promise if applicable) and cannot be applied retrospectively. Offers may be withdrawn or amended at any time without prior notice. Summer Sale discounts: Savings
based on current Freedom fare. Anchor Fare terms and conditions apply, see fredolsencruises.com for a full list of the cruises and full terms and conditions. Applies to new
bookings made from 11th April 2018 to 2nd July 2018 inclusive. Full payment is required at time of booking. 100% cancellation charges apply. Solo cruising offers based on sole occupancy of specific grades of twin/double rooms, paying no single supplement. Bookings made via Tour Operators are excluded from all Summer Sale offers. E&OE.


news
54
Luxury perfected - Regent Seven Seas Splendor
gregorz, along with a group of agents, recently got to have a sneaky peek at the details of regent Seven Seas new ship, Splendor, due to be launched in 2020.
The all-suite, all balcony ship will carry 750 passengers, with 552 crew members and will be similar in design to Explorer.
Hosted at Mar Hall, agents were treated to a buffet dinner and drinks and in a prize draw, Michelle Holt of Barrhead Travel was the lucky winner of a luxury L’Occitane Hamper!
The
Canny
Lad...
DArren PHiLLiPS
Hi guys, hope everyone is nice and busy! At this time of year, it’s non stop, but at least the time goes by quickly!
This week I have been down at the Thomas Cook Airlines hangar at Manchester Airport with the lovely Emma Holliday, (ex LBA) as she is now TCA National Account Manager. We were looking around the A330 aircraft they have for their long haul routes.
I am doing some promotional work for them with the travel agents in the North East highlighting their routes from Manchester to the USA. I couldn’t believe they have daily flights to New York, Orlando and fly three times a week to Boston, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and twice weekly to Seattle!
As you can see, their flight programme to the US is massive and probably one of the biggest from Manchester over the pond! No doubt as you read this, I would have been in to see you guys with all the details!
On a personal note, I am now going to pack my bags as I am off to Corfu for a week. I have not been to Corfu for 30 years! Back in the day, it was Benitses that was the party capital of the Island - now of course, it’s Kavos, but I think you’ll all agree, I am a bit old for all that now!
More tranquil Sidari is where I am staying and I can’t wait to fly and flop in the sun and chill for a week.
So until next time, hope you all have a stress free month ahead and I will report on my view of Sidari next month.
Thanks for reading and see you soon!
Darren
expanding the boundaries
march 2018
liFe is shorT and The World is Wide......


Radisson hotels in Abu Dhabi offer unlimited access to Yas Island theme parks
Yas Island is a leisure destination like no other – it offers experiences that are bound to delight and inspire, no matter what age or taste. Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson Hotels Abu Dhabi Yas Island have brought together a set of experiences for guests that are sure to bring thrills, slides, dives and drops with their special summer offer, the Yas Island Adventure package.
This exclusive package includes hotel room & breakfast plus tickets to the theme park of your choice. Whether you want record-breaking thrills at Ferrari World, go with the water flow at Yas Waterworld, explore the newly opened Warner Brothers Abu Dhabi, or experience all these 3 unique global attractions have to offer, guests have the choice and ability to customize their perfect stay on Yas Island.
That’s not all! This fantastic offer includes access to the beautiful Yas Beach and a complimentary shuttle around the island as well.
Guests who wish to book the Yas Island Adventure package can choose to stay at either the Radisson Blu or Park Inn by Radisson hotel, both of which are conveniently located 5 minutes away from the theme parks and are steps away from the beach.
Radisson Blu is a stylish, upscale hotel brand that delivers personalised service to all guests whilst Park Inn by Radisson® is a fresh and energetic mid-market hotel brand offering friendly and welcoming hospitality at a competitive price.
These hotels on Yas Island offer rooms with sweeping views of the Arabian Sea and the golfing greens. Guests can enjoy all the on-site facilities that both properties share including 2 outdoor swimming pools, state-of-the-art gym, spa, tennis court and kids play area. Foodies can choose their dining experience from trendy restaurants and bars including Belgian Beer
Cafe, Filini Garden Italian Restaurant and Amerigos Mexican Bar
& Restaurant.
Guests can take advantage of the
Yas Island Adventure Package until 30th September, 2018 with rates starting from AED 525. For reservation & enquiries, visit:
www.radissonblu.com/en/hotel-abudhabi or www.parkinn.com/hotel-abudhabi
may 2018
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Enjoy a Canadian adventure with Air Transat!
Air transat is canada’s number one leisure airline, providing a much- loved service with great economy fares including 23kg of checked baggage, in-flight meals, snacks, soft drinks and entertainment. canada starts here with direct flights from glasgow, Manchester, London gatwick or Dublin.
It’s now even easier for passengers to explore the maple leaf country with our GDS exclusive stopover policy. Air Transat now permits two stopovers in each direction in Canada. The first stopover in each direction is completely Free and passengers can add a further stopover
for £125.
Air Transat have also increased their connecting flights with a new route between Calgary and Montreal operating up to three flights a week. Montreal and Quebec City will now have four flights a week and Toronto and Vancouver will now have daily flights during peak season.
With daily flights from London Gatwick to Toronto and up to 5 flights per week from Glasgow and Manchester, passengers can kick off their tour with a trendy city-break. Famous for the glistening harbourfront, the dizzying edgewalk at CN Tower and one of Canada’s largest shopping malls.
With Air Transat, passengers can add Option Plus for two checked bags of
23kg, so they can shop to their heart’s content. Passengers will also enjoy priority services at the airport, complimentary seat selection with extra snacks & alcoholic drinks, plus added comforts like a blanket and ear plugs.
Venturing out of Toronto leads to the powerful Niagara Falls and thrill seekers will love Ottawa for dog sledding, bungee jumping or helicopter lessons.
Passengers can take advantage of Air Transat’s stopover policy with daily connections from Toronto to Vancouver. Explorers can experience this stylish, sky-scraping city nestled amongst phenomenal mountain views, beaches, seas
and forests.
A short drive leads to Whistler, the 2010 host of the Winter Olympics. An upbeat atmosphere amid quirky architecture awaits, with spectacular walks or mountain sports for those in need of an adrenaline fix.
Any blues caused by leaving Vancouver will soon be cheered up with up to five flights per week to Calgary, a young and artistic city full of culinary delights and inspiring local businesses. Banff, in the heart of Alberta, is a must see, exploring the Canadian Rockies for magnificent, turquoise lake views. Activities include water rafting, climbing and horseback riding.
The Canadian adventure starts early when passengers treat themselves to Air Transat’s Club Class experience. Priority services give passengers a stress-free airport experience, plus a generous baggage allowance of two checked bags at 32kg each and a 15 kg cabin bag.
Passengers will savour their welcome cocktail in extra comfort with wider seats and more legroom in our exclusive 12 seat cabin. Along with an attentive service, passengers can enjoy gourmet meals from top Chef Daniel Vezina’s menu, a choice of fine wines, complimentary snacks
and beverages.
With up to four flights a week from Calgary to Montreal, travellers can chill out in one of Canada’s oldest cities, a hub for fashion, arts, fine-dining and multiple summer festivals.
Scouting the vast countryside of Quebec for some classic Canadian wildlife like beavers or moose, visitors are spoilt for choice with a range of activities from canyoning to fishing, while gentler outdoor enthusiasts can indulge in craft breweries or a round of golf.
For spontaneous adventurers, not ready to commit to a certain date, Air Transat’s flexible Eco Max Fares allows changes to dates for free or even cancellations for a nominal fee.
Flights between Montreal and Quebec City are four times a week and here vacationers will feel romance in the air with the French presence in its charming stone houses and historic monuments. There’s no need for post-holiday blues on the return flight - economy passengers now get a choice of two tasty hot meals aboard Air Transat flights in both directions, or they can pre-order meals from the updated Chef’s Menu for £15.
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Glasgow - Toronto
London Gatwick - Montreal
Canada starts here
SUMMER DEALS WORTH CROSSING THE ATLANTIC FOR
airtransat.co.uk Available to book via your GDS
Price is per person based on flying on selected dates between May and Oct 2018. Prices for other routes may vary. Correct at the time of going to print and can change at any time. See online for details and prices.
Manchester - Toronto
Manchester - Vancouver
From £366 pp
rtn
Glasgow - Vancouver
From £398 pp
rtn
From £371 pp
London Gatwick - Vancouver
rtn
From £404 pp
Dublin - Toronto
rtn
From £370 pp
rtn
London Gatwick - Calgary
From £404 pp
rtn
From £398 pp
rtn
From €348 pp
rtn


this month’s SnapSh tS...
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tHe SPAA 88tH AnnUAL Dinner recentLy took PLAce At tHe croWne PLAzA, gLASgoW
may 2018
59


Aspirations and vision for an enhanced
Andy Freeth ,
Chief Executive Officer
Tasked with the challenge of taking
If Only... to the next level, CEO Andy Freeth has appointed a new team of senior managers that are well known in the industry, to help him• deliver the planned exponential growth for the company in the next few years.
"I’ve always admired the If Only... brand and
ethos and I’m delighted to be leading If Only... at
this exciting time. In my first few months I’m looking at every aspect of the business and hope to capitalise on our unique selling points, while ensuring that we continue to deliver and improve our award-winning service and competitive pricing,” said Andy.
"We have already expanded west with the introduction of our USA programme and I’m looking forward to the launch of our Caribbean programme this summer - after that, the world is our oyster! However in all this change, I can guarantee that we will remain a 100% trade focussed as we aspire to be the UK’s favourite luxury trade-only
tour operator."
tracy Docherty,
Business Development
Director
Wow... the first few weeks in my new role
have passed so quickly and I’m learning lots - it’s great
to be back! My first priority has been to look under the bonnet of the business, understanding how we work and interact with our customers. Already the senior management team are suggesting how we can enhance existing successes and introduce even more positive improvements.
As a B2B operator, our customers are at the core of everything we do, so I’ve been meeting lots of our agent partners, thanking them for their continued support and in order to ensure mutual growth, also finding out what improvements they’d like to see in the future.
Some of these suggestions are already in hand and we hope to roll out a few quick wins in the near future that agents will love, such as e-mail quotes, online booking and If Only.../agents
co-branded marketing materials. Sourcing new business is one of my main objectives. Over its 17 years, If Only... has a built up a very loyal client base but with the new products we are delivering, there’s lots of room to grow. So my diary for the
next few months is jam-packed with agent meetings all over the country and already we’re seeing an increasing number of agents
trying us for the first time and loving the service our fantastic team in Milngavie offer.
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march 2018
gordon
Mccreadie,
Sales & Marketing
Director
I am excited to be joining If Only... during an unprecedented period of growth and at a very exciting time in our evolution. In the next few months we’re planning further enhancements,
in conjunction with input from our agents.
While managing and developing the overall If Only... brand strategy, but staying true to our trade friendly values and ethos, I plan to grow
our dedicated trade-only field sales team of six and our Milngavie based marketing team to ensure that we are providing our agency partners with all
the support and training they need.
We’re working hard to deliver a new trade website that will provide agents with an easy to use portal that will have online bookability, offer access to our amazing special offers and provide all the tools required to help clinch
valuable sales.
And watch this space – as we’re working on a host of other product, marketing, training and destination improvements to make sure
we give agents more of what they love about our business – working with retailers to grow luxury package sales to new
destinations, as well as continued success in our core destinations.
•


David irving,
Head of Specialist Sales
Since joining If Only... I have been unbelievably impressed by the overall welcome from the team and the fantastic talent within our business. The Reservations centre is a fast moving and exciting place to be and I am delighted with the progress
already made with the USA programme since its launch in November.
Over the coming months we will be looking to add more strength and depth to this fantastic
destination and are incredibly excited about the expansion of our Americas programme into the Caribbean in late June. “Having recently recruited a strong and experienced team leader to head up this division, I am now recruiting additional ‘destinational experts’ to support our growth plans in this area.
One of our strongest promises and values to our trade partners is to be the ‘best in the business’ when it comes to product
knowledge, service levels and expertise and our newest departments are no different!
Exciting times are ahead - with a raft of further service, destination and product improvements planned to help
reduce call handling times and make sure our prices and product mix are always strong.
Brendan Maguire,
Chairman and Founder of If Only...
I very much welcome the additional expertise that has recently become available to the company. Our new executives will facilitate us in taking If Only... to the next level. The basic fundamentals of our business remain unchanged, namely an absolute commitment to the trade and the continuance of unrivalled levels of personal service which has made us a market leader in our field.
In my new role as Chairman, I will be less obsessed with the detail and will be taking a more strategic overview of the business to ensure that we are attaining our well-defined goals. Yes, there will continue to be changes
in the coming months and years as we strive to achieve everything on
our travel agency partners' wish list. All of this is with a view to further enhancing both our service levels and our product offering.
•
New Opportunities with If Only...
If Only... is going from strength to strength, and to support our ongoing expansion we’re seeking enthusiastic, motivated and talented individuals to join our multi-award winning luxury brand, at our HQ on the outskirts of Glasgow.
Reservation Specialists – The Americas, Australia,
New Zealand & Pacific Islands, India and Arabia
We’re looking for motivated individuals who have good knowledge and work experience of our beautiful destinations and who are team players. If you have a passion for travel, at least 2 year’s travel trade experience, can demonstrate strong communication/selling skills, be able to prioritise work in a busy environment and ideally have Galileo/GDS experience we’d like to hear from you.
For the right individuals, we’re offering industry leading salaries and a host of other benefits.
Find out more at ifonly.net/careers
may 2018
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news
62
Take off with...
emirates has announced the launch of year-round flights between edinburgh and Dubai.
The new daily service will commence from 1st October 2018
and will be operated by an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER in a three class cabin configuration, with 8 private suites in First Class, 42 lie flat seats in Business Class and 304 Economy Class seats.
Flight EK023 will depart Dubai daily at 0955 hrs and arrive in Edinburgh at 1450 hrs, while the return flight, EK024 will depart Edinburgh at 2015 hrs and arrive in Dubai at 0640 hrs the
next morning. The flight is timed for connections to Emirates’ services to popular outbound destinations for Scottish travellers, such as Bangkok, Lahore, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australian cities, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney.
First Class and Business Class customers will also be able to book complimentary chauffeur drive to and from Edinburgh Airport.
New functionality for Air Waves
in a direct response to feedback from agents, rcL Ltd has launched new functionality on booking platform, Air Waves.
Agents will now be able to book up to four staterooms at a time and as the inventory is live, secure the price as well. Guests with a multiple stateroom booking will receive one invoice for all guests in the package, not one invoice per stateroom, to show the total booked.
Agents can learn more with the brand new 'Try Me' module or short video clips that are accessible via Cruising for Excellence and Club Learning on My Club Royal.
The fully integrated packaging solution, which enables bookings across Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises, has been developed in partnership with the three brands’ travel agent partners.
Amanda Darrington, Sales Director, Royal Caribbean UK & Ireland said, “The success of this tool is evident in the level of adoption seen since its roll out in November, with usage up 30% on its predecessor, Espresso. We are excited to roll out this new functionality and look forward to continuing to work with our agents. Our ambition is to make searching and booking our holidays quicker and easier than ever before.”
Sun, sea and CMV
Agents making a cruise and Maritime Voyages booking during May or June, will be entered into a prize draw for the chance to win one of cMV’s summer prizes.
The incentive runs until 30th June and agents should send details of their bookings to competitions@ cruiseandmaritime.com with their name, ABTA number and booking reference to enter the competition.
Prizes include:
• WeekdaySunriseHotAirBalloonFlightforOne
• HorseRacingDayforTwo
• RegencyHampers-ChalfordHamperwithProsecco
• BigPinkFlamingoInflatable&3MiniFlamingodrink holder inflatable
• CharcoalPortableRoundBBQ&3PieceAccessoryKit • Havaiana's Gift Card
• SkinnyTanMousseSet&ExfoliatingMit
• RadleySpeckleDogPassportCover
• AmazonE-ReaderKindle&£10Voucher • RadleyVintageDogCabinCase
good luck!
expanding the boundaries
march 2018


Intimate and luxurious, with every amenity you could wish for, our Scenic Eclipse fleet has been designed with guests in mind. Delighting both the keen explorer and elegant traveller, the World’s First Discovery YachtsTM are certain to surpass all your ocean cruising expectations.
Spar Relaxation Room
Chef’s Table @ Elements
The Observatory
Verandah Suite
Lobby Bar
THE SIXTH STAR EXPERIENCE
Soar above
Our Scenic Eclipse fleet is equipped with state-of-the-art Airbus helicopters which seat up to six guests. Your customers will feel like a pioneer explorer as they soar above places previously thought inaccessible, from a unique bird’s eye view^.
Below the surface
Our exclusively commissioned Scenic submarine is capable of diving to a depth of 200 metres with seating for up to six guests.
An exciting range of submarine excursions are available for an additional fee, taking guests deep into the depths of the oceans^.
NB: Some images are artist’s impressions. ^Helicopter and submarine activities are weather permitting, may incur additional costs and are subject to availability.


Scenic Eclipse I & II
Lumière Restaurant
Our new brochure is now available
Request your free 2019/20 Scenic Eclipse brochure today
Don’t miss out on your
adventure of a lifetime – contact [email protected] today to request yours
Theatre
Owner’s Penthouse Suite
We’d like to thank you for booking your clients with Scenic For more details visit www.riverrewards.cruises
DAWN QUINN
Head of UK Trade Sales Email: [email protected] Phone: 07718 003514
WILLIAM YOUNG
Regional Sales Manager UK, North Email: [email protected]
Phone: 07921 830147
MEET THE TEAM
Contact our friendly team to find out about training, generous commission levels and a price parity promise on The World’s First Discovery YachtsTM.
Book the ultimate in luxury
Call: 0161 233 1988 | Email: [email protected] Or contact reservations on: 0808 115 0463