TRAVEL NEWS WEEKLY

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SOUTHERN AFRICA’S TRAVEL NEWS WEEKLYNovember 22 2017 I No. 2472

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FEATURESHOPPING DESTINATIONSSplurging on the spot beats online

NEWSDIGITAL TOOLS

Essential for modern travellers

NEWSVENICE

Large cruise ships banned

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Agents charged with fraudDurban agent in deep waterJoburg agent to face the musictessa reeD

AT LEAST three charges of fraud have been laid against an independent travel agent accused of taking clients’ money without actually issuing tickets. TNW has spoken to two of the affected clients and it has also emerged that these allegations are not being made for the first time.

The charges, two of which have been laid at Hillcrest police station and one at Pinetown police station, are still under investigation.

They come after clients who had booked air tickets were informed at check-in that their tickets had already

been used. The clients said the agent, Sue Cowan of Taking you Places, was using old tickets and doctoring them to add new passenger names.

Sue used to ticket through Serendipity Worldwide Group, but group operations director, Dinesh Naidoo, says she was suspended in February this year and her membership has since been terminated.

He says the suspension came after two airlines, Delta and Singapore, contacted SWG about tickets issued by Sue. He says in both instances, passengers were flying on two tickets, where only one of the tickets had been

sarah robertson

A NUMBER of fraud charges have been laid against Johannesburg-based Fatima Joosub, director of

One for Travel Services and previously of Ayka Travel, after she allegedly took money from clients and did not pay it over to suppliers.

Fatima was arrested in early October but was then released on R5 000 bail. The court case was initially set for October 17 but was postponed to early November and has now been postponed a third time, to January 17.

Fatima allegedly purchased One for Travel Services from Ethienne Smit in

August, after which she allegedly did not honour airline payments.

Two clients, Brian and Jessica Lee, booked their honeymoon to Kenya through One for Travel Services in July for travel in December, when the company was still owned by Ethienne.

Fatima took payment for the outstanding portion of the couple’s R24 000 honeymoon booking. However, when Brian contacted One for Travel Services in November regarding yellow fever requirements they could not get hold of anyone. When he contacted the airline, there was no record of tickets held in their names.

To page 12 To page 2

Scramble for overrides ratchets uptessa reeD

DURING 2017, a number of tour operators have scaled back their offerings, including selling fewer destinations and/or less product in the destinations they sell.

But while a less diluted market can make it easier for consortiums and groups signing preferred agreements to reach override targets, it leaves consultants with less choice and less ability to give clients requested product, while there is also less competition in the market.

Annemarie Lexow, sales and marketing manager of Travel Vision,

comments: “Consortiums are trying to get their agencies to understand that the more suppliers they use for the same destinations, the more they dilute their business and the long-term effect is that they won’t reach their target.” She adds that with more operators scaling back their offering, consortiums are better able to reach the targets set out in their preferred agreements with suppliers.

Sailesh Parbhu, md of XL Nexus Travel, says how the development affects overrides really depends on what is discontinued by the operator. “If our non-preferred suppliers and

To page 2

Hello birdie!Air Mauritius celebrated the arrival of its brand-new A350 900 aircraft on the Johannesburg route with trade partners at OR Tambo International Airport on November 14. Jo’burg is one of the first routes to receive the flagship aircraft. Pictured here, on board for a special ‘viewing’ of the new cabins, are (from left): Lidia Folli of BidTravel; Carla da Silva of Air Mauritius and Jackie Turnbull of The Holiday Factory. Photo: Shannon Van Zyl

2 n Wednesday November 22 2017 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

Phone: (011) 327-4062 Fax: (011) 327-4094 E-mail: tnw@nowmedia.co.za Web: www.nowmedia.co.za Address: Now Media Centre, 32 Fricker Road, Illovo Boulevard, Illovo, Johannesburg. PO Box 55251, Northlands, 2116, South Africa.

TRAVEL NEWS WEEKLY

Published by Travel & Trade Publishing (Pty) Ltd Printed by Juka Printing (Pty) Ltd

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Rubes® By Leigh Rubin

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Venice cruise ship ban won’t affect bookingsCandiCe May

LARGE cruise ships weighing 100 000 tonnes or more are to

be permanently banned from the centre of Venice under new rules to be introduced within the next four years, but industry players do not expect it to affect bookings.

The ships will have to use the industrial port of Marghera. Venice Mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, says the plan answers the demands of residents, tourism businesses

and conservation groups concerned about damage to the city’s shallow lagoons and canals.

Jane Davidson, director of Development Promotions, says the ban makes sense as the lagoons and canals of Venice suffer from the weight of ships. “There are groups of people devoted to the preservation of this delicate city who would like to maintain the picturesque landscape of traditional gondolas and water taxis,” she explains.

Jackie Adami, md of

Development Promotions, doesn’t expect the ban to affect bookings as passengers will only need to take a six-minute taxi ride to the destination. “In Dubrovnik, for example, the port is a taxi ride away from the city, but this isn’t a deterrent, as passengers are visiting a city and not a port.”

Work needs to be done on the new route before it is ready to take large cruise ships, but this is expected to be complete within four years.

Durban agent in deep water

issued. Since then, Sue has not issued any tickets through SWG.

While TNW was unable to reach Sue this week, when previously contacted for a response, she said she was never notified of a suspension. She said she stopped ticketing through the group of her own

accord and preferred to book tickets on the airline websites as these were often cheaper.

When asked about the clients’ claims, Sue said she had forgotten to issue tickets in the one case and, in the other, booked the wrong dates. In one instance she said she had accidentally cancelled a ticket when trying to check

in a client online.Commenting on the incident,

Dinesh says this is one of the issues that regulating the industry could solve because the requirement for a certification would put checks and balances in place. “These days everybody with a computer and a mobile phone wants to be a travel agent.”

From page 1

tour operators are cutting back, then it would make it a bit easier for us to reach our targets with our preferreds.” However, he also points out that if preferred partners scale back on popular products, it makes it harder to reach targets.

It’s an open secret that agencies push preferred suppliers to reach these targets.

TNW understands that protocols in place discouraging consultants from selling non-preferreds include consultants having to get special permission from branch managers or even head office should a client insist on purchasing

a non-preferred. It is also commonplace for agents to always quote a preferred when a non-preferred is requested.

One operator, who asked not to be named, says they’re aware of agencies passing their quotes on to preferreds so that the preferred operators can undercut their rates. Another operator said they were not allowed to call on some agencies with whom they did not have a preferred agreement and that they were even aware of consultants having their commission penalised if they sold non-preferreds.

Many operators are unsurprisingly not happy with

the status quo. They argue that customers’ interests should supersede preferred partnerships. This is also stated in the Asata code of conduct.

Both Alexis Bekker, head of sales and marketing for SA and Africa of LUX* Resorts & Hotels, and Inge Dobihal, md of Austria Connection, point out that the push for preferreds is nothing new. Alexis says while it makes sense for consortiums to push volumes to their preferreds, it’s frustrating for operators and also anti-competitive. She suggests that the only way this behaviour can be curbed is if the Competition Commission gets involved.

From page 1

Scramble for overrides ratchets up

Bidvest sells Cullinan stakeTessa Reed

IT IS business as usual for Cullinan Holdings following the sale of Bidvest’s shares in the company.

Cullinan’s travel and tourism brands include Pentravel, Thompsons Holidays and Thompsons Travel. Cullinan Holdings forms part of The Travel Corporation, which also owns brands including

Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, Luxury Gold and Contiki.

Michael Tollman, ceo of Cullinan Holdings, told TNW the sale, which took place on July 7, would not affect the operations of any of the businesses within Cullinan’s stable. Specifically, there would be no restructuring of the businesses, which all operate as separate entities, and there would be no rebranding.

Susan Willam-Knill of Susan’s Travels is the lucky winner of the Avis VW Polo Vivo as well as ClubRed Roses from the campaign that ran through July, August and September. Susan is pictured here alongside Guy Muller, national sales manager: Travel, Monthly & Commercial at Avis Budget Rent a Car. Photo: Shannon Van Zyl

Winning with Avis!

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4 n Wednesday November 22 2017 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

NEWS

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Digital essential to reach modern travellersCandiCe May

WHEN planning a trip, 75% of travellers use

videos and photos posted by friends as part of their travel research, 82% use review sites for researching their trips and 86% use travel booking sites to help them discover new and exciting destinations.

These are some of the findings from a recent Travelport survey, based on a sample of 500 people in South Africa who took at least one return flight last year.

Travelport also undertook a Global Traveler Survey of 11 000 travellers in 19 countries that highlights the use of digital tools when planning, booking and experiencing a journey.

The South African

sample shows that when booking a trip, 69% of travellers believe a good digital experience is important when choosing an airline, 79% choose hotels that do not charge for WiFi and 54% worry

that reviews might not be genuine. When on the trip, 79% of travellers believe digital boarding passes make travelling much easier and 86% say being able to stay in touch is most important to them when travelling.

Furthermore, when at the destination, travellers use an average of 17 different

categories of apps while travelling and 43% want to share travel experiences on social media.

Robyn Christie, country manager of Travelport South Africa, commented on the study results: “With 20 million smartphone users in South Africa, the Global Traveler Survey findings highlight considerable opportunities for travel companies to engage digitally with South African travellers, who are digitally confident and believe a good digital experience is important throughout their journeys.

“Providing relevant and timely digital tools and content is no longer an accessory but an essential means of reaching and satisfying the modern traveller from the moment they search to the moment they return from their trip.”

Club Travel held the Cape Town leg of its annual franchise indaba at the Italian Club to celebrate its 30th birthday. Travel agents and suppliers enjoyed a morning of networking followed by lunch and live entertainment. Pictured (from left) are Veronica Van Zyl, owner of CY Travel, and Rikke Hackner, manager of Travel Deals.

Celebrating 30 years

“South African travellers are digitally

confident and believe a good digital experience is important throughout

their journeys.”

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8 n Wednesday November 22 2017 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

SHOPPING DESTINATIONSWhile online shopping has brought the global marketplace to everyone’s fingertips, nothing can compare with splurging on the spot, writes Candice May.

Different cities for different goods

WHILE every city has places to shop, the best shopping

destination for travellers depends entirely on the type of goods they are looking to buy. This is why it is important to ask what clients are interested in – is it massive shopping malls in the US, a souk in Marrakech, fresh produce markets in Fiji or a bazaar in New Delhi?

Travel agents say the following cities offer the best shopping experiences, from unbeatable bargains to high-end shopping.

New York for accessoriesThe malls in New York offer every type of accessory – handbags, jewellery, watches, you name it – under one roof at reasonable prices, says Annemarie Lexow, sales and marketing manager of Travel Vision. She suggests that travellers look for brochures at their hotel for shuttles that will take them to and from all the outlet malls.

Carlos Luis, supplier relationship leader of Flight Centre Travel Group, suggests Barney’s, Bloomingdale’s, Tiffany & Co and Madison Avenue for the most enviable accessories, or meandering through the markets of SoHo for a special fashion find.

Milan for clothingMilan may be renowned for its high-end fashion, but this doesn’t mean that it is short of mid-range stores, says Carlos. “There is a massive choice of designer labels, with some of the clothes created just for the Italian market and not available anywhere else in the world. While there are few bargains, the prices in Milan are often a quarter of those in Paris and New York,” he says.

Candice Perry, marketing, media relations and social media co-ordinator of Thompsons Holidays, agrees. “Fashion is one of Milan’s biggest draw cards. The influence it has spreads to the world of publishing, partying and commerce.”

Carlos adds: “Milan’s downtown

haute couture ‘Golden Quadrangle’ is formed by Via Montenapoleone, Via Sant’Andrea, Via Gesu and Via Della Spiga, where shoppers will find flagship stores of every famous Italian designer plus those of foreign rivals and creative wannabes.”

He suggests Malo, Armani and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, which looks like an ornate art gallery but is one of the world’s

oldest shopping malls, having opened in 1865. For more market-style clothing stores, he advises visiting shops in Corso Buenos Aires.

Bangkok for electronicsBangkok is the perfect shopping destination for any electronics and gaming aficionado, says Carlos. The city is a slick retail destination boasting more than 40 malls in the city centre alone. At Siam Paragon, EmQuartier and Central Embassy, there are multiple floors of stores to shop at,” he says. “And do not forget the MBK Centre!”

For shoppers who have children accompanying them, Carlos suggests checking out Terminal 21 and Siam Discovery too. “They cater for young fashionistas and there are niche outlets aplenty. Amarin, for example, is a one-stop shop for sportswear.”

Hong Kong for market goodsHong Kong is one of the most affordable places for goods of all sorts, says Carlos. “It is alive and bustling with sprawling shopping centres and busy street markets where you can buy everything from clothes and Asian trinkets, to toys and watches.”

He suggests Temple Market, Ladies’ Market (it isn’t only for ladies), Seafood Street Market and Stanley Market for an exciting shopping and cultural experience. “These markets offer great meals and an opportunity for shoppers to test out their bargaining skills. Just advise them to wear comfortable shoes because they will be doing a lot of walking!”

Best baggage allowancesAirline Economy-class luggage allowance Maximum size

British Airways 2 bags of 32kg each 90x75x43cm

Emirates 20-30kg, depending on route 300cm in total

KLM 1-2 bags of 23kg each, depending on route 158cm in total

Qatar Airways 30kg 300cm in total

Turkish Airlines 2 bags of 20kg each No size restriction

New malls on KZN’s North Coast Dorine reinstein

DURBAN’S North Coast is becoming a shopper’s paradise with the opening of one new mall and the expansion of three others.

Owned by Investec Property, the R1,8bn Cornubia Mall spans 65 000sqm near Mount Edgecombe in Umhlanga. It offers a selection of food, fashion, lifestyle and sports attractions integrated into an outdoor family-oriented shopping experience.

The mall is connected by bridges, landscaped walkways and pavements to give shoppers a sense of being indoors and outdoors at the same time, making the most of the province’s favourable weather conditions.

Cornubia Mall introduces a series of innovations offered for the first time at a retail mall in the province, including a 70km mountain bike trail that starts and ends at the mall and meanders through the surrounding greater Cornubia green belt. There’s also a bounce trampoline park and a Fives Futbol facility that offers three outdoor five-a-side soccer pitches.

Further north, Ballito saw the opening of the Ballito Junction Regional Mall in March.

It was named the best new shopping centre development in

South Africa this year. This regional mall is the major

expansion of an existing 10 000sqm, now increased to an impressive 80 000sqm. It features in excess of 200 shops, restaurants, and services.

A highlight of the mall is the Ballito Junction Urban Eatery with six-metre-high feature window, looking out to the north over the undeveloped green parklands of Simbithi Eco-Estate and, on a clear day, to the Indian Ocean.

Its facilities include a Nu Metro cinema complex and the 22 Jump Street trampoline park.

Across the road from the Ballito Junction, the ‘new’ Ballito Lifestyle Centre is also taking shape. The Centre lost a staggering number of shops to the new regional mall, but decided to strike back with a massive revamp. A permanent artisanal food market and the introduction of more up-market restaurants are expected to transform it.

Finally, Gateway Theatre of Shopping is enhancing its retail, leisure, food and entertainment offering. It will add and extend a number of stores in response to “ongoing demand from both local and international retailers wanting to either expand or open premises at Gateway,” says Akash Maharaj, portfolio manager.

Carlos Luis

QUICK READ FOR BUSIEST PEOPLE Wednesday November 22 2017 n 9

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SHOPPING DESTINATIONS

Not-to-be-missed shopping festivalsSome of the world’s most popular shopping destinations have annual or twice-yearly sales where shoppers can save on all sorts of goods. These are some of the best.

Dubai Shopping Festival – December 26 to January 28, 2018

The Dubai Shopping Festival is the original shopping festival. The glamorous event is a Mecca for big bargains on everything – fashion, jewellery, perfumes, cosmetics, textiles and

electronics. Shoppers can save up to 70% on items at over 6 000 shops and 70 malls across the emirate. The event also packs in a full house of entertainment, events and attractions galore.

Cannes Shopping Festival – December 26 to January 28, 2018Cannes Shopping Festival should be on the bucket list of every shopper who loves runway fashion, haute couture and

designer labels. It takes place at the Palais de Festivals with numerous catwalks, fashion parades and theme nights.

Shoppers can even consider taking luxury to a new level by hiring the services of a personal shopper.

The Korea Grand Sale – January 20 to February 28, 2018Shoppers who brave the winter weather can take advantage of nationwide

discounts in the shopping malls, markets, department stores and boutiques during

the Korea Grand Sale. The sale takes in a wide range of covetable goods.

The Great Singapore Sale – June to August 2018 (TBA)The Great Singapore Sale has been a major shopping festival for 21 years and offers heavily discounted goods, with up

to 70% off, within shopping malls and precincts across the city centre and suburban areas. Shoppers can enjoy savings and tax-

free shopping on beauty and wellness products, watches, apparel, toys, electronics, food and beverages.

Hong Kong Shopping Festival – June 1 to August 31, 2018Hong Kong is named the best shopping destination in the Asia-Pacific region by the Globe Shopper Index, a ranking of European and Asia Pacific shopping cities. Shoppers should visit the city during this festival, which is part of the Hong Kong Summer Spectacular. It brings savvy savings on handbags, fashion accessories, traditional wares, fabrics, home décor and electronics.

Istanbul Shopping Festival – June or July 2018 (TBA)The flamboyant Istanbul Shopping Festival offers deals on high-quality textiles, organic cottons, fashion, silk scarves,

fabrics, linen, jewellery, arts, antiques, handmade shoes, furniture and ceramics at high-end shopping malls and

famous shopping streets across the city. There are also fashion shows, music concerts, performances and street shows.

Visitors can save on a broad range of items.

There are bargains galore across the emirate.

Advise clients to take advantage of tourist discounts. Most big shopping malls around the world offer tourist discounts. Some malls even offer shopping cards that provide tourists with discounted and duty-free prices.

To the point

10 n Wednesday November 22 2017 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

How to avoid common pitfallsBETWEEN aggressive salespeople, buyer’s remorse and a small (or big) problem with overspending, a shopping trip can sometimes feel more like a chore than a treat. It is no wonder that some shoppers prefer to shop from their computer screens.

However, the advantages of viewing goods up close and being able to experiment with styles and trends without having to commit, cannot be achieved online in quite the same way as on a shopping trip.

While there are many problems with brick-and-mortar shopping that shoppers cannot control, the good news is that there are remedies for the more common shopping gripes. Travel agents share advice on how to deal with the most annoying of them.

Communicate clearly with tour guides and taxi drivers: In some countries, such as Singapore, some day tours visit the same jewellery store at the end of the excursion. For this reason, travellers must communicate with tour guides and

taxi drivers that they would only like to visit desired destinations, says Carlos Luis of Flight Centre Travel Group. “They must communicate this unless a surprise stop at a local shopping spot is up their alley.”

Don’t be afraid to visit street markets: In Asian countries, it is typical of taxi drivers to only suggest shops with which they have commission agreements, says Annemarie Lexow of Travel Vision. To avoid falling prey to this, she suggests visiting street markets instead. While taxi drivers will often tell travellers that street markets are not safe, this is not necessarily so, particularly if travellers are accompanied by tour guides.

Excursions that are inflexible: A big consideration is that some touring companies plan shopping trip excursions ahead of time, based on the location of the traveller’s accommodation, says Carlos. Therefore, tour guides may be inflexible about the shops they are willing to visit due to their schedule.

TRAVELLERS in designated foreign trade zones such as an aircraft cruising at 35 000 feet are offered premium goods such as designer watches, scarves, belts, ties, pens, handbags and headphones with most or all of the taxes removed from the prices. The question is – is on-board shopping really worthwhile?

Many times, there are bargains to be found on selected items in on-board shopping catalogues. But there are also situations in which bargains are fleeting. “It all depends what you are looking for and what the refund policy is,” says Annemarie Lexow of Travel Vision. She adds that clothing and electronics are the riskiest items to buy on board. For this reason, it is a good idea for passengers to

stick to items they are knowledgeable about.

Some assume that every on-board price represents a bargain because it is tax free, but the starting price may not be favourable. “On-board shopping can be worthwhile as the products are duty-free and may be cheaper than you would find in a general store, but

be aware of the price you would expect to pay normally or at home before boarding,” suggests Carlos Luis of Flight Centre Travel Group.

Some passengers buy goods on board on impulse, believing it is a last-chance opportunity. Carlos believes that on-board shopping is a good way to indulge in a last-minute spoil or for spending left-over foreign currency.

SHOPPING DESTINATIONS

On-board shopping: Is it really worth it?

Annemarie Lexow

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JOBSCOMMUNITYNEWSBirths, deaths, marriages, promotions – we want to know! Please fax or e-mail TNW’s Candice May, at candicem@nowmedia.co.za or (011) 214 7330.

QUICK READ FOR BUSIEST PEOPLE Wednesday November 22 2017 n 11

Appointment Retirement

Pick of the week

These adverts were selected from the vacancy section of www.travelinfo.co.za For more details contact jobs@travelinfo.co.za

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M.I.C.E. Senior Project Manager – PretoriaSuperior ChoicesEvents, incentives, conferences, min 5 years’ experience. Well -travelled locally, internationally, creative in fresh concepts, accurate excel costing’s, recons, power point presentations, professional peoples person. Email: maricka@superiorchoices.com

Senior Travel Consultant – Bloemfontein & NelspruitProfessional Career ServicesMinimum 10 years’ experience. Amadeus. BSP is an advantage. Arranging all travel related queries. Afterhours & weekend shift. Email: nonocv@pcs-sa.co.za

Travel Consultant – CPT, S/SubsFlight Centre Travel GroupSell travel experiences – from adventures to Thailand to city breaks in London. Provide outstanding customer service and manage every aspect of the trip. Email: jobs@fctg.co.za

Groups Reservations Consultant – CPTQuantex Recruitment GroupDynamic consultant with 5+ years’ inbound experience & fantastic Southern & South Africa knowledge wanted by large, successful tour operator. Email: bridget@quantex.co.za

In-House VIP Consultant – JNB, NorthEquity Connections ccTop senior needed for leading organisation. Handle all travel arrangements for top management. Minimum six years’ at senior level/ Galileo essential. Email: equitycon@mweb.co.za

Travel Consultant – CPT, TygervalleyFlightsiteSenior leisure consultant needed to assist clients from a captured market. Minimum 5 years’ leisure consultingexperience. Excellent services skills and sales focused. Amadeus advantageous. Email: careers@clubtravel.co.za

Reservations Manager – JNB, NorthProfessional Career ServicesInbound tour operator seeks candidate with min 3 years’ reservations management experience and good product knowledge of Southern Africa. Tourplan essential. Email: jeancv@pcs-sa.co.za

Cruise Consultant – GautengFlight Centre Travel GroupPlan itineraries, book flights, accommodation, car hire and everything in between. Incentivised targets. Email: jobs@fctg.co.za

Product Manager – CPTQuantex Recruitment Group5+ years’ product related experience, a travel/tourism diploma, as well as CMS & CRM experience is vital for this fantastic opportunity! Email: bridget@quantex.co.za

Group Financial Accountant – JNB, NorthEquity Connections ccCareer opportunity for experienced, qualified financial accountant. Run full functions including financial statements/fixed assets/audit preparation/forex float etc. Email: equitycon@mweb.co.za

Business Development Executive – RosebankClub TravelPassionate about sales and new business, join our corporate team. Be involved in direct marketing and sales. Previous corporate business development experience in a TMC essential. Email: careers@clubtravel.co.za Call Centre Agent – CPT, TygervalleyFlightsiteOnline division is recruiting experienced leisure consultant for their call centre division. Minimum 2 years’ leisure consulting experience with strong sales focus. Amadeus advantageous. Email: careers@clubtravel.co.za

Out and about? Want to be seen in the pages of TNW? Share your photos on social media with the hashtag #TNWTravelJunkie. Pictured here (from left) are TNW’s Candice May, Shannon Van Zyl, Tessa Reed and Sarah Robertson.

Launching its 2018 brochures, Insight Vacations hosted agents at Jamie’s Italian in Melrose Arch, where they were treated to a demo of the preparation of the restaurant’s famous planks. Pictured here are Jolene Campbell, regional manager at Pentravel, and Pieter Beyers, gm South Africa of Insight Vacations. Photo: Tessa Reed

A taste of Italy

Tee-off time

This year the Delta Air Lines TIGC Golf Day was held at Randpark Golf Club. Pictured ready to tee off (from left) are Ricky Da Silva, director of XL Novo Mundo Travel; Luis Ferreira, md of Night Shift Security; Riccardo Loreggian, md of Micro Engineering; and Eva Loreggian.

Airports Company South Africa ce, Bongani Maseko, has been appointed for a two-year term as chair of the world governing boards of Airports Council International, the trade representative of the world’s airports. Bongani has 24 years of experience in airport management, having

first joined the industry at San Francisco Airport. He has a degree in Aviation Business Administration from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and Airport Systems Planning and Design and Airport Ground Transportation Planning from the University of California.

Anna Nzomo, commercial director of Airkenya, is retiring after being with the airline for over 30 years. Anna has been a household name at the airline, having served in various capacities. Before being appointed commercial director, she was well known as the operations manager for many years.

Buzz night

Beachcomber Tours hosted a Flight Centre Travel Group buzz night themed ‘Life’s a beach’. Dressed up ready to hit the beach are (from left): Ettienne Walters, sales executive of Beachcomber Tours; Valeska Armbruster, manager of Flight Centre Gardens; Paolo Ferreira, manager of Flight Centre Hout Bay; and Shelley Daniels, sales executive of Beachcomber Tours.

12 n Wednesday November 22 2017 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

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brought to you by eTNW and TRAVELINFO

eTravel is the ITC market leader in South Africa and assists senior Travel Consultants and Travel business owners to realise their dreams. If you have ever dreamt of owning your own travel business or would like to cut costs by doing away with your IATA license and improve your current business efficiencies then you should call eTravel. We run the back office for over 200 Independent Travel Companies and specialise in making your travel business a success by offering the best commissions, overrides & a comprehensive support structure. If you have a client base, 5 years travel consultant experience or already own your own business but want to make more, then contact us! You’ll be amazed at how easy it is!

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How do GDS surcharges affect you?

Clients must pay the surcharge

I pass the cost of the surcharge on to clients I offsell airlines that levy a surcharge I absorb the cost of the surcharge I book the relevant airlines on other channels

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Joburg agent to face the music

Brian then tracked down Fatima and she denied owning the agency. However TNW has seen copies of the transfer of ownership and share certificates in Fatima and Shameem Joosub’s (mother) names.

Brian has opened a case of

fraud against Fatima, which has been linked to other similar cases against her. He also tracked down the previous owner, Ethienne, who attempted to help him with his reservation.

An Ayka Travel client who wished to remain anonymous has also opened a case

against Fatima. The client says she had been approached by 10-15 other clients who have also been defrauded by Fatima.

TNW tried contacting Fatima on both the business number and on her personal cellphone for comment but she did not answer.

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Summer with Peermont!Peermont is running a summer special offering hotel stays from R545 per person sharing at properties including Emperors Palace in Johannesburg, Mmbatho Palms in North West, Thaba Moshate in Limpopo and Graceland in Mpumalanga. Soaking up the sun is Jean Hanekom, hotel operations manager at Emperors Palace. Photo: Shannon Van Zyl

Airlink looks at more SAA routesDarise Foster

AIRLINK has applied for the rights to fly to more destinations currently

operated by SAA, including the Johannesburg-Abuja route, which SAA suspended earlier this year.

SAA suspended flights to Abuja on March 6 due to repair work being done at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, but flights never resumed due to “operational reasons”. Asked when the route would be reinstated, SAA spokesperson, Tlali Tlali, told TNW: “The situation has not changed – that means, the route remains suspended. SAA will apply its re-accommodation

policy to facilitate travel for passengers who may have had advance bookings.”

Airlink md and ceo, Rodger Foster, confirmed that Airlink had applied to fly the Johannesburg-Abuja route, but he would not say whether it planned to take over the operating of the route as part of SAA’s ‘route rationalisation’ strategy. “It is common knowledge that SAA has elected to rationalise routes from its network and, as such, has withdrawn from some destinations and is in the process of discontinuing services in some instances.

“Once fully compliant with all regulatory requirements, Airlink will commence services

on new routes, some of which may have been previously served by SAA,” said Rodger.

Johannesburg-Libreville, Johannesburg-Douala and Cape Town-Luanda are other routes Airlink has applied for the rights to operate. “We have received decision letters from the International Air Services Council [in regard to these routes],” he said. However, he remained mum on what the decision was.

Airlink has also applied for the rights to fly to Brazzaville, Moroni, Mayotte and Cotonou, and awaits confirmation in regard to these applications. “We also have applications pending for additional routes in Africa,” Rodger added.

Another GDS enters deal with BA, IberiaCanDiCe May anD tessa reeD

A NEW deal between Sabre and British Airways as well as Iberia could see agents negotiate better content and pricing with the two airlines.

This follows the introduction of a new £8 (R150) surcharge per sector on bookings for the airlines on the GDS.

“Sabre has signed a new distribution agreement with BA and IB,” an email to agents states. “In this new model, BA/IB and the agency negotiate the content commitments. Agencies entering into a private channel agreement will have access to presumably better BA/IB content than if they did not enter into such agreement.

“We recognise that some agencies will not sign a private channel agreement.

Agencies that do not sign a private channel agreement can continue to book BA/IB content in Sabre. These agencies may have access to less content and be subject to the BA/IB surcharge, however the content for these agencies that is available through Sabre will be no less than the content available through other GDSs.”

Sabre did not elaborate further when asked for comment.

Recently Flight Centre Travel Group, Amex and HRG have entered into an agreement with IAG (International Airlines Group), which owns British Airways and Iberia, that exempts them from the airline’s surcharge for bookings made on the GDS (TNW November 8). These agencies all book on Amadeus.

HRG coo, Bill Brindle, commented on the Amadeus deal in The Beat: “Effectively, that’s British Airways reaching a relationship with Amadeus.” He added that HRG “worked with Amadeus on that as well, and so I have a relationship with British Airways; British Airways has a relationship with Amadeus; I have a relationship with Amadeus; and we have a different structure.”

Andrew Stark, md MEA of Flight Centre Travel Group, says while agents will have the same experience booking BA and IB on Amadeus, the GDS has a compliance level that accommodates the NDC. “An agent will not know the difference. It is the mechanism behind the scenes, the back end to tracking and making the reservation that has changed,” he says.