AUTUMN CAMPAIGN EXTENSIONS FOR RCL CRUISES

Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises have extended their Autumn Campaign offers through 21 October

Royal Caribbean International

Drinks on Us!

We're delighted to announce that we're extending our family drinks on us campaign until 21 October

• Free unlimited soda for kids- at all bars, lounges and dining venues for every child aged 3-17 years old
• Free wine while you dine- Five complimentary bottles of wine per stateroom booking

This offer is available on sailings from the UK of 7 nights or more, between May and October 2014. This offer is now valid on bookings created and confirmed up to 21 October 2013.

As part of the campaign extension we're also continuing to give TWO lucky agents the chance to Win a CASE OF WINE EVERYDAY! Plus the chance to WIN a VIP trip for 2 to the launch ceremony of one of our Quantum class ships.

Find out more »

Celebrity Cruises

Exceptional Extras on 2014 Sailings: Free Drinks & Reduced Regional Airfare

Applicable on a huge range of selected European, Caribbean and Alaskan sailings in 2014. These offers are combinable and have been extended to 21 October.

View the flyer to find out more.

Terms and conditions and full list of applicable sailings on cruisingpower.co.uk.

There's still 6 days to enter your 2014 bookings to win an iPad 4, and from 1 October, start saving for Christmas shopping season. Enter your 2014 bookings to win 5 x £20 Lifestyle vouchers every day.

Find out more »

Azamara Club Cruises

Double Upgrade to a Balcony Stateroom & Free or Reduced Flights

Receive a complimentary double upgrade for your guests, from a Club Interior to a Club Balcony stateroom on many 2014 voyages - now extended to 21 October. And with free or reduced airfares they can choose where and how to enjoy their spectacular view!

To view all applicable sailings please click here.

Find out more » visit www.cruisingpower.co.uk 

MTB 28/09/2013

IMPORTANT NEWS FROM THOMAS COOK

CHANGE TO THOMAS COOK BROCHURE ORDERING PROCESS

Thomas Cook has responded to reports that some agents may have been experiencing difficulties ordering brochures (Thomas Cook, Cresta, Airtours, Club 18-30, Neilson, Signature, Escapades, Neilson) on the Trade Gate website.

Currently, the company is unable to fulfill orders placed through Trade Gate. However, it can accept orders via email to brochure.orders@thomascook.com - including details of the brochures required and the agent's ABTA number. Alternatively, brochures can be viewed at http://www.brochure-store.co.uk/.

Any further questions should be referred to the Key Account Manager or to www.thomascookworld.com

CHANGES TO VIEWDATA FOR LATES

Please see below details of changes on Viewdata for Lates.

Late Search Menu Item

Late Search has been added as an option in the Viewdata Menu (menu item 3), with latest search date for the Lates Grid displayed next to the menu option

Lates Booking Journey

Lates Booking journey has been added, including search page, Lates Grid, package selection and flight selection.

Lates Grid

The Lates Grid now shows all available holidays departing within the Lates period, not just Late Offer holidays. This is different from the previous Viewdata system, which only showed Late Offer holidays (and which will cease operation after the last Summer 13 departures).

The Lates Grid shows the lead-in prices (i.e. cheapest adult package price) by Departure Date, Route, Duration and Star Rating, based on standard occupancy.

Where there are multiple flights on same day, the Lates Grid will show the cheapest lead-in price of all of these flights, and then preferred flight can be selected on a new page which appears later in the journey.

Late Offer Holidays ‘LD’

A Late Offer holiday shows the label ‘LD’ next to it on the Late Search package selection screen. Late Offer holidays will also appear in Adult Price and Party Price search results, again denoted ‘LD’. This is different from the previous Viewdata system, which only showed brochure holidays through these searches.

Transfers and Late Offer Holidays

As before, transfers are not included with Late Offer Holidays. Where a Late Offer holiday has been selected the message ‘NO TRANSFER INCLUDED’ has been added to the accommodation screens to make this clear. Transfers continue to be added to Late Offer holidays by default in the Extras section of Viewdata, but they can be removed if not required (as per previous Viewdata system). Transfer prices may vary.

Lates Terms & Conditions Screen

There is no Lates Terms & Conditions confirmation question displayed or subsequent screens containing Terms & Conditions for Late Offer holidays. Full Terms & Conditions for Late Offer holidays are available in the corresponding brochures.

Further Information

A guide containing screenshots of the new Viewdata functionality is attached for further reference.

Any further questions should be referred to www.thomascookworld.com

MTB 28/09/2013

BRITISH AIRWAYS TRIAL NEW SHORT HAUL POINT-TO-POINT FARES

11 September 2013 saw the start of a new British Airways trial to simplify the short haul point to point fare ladder, offering customers more choice and greater flexibility.

The Hand Baggage Only (HBO) fare, introduced at London Gatwick in February, is extended to
selected routes to/from London Heathrow and London City and new Semi-flex and Fully-flex fares will
be introduced.

The suite of new fare types, including the HBO fare will be trialed on nine routes and is available for
sale for travel from 24 September 2013:

• Hand Baggage Only (HBO) – lowest price for when travelling light

• Standard – lowest all inclusive price, with everything a passenger would expect when flying with
British Airways

• Semi-flex – when travel plans change last minute, the Semi-flex price gives the option to change a flight on the day to an earlier or later flight

• Fully-flex – fully flexible price gives complete flexibility and control to change when and where the passenger flies

New more flexible fare attributes mean that customers will have the option to make changes to their
itinerary with no change fee and the ability to be able to make changes to their ticket on the day of
travel free of charge.

Semi-flex tickets will also give customers the opportunity to select their seat free of charge two days
in advance of travel and Fully-flex tickets allow customers to choose their seat free of charge at any
time.

Standard Euro Traveller fares will continue to be available year-round.

More information is available from BA account manager.

MTB 21/09/2013

MORE VIRGIN TRAINS THAN EVER ON WEST COAST MAIN LINE

Tickets are now on sale for journeys using Virgin Trains new timetable which starts on December 8. The new timetable maximises the use of Virgin Trains’ recently lengthened Pendolinos, typically delivering 153,000 seats on weekdays.

Phil Bearpark, Virgin Trains Production Director said:

‘As the number of people using our highly-rated services grows we need to make sure their journeys are comfortable. We’re paying an extra £150 million this year for the four new 11-car Pendolinos and 70 extra Standard carriages we now have in operation. Our new timetable makes the most productive use of that extra capacity to give customers a speedy and enjoyable journey.’

One of the highlights of the new timetable provides new through journey opportunities between the Midlands, North West England and Scotland, with one train an hour running from Euston to Glasgow Central via Birmingham New Street. This adds 4,000 seats a day by substituting Pendolinos for some of the shorter Super Voyager trains currently used on the route north of Wolverhampton.

MTB 21/09/2013

TURKISH AIRLINES OPENS ITS TRANSIT BUSINESS LOUNGE FOR BUSINESS-CLASS PASSENGERS

Turkish Airlines has opened its transit Business Lounge for Business Class passengers available after International flights in Istanbul Ataturk Airport.

Turkish Airlines continues to enhance the travel experience for its international Business Class passengers. Turkish Airlines inaugurated its new 'Istanbul Arrival Lounge' in a ceremony. The area is designed to provide a space where inbound guests may refresh themselves before exiting the Ataturk Airport. This is the most recent innovation directed at making Business Class travel on Turkish Airlines a uniquely pleasurable experience.

The lounge, which is ​​250m2, has a capacity of 38 seats and provides a comfortable ambiance for passengers to relax and refresh after their flight.

The Lounge offers passengers shower facilities, areas for changing clothes and staff dedicated to ironing clothing items if desired. There are also delicious treats prepared by Turkish DO & CO—all designed to ready passengers for the tasks that await them upon leaving the airport. This service is especially valuable to guests arriving in the early morning when hotel rooms are generally not yet available for check-in.

Also available are daily local and foreign newspapers and magazines, a full wireless internet connection, media walls and charging points for passengers’ electronic devices.

The lounge will be open every day to receive arriving passengers from 05:00 AM untill 12:30 PM (local time) and business lounge will be closed for passengers at 13:00 PM (local time).

Important details for using the Istanbul Arrival Lounge:

• Only Business Class passengers and Economy or Comfort Class passengers having Elite Plus membership will be able to use the lounge on arrival in Istanbul following their international flights 
• Star Gold members and other Miles & Smiles members - except Elite Plus members - will not be eligible to use the Lounge. Additionally, eligible passengers passengers will not be permitted to bring guests 

DB 14/09/2013

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises announces wide range of facilities for the EUROPA 2

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is proud to reveal the wide-ranging sports and spa facilities available on its new luxury ship, the EUROPA 2.

The ship boasts state-of-the-art fitness equipment, numerous courses, four saunas and a diverse range of treatments. Fitness and spa enthusiasts will find everything they could possibly want in the gym and spa spanning over 1,000 square metres, including a large outdoor area. Plus, passengers who would like professional, personalized advice and support can choose the extra option of engaging a personal trainer, while guests who would like to relax in private with their partner can book the Personal SPA on board the EUROPA 2 for their exclusive use.

In fact, the spacious SPA is perfect for guests in search of relaxation. As well as a hammamm, an ice wall, a Kneipp pool and a whirlpool, the spa has medically trained massuers, physiotherapists and beauticians on hand to provide all kinds of treatments and therapies. These range from traditional part-/full-body massages and popular therapies such as Ayurveda, hot stone massages, thalasso and shiatsu, to exotic treatments such as lomi lomi, a traditional Hawaiian oil massage. 

Plus, the gym offers an extensive choice of innovative training equipment. In addition to traditional fitness and cardio machines, Kinesis panels from Technogym help guests to make progress quickly. Passengers can also target specific areas with HYPOXI, a combination of positive and negative pressure, plus special training. In addition, there are numerous courses on offer, from relaxation exercises to spinning. The sports hosts from EUROPA 2 also arrange active shore excursions suck as bike rides and Nordic walking courses.

For a visual impression of the spa and sports facilities on board EUROPA 2, please see our film online at www.hl-cruises.com/press/passagentv/. 

DB 14/09/2013

PRINCESS CRUISES - 2014 TO BE A 'YEAR OF COMMITMENT TO UK AGENTS AND PASSENGERS'

Princess Cruises has declared 2014 as 'a year of commitment and dedication to our UK travel agent partners and passengers.'

New regional air connections from Manchester are planned, to be flown by Jet2.com, to support the inaugural season of new ship Regal Princess as she cruises the Mediterranean.

The voyages are included in Princess Cruises' current 2014 Cruise Extra campaign, which offers lower lead-in prices, free balcony upgrades and a choice of free onboard spending, free parking or coach transfers.

A base commission level of 10% completes the package. Princess will base no fewer than four of its newest cruise ships in Europe.

MTB 07/09/2013

bmi Regional + Air Baltic ANNOUNCE EX ABERDEEN AIR ROUTE EXPANSION

bmi Regional

bmi regional will launch the first scheduled services connecting Stavanger with Harstad and Tromsø in northern Norway in January 2014. These services will be the first direct air link between the two fastest growing regions in Norway, and are important hubs for the Norwegian oil and gas industry.

The announcement that the UK’s most punctual airline is to fly direct services within Norway has been widely welcomed by Norwegian city municipalities and the business community, as it represents the culmination of extensive work by industry and the public sector to achieve enhanced air connectivity between these key regional locations. The news comes just days after bmi regional launched a direct, scheduled service between Kristiansund in Norway and Aberdeen in the UK. Both cities are key locations for oil and gas activity in the North Sea.

At the recent ONS conference in Stavanger, the municipalities of Hammerfest, Tromsø, Harstad, Brønnøysund, Sandnessjøen, Stavanger Airport Sola and Greater Stavanger presented a detailed route development report on the opportunities between Stavanger and Northern Norway. “A comprehensive survey of the market carried out by regional municipal partners revealed that Norwegian businesses could save significant time and money with the creation of a direct route between Stavanger-Harstad and Stavanger-Tromso and that there was significant demand for shorter travel times." says Commercial director, Stavanger Airport, Ina Eldøy. “When the regions with the strongest growth in Norway require close co-operation and faster connections to enable shorter travel times, it's our job at the airport to facilitate this. We are delighted that bmi regional have responded almost immediately to deliver on this opportunity”.

Ian Woodley, Chairman, bmi regional, said: “The launch of these domestic Norwegian routes is part of bmi regional's strategy of expanding into markets with compelling growth possibilities for our business model. We identified the Nordic region and, in particular, the oil and gas industry as one of the best opportunities. The solid data and documentation of the two region’s requirements delivered at ONS, combined with the support of local government, businesses and the airports convinced the management at bmi regional to launch domestic flights in Norway. These routes not only meet our strategic goals, but are a perfect example of the flexibility of our airline to move fast when opportunities arrive. We look forward to bringing the fantastic bmi regional product to Norwegian flyers”.

Tromso and Harstad also have incredible scenery and experiences to offer the leisure tourist. Tromsø is the the capital of the arctic and is surrounded by mountains, fjords and islands. It has 24 hours of daylight in the summer - you can even play a round of golf on the most northerly course in the world - at midnight. The polar nights from November to January offer stunning light conditions during the short dawn. Tromsø is one of the best places on earth to observe the northern lights. And, of course, you can go skiing - even as late as May. Harstad is on Norway’s biggest island, and offers fantastic hiking options and nature based experiences. You can catch the ships sailing the Hurtigruten route (‘the fast way’) through the Arctic Norway coast.

The news came just days after bmi regional launched a direct, scheduled service between Kristiansund in Norway and Aberdeen in the UK. Bookings can be made on www.bmiregional.com/norge

AIR BALTIC TO SERVE RIGA FROM ABERDEEN

Latvian airline airBaltic is putting the finishing touches to plans to launch a new route between ABZ and Riga. 

Currently at the planning stages of the schedule, the new route which will be operational in spring 2014 will offer convenient connections between the two cities and beyond to destinations in the Baltic region, Scandinavia, Russia and the CIS countries.

It is predicted that the service will operate four days a week. It will provide an important service to businesses at both ends of the route, as well as feeding the growing leisure market thanks to the popularity of Riga as a short-break destination from the North-east of Scotland.

Michael Grimme, Chief Commercial Officer of airBaltic: “Every month, airBaltic has been achieving consistently good results. This means we can now bring it back to our customers by offering affordable tickets and new destinations. We are now making the necessary preparations for a new Aberdeen-Riga route to offer excellent connections via Riga to and from destinations such as Baku, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Warsaw, Kiev, Odessa.”

Carol Benzie is the Operations Director in Aberdeen. She said: “The energy industry will benefit from this route, and many of our business passengers will value this service into Riga as well as the onward connections that serving this hub will provide. On top of that it will be welcomed by our leisure passengers who see Riga as a popular short break destination. We look forward to welcoming airBaltic to the Aberdeen team.”

airBaltic serves 60 destinations from its home base at Riga, Latvia. From every one of these, airBaltic offers convenient connections via Riga to its network spanning Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, CIS and the Middle East.

MTB 07/09/2013