Page 7 Airline seating rules upset agents€¦ · R10 970pp sharing, excluding airport taxes of R3...

TRAVeL NeWS WeeKLY

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SouTHeRN AFRICA’S TRAVeL NeWS WeeKLYJanuary 22 2014 I No. 2285

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FeatureThe future is mobile

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NeWSMoz UNresT

Tourists look to Mauritius instead

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NeWSVIC FALLs

Plans for a new name in the pipeline

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Up, up and away!

Kite surfing and stand-up paddling are two new complimentary water sports that are available at all Beachcomber resorts in Mauritius. Pictured here (from left) are Beachcomber’s sales executives Tanya Viljoen, Kirsten Johnston, Gina Stanford and ettienne Walters. Photo: Shannon Van Zyl

Airline seating rules upset agents

Protea enters zanzibar marketTHE Protea Hospitality Group has moved into the Zanzibar market, with the addition of the Mbweni Ruins Hotel to its portfolio.

Protea Hospitality group ceo, Arthur Gillis, said Zanzibar, one of Africa’s most popular leisure travel destinations, was visited by approximately 170 000 foreign tourists in 2012, which made it a very attractive proposition from a hospitality point of view.

“Africa is the future of hospitality and there is room for companies with trusted,

recognised brands to expand rapidly,” he said. He added that the group would be entering two new markets this year, Ghana and Rwanda, and was also exploring opportunities in several other African states.

Protea Hotel Mbweni Ruins is situated on the coast, 7km from Stone Town and 5km from the airport and consists of 13 rooms, a restaurant, a deck, a pool and beach bar.

Guests can enjoy activities such as boat excursions to Chumbe Island, which are available directly from the

hotel’s jetty, and hiking along trails around the property, which contains 120 different species of palm trees and more than 30 exotic species of indigenous plants. The hotel also offers an in-house tour desk service to arrange excursions such as swimming with dolphins, deep-sea fishing, diving, spice tours and visits to Jozani National Forest.

The building that is now the Mbweni Ruins was originally built in 1871. The chapel at the ruins is currently used for functions and weddings. n

Dorine reinstein

TRAVEL agents have reacted strongly to the announcement of

Virgin Atlantic’s new rules, which will limit travel agents’ ability to pre-assign seats in economy class and see the airline imposing a fee on passengers for early seat selection.

From February 1, agents will only be able to pre-seat travellers who are booked in Upper Class and Premium Economy as well as booking classes Y and B in economy. All other passengers who want to select their seats prior to online check-in will have to use the ‘Manage My Booking’ function on Virgin’s website.

Anna Catchpole, spokesperson for Virgin Atlantic, says travel agents will again be able to pre-seat travellers as soon as GDS technology is developed that will allow the process of payments for ancillary items such as these.

In the meantime, agents will be able to use GDSs to preassign seats for the exempt booking classes (ie Upper Class, Premium Economy and Y and B class economy booking).

In addition, from

April, Virgin will charge passengers £25 (R440) per person, per sector to assign a seat on its long-haul flights.

Virgin Atlantic is not the only airline to charge for pre-seating. British Airways travellers can select a seat before the usual 24 hours before departure pre-seating at a cost. The website says: “When you make your seat choice online, we will tell you whether you have to pay or not.”

Travel agents have voiced their concerns about the number of airlines following this practice, saying the number of additional imposed fees would continue to negatively impact air travel in general.

“Where are the good old days where airlines offered all these extras at no charge as part of good service to the customer?” Kobus Coetsee of Travelswift commented on eTNW. “Imagine a family of four having to use their savings/spending money to ensure they can sit together on a flight. This is after paying a fortune on visas to enter the UK. No wonder I have fewer bookings to and via the UK. What is next, paying for inflight

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2 n Wednesday January 22 2014 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

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NEWS

Rubes® By Leigh Rubin

Sohana Grimett selects the top specials from Travelinfo Beachcomber Tours. 25% early-bird discount – book and pay 30 days in advance. Rates are from

R10 970pp sharing, excluding airport taxes of R3 270. Package includes return airfares ex-JNB, return transfers, six nights’ accommodation with breakfast and dinner, plus free land and motorised water sports. Offer is available for travel between February 1 and March 24. Qantas Holidays/Tour East. Australian Grand Prix packages are from R8 540pp sharing. Offer includes

return flights ex-Johannesburg, four-day general admission ticket for an adult and handling fees. Excludes airport taxes of approximately R5 440pp. Rate is valid for travel from March 1-10. Thompsons Holidays. Five nights Massinga Beach – rates are

from R12 545pp sharing. Package includes return flights ex-Johannesburg, return airport-hotel transfers, four-star accommodation with all meals. Rates are also available for travel ex-Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. Rate expires June 30. Car Hire Brokers. Domestic special – Group T Picanto

or similar rate is R253 per day and Group B Hyundai i20 or similar rate is R353 per day. Special is valid for pick-ups until February 28 and includes unlimited mileage, super damage and theft waiver, contract fee and airport surcharges.

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New name for Vic Falls?Tessa Reed

A PLAN by Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu PF party to rename Victoria

Falls as part of a bid to replace colonial names with indigenous ones has had mixed reactions from the travel trade.

According to The Africa Report, the party said Victoria Falls would be renamed Mosi-Oa-Tunya, which translates as ‘The Smoke that Thunders’.

Brent Williamson, md of Adventure Lodge Victoria Falls, and Rudie Prinsloo, owner of Felleng Tours and Safaris, bemoaned the potential cost of changing the name and remarketing the attraction. These included the costs of branding and advertising materials as well as website domains.

Brent pointed out that Zimbabwe was recovering from a tourism recession and argued that the name change would hamper this recovery.

Trish Mambinge, gm of Shearwater Victoria Falls, said while the name change would require the rebranding of signage in the area, she did not foresee an effect on tourism as the Mosi-Oa-Tunya name was not new.

Bruno Van Den Bossche, marketing manager of Inspiration Zimbabwe, also suggested that there was some knowledge of the indigenous name. He said many businesses had been linking the names, bringing to the forefront the original name that the Batonga people used before the existence of the Falls was reported by David Livingstone.

“We are fortunate in that in all our point-of-sale materials, maps and any historical presentations, Victoria Falls has always been referred to as Mosi-Oa-Tunya,” Bruno said.

However, Brent said most international clients were not aware of the indigenous name and only found out about it when they visited the destination.

He said that while he appreciated the significance of changing the name, it should have been done at lndependence, along with all the other town and city name changes. “To do so now when the destination has worldwide recognition, not only as one of the seven wonders but as an awesome adventure destination for travellers, is going to cause more confusion than necessary,” he said. n

Visa fees on the upSpainVisa costs for tourists to Spain, the Balearic and Canary Islands have increased to R842 per adult for a short-stay Schengen visa, up from R688 previously. A child’s visa now costs R491. Service fees per visa cost R281, up from R229 previously.

NepalThe Embassy of Nepal in Pretoria has also increased visas fees. A multiple-entry 15-day visa will increase from R250 to R280, a multiple-entry 30-day visa will increase from R400 to R440 and a

multiple-entry 90-day visa will increase from R1 000 to R1 100. HungaryThe Hungarian Embassy has announced an increase in visa costs for transit and short-stay visas as well as long-stay visas, which will now cost R857 instead of R754. Visas for children aged between six and 12 years will now cost R500 instead of R440.

BelgiumThe Belgian Consulate in Johannesburg has increased visa costs for children.

Children between six and 12 years of age now pay R490, up from R465, for a visa to visit Belgium. Children under the age of six will not pay visa fees and those over 12 years of age will be charged the full adult rate, which is currently R840 for a short-stay visa and R2 520 for a long-stay visa.

The NetherlandsAn increase in The Netherlands Schengen visa fee has been announced. Adult visa fees are now R845, up from R825. Visas for children (aged 6-12) are now R490 (previously R460). n

Voyager miles redeemable on Mango flightsVOYAGER members can now purchase Mango flights with their miles.

Miles can be redeemed against flight purchases through the Mango website with full mile payments or part payments available

against the airline’s lower fares, across its network. All Mango scheduled flights are redeemable against Voyager miles.

However, passengers cannot earn Voyager miles on Mango flights. n

Specials Spot

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Sha’p-sha’p: (Sharp-sharp) (a) A South African term used to express our good health and well being.

Local is lekker! TNW and SA Travel Centre bring you the latest news in domestic tourism

Lions reintroduced to iSimangaliso

LIONS have been reintroduced in iSimangaliso Wetland Park,

on the east coast of KwaZulu Natal after a 44-year absence.

The first family of four lions were released to the uMkhuze section of the park. The animals, an adult female and a male and two female offspring are the first of a total of eight planned for this section of the park.

The addition of lions gives the park Big 7 status because it is now home to the Big 5 as well as whales and sharks in the marine section.

Several thousand head of game have been translocated into iSimangaliso since 2000. All the game that historically occurred in the region, with

the exception of eland, have now been re-introduced by iSimangaliso and its conservation partner, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. Eland are

currently being sourced for an April/May introduction. Hyena and jackal have returned on their own and populations are flourishing.

Emnotweni Casino completes first phase of refurbishmentTSOGO Sun’s Emnotweni Casino in Nelspruit has undergone the first phase of a large-scale refurbishment costing R206m.

The project included a redesigned and extended banqueting facility and enhancements to the casino and entertainment facilities. New smoking and non-smoking casinos have been

introduced and the number of slot machines and tables has been increased.

The new multi-purpose venue, The Arena, offers over 700 sqm of floor space and can accommodate up to 800 guests for cocktail functions. The bar and restaurant have an open terrace overlooking the Lowveld Botanical Garden and the Southern Sun

Emnotweni Hotel. Other upgrades include

the addition of three parking levels, improved public amenities and an upgraded walkway to the Riverside Mall.

The final phase of the project will see the Explorers Restaurant being refurbished and the front entrance of the building being revamped by April next year.

Proposed Plett development in doubtA PROPOSED development in Plettenberg Bay that is facing opposition from property owners in the area, is still in the early stages of application.

Times Live reported that a R4bn development had been proposed by Western Cape Marina Investments for Central Beach and the Piesang River Estuary. It includes a five-star hotel and retail stores as well as residential units and bungalows along the beach.

Dupre Lombaard, head: strategic services at Bitou Municipality and the official dealing with the application, told TNW there was no guarantee that the development would go ahead and says, following an environmental impact assessment and ministerial approval, the municipality would need to allocate land.

“Even if the application is approved, there is

no access to the land because it is publicly owned,” he says.

The Plett Ratepayers and Residents Association and local property owners have formed the Save Plett Alliance to oppose the development.

Concerns raised include loss of business and jobs during the anticipated four-year construction period and the possibility that the development would not reach completion.

The alliance has also questioned the developer’s lack of a record or a web presence.

Basil van Rooyen, spokesman for the alliance, said a poll revealed that the majority of international tourists would not return to the area should the development go ahead.

Attempts by TNW to contact the developer have proved unsuccessful. n

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[email protected] www.satravelcentre.com 011 616 7956

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We’ll negotiate the best deals available on your behalf, whilst you enjoy one of the most favourable incentive pay-out structures. If you want the assistance of a travel consortium that is going places, call South African Travel Centre now, and let us tell you how we can help your business take off.

Taking you further. Bringing you closer.

The lions have settled into their new home in iSimangaliso Wetland Park. Photo: iSimangaliso

QUICK READ FOR bUSIEST pEOpLE Wednesday January 22 2014 n 5

NEWS

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AirHeadsEY expands in Australia ETIHAD Airways will commence daily non-stop flights from Abu Dhabi to Perth, Western Australia, on July 15. An Airbus A330-200 with 22 seats in business class and 240 in economy class will operate the route. Etihad’s president and ce, James Hogan, says: “The new services will build the first ever commercial air bridge between Perth and Abu Dhabi and will cater for the growing demand for travel between these two points and beyond to Africa, the Middle East and Europe.” EY codeshares with Virgin Australia to Albany, Broome, Busselton, Derby, Esperance, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Kununurra, Karratha, Learmonth, Paraburdoo, Port Hedland, Ravensthorpe and Newman. The new Perth flights augment EY’s existing services to Australia – double-daily to Sydney in conjunction with Virgin Australia, and daily to Brisbane and Melbourne. In other news, the airline is to add three more destinations to its international network this year with daily services to Rome and Jaipur and four flights a week to Yerevan, Armenia. Jaipur flights will commence on April 1, Yerevan launches on July 2 and Rome flights start on July 15. The three new routes increase the airline’s worldwide network to 102 destinations.

UU cancels some JNB flightsAIR Austral has cancelled some flights between Réunion and Johannesburg. UU341/342 will be cancelled on February 2, 9, 13 and 20 as well as May 29 and June 5. UU manager in South Africa, Lenél Vining, says the cancellations are in line with its low season, where loads are not sufficient to operate profitably. UU342 will be cancelled on May 25 and UU341 will be cancelled on June 8. The May and June flight cancellations are due to aircraft maintenance.

A snapshot of the week's airline news Tourists overlook Moz in favour of MauritiusTessa Reed

INCREASED unrest, kidnappings and an attack on a tourist resort

have made Mozambique less attractive as a destination for tourists, say tour operators.

Earlier this month, IOL reported that armed robbers attacked guests at the Casa Lisa resort, 50km north of Maputo. One family of three managed to flee the resort but one woman was raped and other tourists were tied up and assaulted.

Last year, kidnappings targeting the children of wealthy local families and foreigners were reported alongside intensified clashes between rebel group Renamo and the army. Following these reports, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office issued an advisory against

all but essential travel to Sofala Province, with the exception of the provincial capital, Beira.

“We have had a couple of cancellations to coastal resorts based on an overall perception of safety and security in Mozambique,” said Craig Smith, founding director of New Frontiers Tours, adding that there were also a number of cancellations to Gorongosa after it was declared a no-go area.

“We have seen an increase in interest to Malawi and Mauritius as a result,” he said.

According to Craig, the company has seen fewer bookings for Mozambique over the last year. According to him, the reports of civil unrest, kidnappings and safety issues have negatively affected Mozambique as a destination. He said

other issues that had also had a negative impact included a lack of clarity on whether tourism visas could be acquired on arrival; the closure of a number of lodges in the Bazaruto/Benguerra area; and unreliable service from LAM, the national airline.

Barbara Kühn, gm of Mozambique Voyages, says the attack at Casa Lisa was an isolated incident that was not related to the current political unrest. She added that the country did not have a history of attacks on tourists.

Barbara said she had not had any cancellations for travel to Mozambique. However, she said reports of violence would impact tourism to the country in the long and short term. “Sadly this will also affect areas that are still perfectly safe for tourism.” n


NEWS

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Carnival launches new ‘fun ship’CARNIVAL Cruise Lines will launch the 3 006-passenger Carnival Splendor in November. It will offer seasonal Caribbean week-long cruises from Miami. Before its Miami deployment, Carnival Splendor will operate two eight-day cruises from New York to San Juan and from San Juan to Miami.

Live Loud Festival comes to NorwegianNORWEGIAN Cruise Line and Sixthman, organisers of music festivals at sea, are hosting a new festival cruising experience, the Live Loud Festival, from February 26 to March 2 on Norwegian Pearl. Former American Idol winner, Kris Allen, joins the line-up of bands and artists who will perform on the four-day cruise from Miami to Great Stirrup Cay and Grand Bahama Island. Activities will also include songwriter workshops, foodie experiences, wine and craft beer tastings, comedy shows and a variety of fitness classes, such as yoga classes taught by Miami-based Yogi, Amy Steiner.

MSC Opera to return for 2014/15 seasonMSC Cruises has announced that MSC Opera will return to South African waters for the 2014/15 cruising season. The ship will arrive on November 1 for an extended season. MSC Opera is scheduled to cruise the popular seven-night Durban, Portuguese Island, Anakoa, Fort Dauphin itinerary as well as an 11-night Réunion and Mauritius New Year itinerary. The ship will also undertake seven departures from Cape Town, including calls at Walvis Bay and Lüderitz. The company has also revealed a multimillion-euro investment programme for the MSC Lirica-class ships over the next two years.

DreamBoatsSend your cruising news to [email protected] tax hurts Zambia

Tessa Reed

THE implementation of a 16% VAT charge on all tourism activities has

created the perception that Zambia is less competitive and attractive as a destination.

Tourism products that were previously VAT zero-rated

are now subject to the 16% charge. These products include game viewing, canoeing, helicopter tours, boat cruising and other safari activities such as walking with lions. Bookings made prior to December 31 will not be subject to the VAT charge.

Last year, when the new charges were first published,

the trade appealed to the government to reconsider because of a likely negative impact on tourism.

Grant Cummings, owner of Chiawa Camp in the Lower Zambezi, says he has received only negative feedback after the tax was implemented on January 1. “Zambia’s loss will be someone else’s gain.” n

Premier plans Umhlanga hotelPREMIER Hotels and Resorts has announced plans to build a new hotel in Umhlanga, north of Durban.

The new hotel, which will be next to the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board, will comprise approximately 160

sea-facing rooms as well as conferencing, restaurant and spa facilities.

“This development is part of our strategy of identifying and expanding into key business nodes throughout the country,” said group md,

Samuel Nassimov. “Umhlanga as a location is ideal as it allows us the opportunity to not only service the business tourism market but the leisure market too.”

The property is currently in the design phase. n

Tourism Ireland reappoints DP DEVELOPMENT Promotions has been appointed to represent Tourism Ireland for another three years.

The company has

represented Tourism Ireland since the formation of the board in 2000. Jane Davidson, director of Development Promotions, said tourism from

South Africa to Ireland was on the increase and, in line with this demand, an innovative Ireland Specialist programme would launch this year. n

QUICK READ FOR bUSIESt pEOplE Wednesday January 22 2014 n 7

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Technology TraveL

The future is mobileMobile technology offers travel agents an opportunity to gain a competitive edge, reports Dorine Reinstein.

SMARTPHONES and tablets will be the key customer service tools

in the travel industry within five years according to the WTM Global Trends Report 2013, released in November last year. The evolution of mobile technology offers travel agents an opportunity to gain a competitive edge by personalising their service.

A focus for Travelport is expanding the ViewTrip mobile offering to give the traveller more real time information, says Matthew Powell, director of regional product for Middle East and Africa.

“This is valuable to the agent as it allows them to keep a connection with their traveller once they depart, which was difficult to achieve in the past.”

Md of Sabre in South Africa, Gary Broomberg, says: “With mobile, data analytics, personalisation, social networking,

cloud computing and other customer-focused technologies set to change the status quo, travel companies that embrace these new technologies will see healthy future growth.”

Clinton Arnot, head of online distribution at the Protea Hospitality Group, points out that mobile technology is regarded by many as the next significant global shift in business, not unlike the introduction of the Internet.

For the airlines, mobile technology has changed the way business is conducted. Elonka Reuss, Air Mauritius sales and marketing manager in SA, says today’s traveller wants everything instantly. “If he is sitting at a braai and thinks maybe he should fly to Mauritius, then he wants an MK app on his cellphone to enquire and book that very minute.” She says, in the future, boarding cards may become obsolete and travellers will check in

via smartphone. Thierry Parent, general

product manager for Go Travel Technologies, says the words ‘travel’ and ‘mobile’ are close companions. “Any travel revolves around knowing where you are, where you want to go and when you have to get there. The modern smartphone is ideal as it’s in your pocket, it’s a clock, GPS, calendar and travel app – it can help you in every way.” Thierry says technology provides possibilities for TMCs to offer increased tracking of information about the traveller. “As a result, the TMC can meet the traveller’s needs much more closely. Technology allows for customisation for each client’s needs,” he adds.

Wally Gaynor, md of Club Travel, says mobile technology has already significantly changed the way his company does business. “We have access

to a lot more information and it’s much easier than it was years ago to book and find product that suits our clients’ needs.” In the future he foresees yet more information at the user’s disposal, more enhanced systems, and more personalised searching based on clients’ lifestyle and interests.

Colette Groenewald of Quick Software in Cape Town, supplier of software to the travel trade, says South African travel agents have been slow to follow the mobile revolution. “I’m a bit surprised that more clients haven’t started to make use of our Webdocs and SMS products. They are paperless and accessible at any time, anywhere.” Colette says the days of travelling with stacks of paper are over and travel agencies will feel the pressure to offer travellers documentation in a paperless way.

“We have access to a lot more information and it’s much easier

than it was years ago to book and find product that suits our

clients’ needs.” Wally Gaynor To page 8


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How to engage with mobile technology...Create a company app

Use an automated SMS service

Make your website mobile-friendly

Several travel companies have created their own apps. Dinesh Naidoo, group operations director at SWG, says Serendipity Travel was one of the first to get an approved i-Store app launched. The app enables clients to book and pay for over 10 000 hotels online.

Thierry Parent says travel companies wanting to launch an app should design it as a companion or personal assistant. Apps must update travellers on travel arrangements, weather

problems, delayed flights, and deliver the right information at the right

time, such as an e-ticket at check-in time.

Peter Long, gm of Amadeus Southern Africa, says the ideal mobile app should be the best in its class, deliver added value compared with the thousands of other apps, be a natural extension of online, make travellers more efficient and effective ‘on the road’, reduce stress, save time and money, show timely and accurate information and be able to work on different operating systems.

The core functionality of a successful app can also be achieved by an automated SMS system, which works easily across all phones, according to Thierry. Go Travel Technology currently prefers automated SMS systems but the company does plan to create apps with features not possible through SMS.

He explains: “When an itinerary is on a mobile device there are fewer paper documents to carry. Using SMS alerts, passengers don’t need to remember to check their itinerary all the time. They

simply receive an SMS two hours before their flight with all the details, and again when they

check in at the hotel. The technology also offers a lot of data and reports. These are used not only to negotiate better fares but can also be used to look at trends.”

Colette Groenewald agrees. QuickTrav currently allows SMSing of vouchers to smartphones, allowing the user to view an image of the voucher on the go. In addition, the company’s web offering, called QuickTrav Webdocs, allows agencies and their clients to log in via their browser and view, print or report on their travel arrangements.

Instead of devoting time and resources to developing apps, numerous travel agencies have optimised their existing websites to be more

mobile friendly. Club Travel is one example. Collin Austin says: “A lot of travel agencies are chasing an app without knowing what they want that app to do.

We have decided not to go that route and instead to start rendering our website to make it mobile-friendly. That has more value than having an actual app.”

Collin Austin, technology champion at Club Travel, says take-up of mobile technology is sometimes hampered by some major stumbling blocks. Internationally, users of company-owned cellphones are often barred from downloading unapproved software. “If travellers are not allowed to download our app, what’s the use of producing an app?”

Club Travel offers travellers an itinerary by SMS service. This, however, is limited to pre-trip communication, as high roaming charges stand in the way of adequate communication during the client’s trip, as most tend to switch to a local SIM card while abroad.

Mobile network companies such as Vodacom have recognised the crippling effect of roaming charges and are addressing these challenges.

Vodacom recently launched Vodacom Travel Saver, a product to help contract customers manage their roaming spend. The new service has a daily subscription fee of R30 and offers a flat-rate fee of R2 per MB used, R2,50 per minute for calls and R0,80 per SMS.

Spokesperson for Vodacom, Richard Boorman, says: “Mobile technology is a convenient way of keeping

travel agents and their clients connected but wildly varying costs and the threat of an unexpected bill can put people off. With Vodacom Travel Saver we’re aiming to make roaming charges transparent and manageable.”

Penetration of smartphone technology is another obstacle in South Africa. Melissa Storey, executive head: strategy, development and marketing at First Car Rental, explains: “Although we have approximately 128% mobile phone penetration in South Africa there is a huge difference between rural and urban usage and the type of phone technology differs greatly. Smartphone ownership plus data usage, both of which are very expensive in South Africa, keep mobile rental bookings in our industry very low in comparison to developed countries.”

Melissa adds that, despite the stumbling blocks, 60% of urban cellular users in SA have phones that can browse the Internet and 21% use this form of mobile Internet access.

Over 3,7 million adults access their financial accounts via their cellphones, and this number has more than doubled since 2010, giving an indication of mobile technology growth, she says.

The future is mobileFrom page 7

Colette Groenewald

Dinesh Naidoo

Technology Travel

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Apps from the GDSs“Why reinvent the wheel?” says Collin Austin. He believes GDSs offer some of the best apps already. Here’s a brief look at some of the latest products.

Amadeus CheckMyTrip is a personalised online portal that allows customers to view both itinerary and relevant destination details. Travel agents can direct their customers to the site and provide them with all the information they need before their trip, as well as extra services during and after a trip.

With this tool, travel agents can instantly deliver real-time travel details (including an e-ticket number) to their clients,

which is more efficient than having to edit an email or draft a fax. Customers can also be redirected to the airline website to finalise their online check-in. The travel agency’s logo appears as the booking office, and a simple click allows customers to respond with an email or to access the website. CheckMyTrip further allows the traveller to add personal annotations, such as making a note of a good restaurant.

Matthew Powell says Travelport already provides agents with tools they can give to their clients to enable them to book and review itineraries.

According to Matthew, Travelport is focused on linking the content contained within the PNR/itinerary with the current location of travellers to ensure a solution that provides them with relevant information on that location, along with their future travel plans.

“Mobile apps such as ViewTrip allow the travel agent to keep a relationship with the

traveller, both pre-trip, during and post-trip.”

Travelport follows strict guidelines with regard to personal information. ViewTrip mobile is focused on pushing information to the traveller and not sharing the traveller’s information.

Travelport’s ViewTrip

Sabre Red App Centre

Amadeus – CheckMyTrip

According to Gary Broomberg, Sabre has invested significantly in developing innovative products based on the latest tech trends. Many of these are available through the Sabre Red App Centre,

a B2B app marketplace. There is a wide range of apps to select from for integration into the agent’s personal workspace. Available both free and at a cost, they simplify workflow, enhance traveller services and bring value to the point of sale.

Since November last year, Sabre also offers an app for iPad, Sabre Red Mobile Workspace. This gives agents access to this marketplace from home or wherever they are. Their workspace on their PC at the office is synchronised with the workspace on iPad.

In terms of mobility, another product featured is TripCase, a travel itinerary management app for clients. TripCase will instantly update changes in the PNR for any trip booked through the Sabre Red Workspace. It provides a self-service platform where agencies can manage their traveller messages at any time during the trip. TripCase also allows for brand image building and travel companies can add their logo to messages.

Technology TRAVel

Challenges and opportunities in 2014ADOPTION of new technologies has been identified by Robyn Christie, gm Southern Africa of Travelport, as one of the biggest challenges facing the travel industry in 2014. The implementation of any training plans to accommodate this is imperative, she says.

“The customer will continue to determine the future trends of the travel industry and, with the economy improving, we will see them slowly begin recruiting new resources,” she adds. New staff are likely to come from a pool of younger talent, or ‘millennials’, to whom the use of smartphones, tablets and travel apps appeal.

Another topic expected to be much debated this year is the buying power struggle between the customer, the TMC and the supplier.

“This will overshadow the real challenge we are facing, which is increasing the size of the market altogether,” says Robyn.

“For too long this industry

has relied on a relatively small market, which is excessively price-sensitive. As a result, instead of introducing new travellers to the concept of taking holidays instead of leave, all that has happened is we have discounted the price of travel to those who can afford it.”

Africa’s forecasted growth and allied growth in travel will be noticeable in 2014, says Amadeus’s Peter Long.

The discovery of new minerals and the expansion

of mining industries is seeing large global corporations setting up on the continent, fleeing downturn economies in First World countries.

Peter predicts the following: Travel in general will pick up,

showing growth of 7%-9%; Business travellers and

corporations will demand more online travel management;

Leisure travellers will expect ‘destination services’ from their travel agents, such as access to activities;

Travel agents will require more choices of solutions throughout the whole travel agent workflow process – front, mid and back;

Travel agents will require access to more non-traditional content such as guesthouses and destination services;

Travel agents will need solutions to manage travel content owned by corporations, such as company-owned aircraft, guesthouses and buses.

Robyn Christie

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What do business travellers want? AMADEUS recently conducted a study, ‘Adding value at-destination for the end traveller’, to determine what mobile services travellers value most at destination. The study covered 1 636 respondents from eight countries.

Seventy percent of business travellers surveyed had travel apps on their smartphones, 82% used at least one travel app during their last trip, and 64% preferred to access travel services through mobile apps rather than mobile web.

Peter Long said the study showed that business travellers used

their personal or company smartphones to assist them during their trips. They were most interested in mobile services that were related to flight and airport services, such as lost baggage, delay vouchers, online check-in and itinerary management.

TMCs ranked emergency services first. The survey revealed that, for this group, the importance of human interaction and the expertise of the human counsellor could not be underestimated when developing mobile solutions.

Expense management services were ranked least important across all the respondents.

Mobile boosts First Car Rental’s efficiencyFIRST Car Rental has two mobile technologies at present, the Show & Go Mobile Checkout app, and the First Car Rental City Guide.

The Rental Show & Go Mobile Checkout feature is a time-saving, convenient check-out facility for those who want to avoid queues and paperwork. Clients can go from airport arrivals straight to their rental car. A staff member using a handheld mobile checkout device will allow

clients making use of the Show & Go to check out in less than a minute.

Melissa Storey says the Mobile Checkout facility has boosted the company’s efficiency and service levels to the corporate sector.

“The important aspect of mobile technology is that it needs to simplify and enhance and be able to do this with ease, speed and accuracy. For us, it is also the start of things to come.”

Travel Counsellors seals Travelport dealHilka Birns

A RECENTLY announced global GDS agreement between Travelport and Travel Counsellors is the single largest contract ever signed globally by the travel home-working giant, says Travel Counsellors SA gm, Mladen Lukic.

He declines to comment on the value of the five-year deal except to say that it is “substantial” and that it is the result of a joint decision by all TC offices worldwide following a 12-month evaluation of all GDS competitors in all seven world markets where TC operates. It involves the customisation of Travelport’s latest version of SmartPoint desktop and Mobile Agent to suit TC agents’ personalised service and flexible working model and the “concierge travel” philosophy of the company.

The deal clincher, says Mladen, was that TC had a say

and was able to influence the tailor-made solution offered by Travelport.

He says the agreement puts TC in a unique position globally as it seamlessly integrates full Travelport content into TC’s own dynamic packaging system and gives TC agents access to all Travelport’s pricing and a huge number of value-added products. The system update will happen automatically. Any training required will be integrated into the basic training of new TCs.

Travelport SA head of business development, Marco Cristofoli, says the customisation was made possible by the size of TC’s global operation. He says while the deal doesn’t increase Travelport’s current 62% SA market share “it gives us the opportunity to continue our long-term partnership and gives us a unique advantage globally and in South Africa, which is a very important market for us”.

Marco Cristofoli (left) and Mladen Lukic, celebrate their five-year global GDS agreement. Photo: Hilka Birns

Melissa Storey

Technology TRavel

City Lodge Hotel Group has increased complimentary WiFi availability at its hotels. Since January 1, the group now offers one hour of complimentary WiFi access per day at its Courtyard, City Lodge and Town Lodge brands. It also now offers 30 minutes of complimentary WiFi access at its Road Lodge brand.

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Air Mauritius takes to social mediaAIR Mauritius has announced that it is now officially present on social media and will be engaging with customers on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. The airline will be running competitions and promotions across all channels to engage travellers.

Air Mauritius has also

launched a blog, titled ‘Made in Mauritius’, in which the airline aims to tell people about authentic Mauritian experiences.

Technology TrAvel

QuickTrav takes management mobileNEWS from QuickTrav is that the development of a ‘Management Snapshot Dashboard’, which travel agents will be able to use on their mobile phones or tablets, is under way. It will make viewing sales figures or checking on specific clients possible from a smartphone or tablet.

This year QuickTrav will introduce new features that include:

Interfacing to third-party systemsPowerful interface mechanisms (xml/web services/other) between QuickTrav and third-party front-end systems will allow QuickTrav software to be tightly and seamlessly integrated into third-party front-end functionality. This will create a better workflow and less data capture. It will be possible, for example, to import an

XML file from the booking engine and then generate an invoice and e-mail it directly to the client.

QuickTrav CoreQuickTrav will continue to evolve its core modules with emphasis on using pure structured query language (SQL) where possible for more speed. SQL is a special-purpose programming language designed for managing data held in a relational

database management system (RDBMS).

VouchersQuickTrav’s new, expanded voucher module will combine the current accommodation vouchers and car hire with added functionality, giving tighter integration between vouchers and invoicing. Colette Groenewald says: “The travel industry has become a very fast-paced, high-pressured environment where agencies have to compete with mobile products allowing travellers to do their own reservations. Our challenge is to help the travel agent be as efficient as possible, quote or do the reservation and deliver it to their client in the fastest possible way, thereby not losing the sale because users can do it themselves.” n

“The travel industry has become a

very fast-paced, high-pressured

environment where agencies have to

compete with mobile products allowing

travellers to do their own reservations.”

QUICK READ FOR bUSIESt pEOplE Wednesday January 22 2014 n 15

JOBSCOMMUNITYNEWSBirths, deaths, marriages, promotions – we want to know! Please fax or e-mail TNW’s Mandy Watson, at [email protected] or (011) 327 4094.

Appointments

Did you know that the 2 sundecks at the

Royal Livingstone provides a spectacular view of the mist

of the Victoria Falls?

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SENIOR TOUR CONSULTANT – Kempton ParkInbound knowledge.Knowledge of Southern Africa.Tourplan.Salary: R15 000 p/m ctc. Nono

GROUPS TRAVEL CONSULTANT – JHB NorthGroups/incentive exp.Tourplan.Salary: R10 000- R15 000 p/m ctc. Nono

FIT/GROUPS CONSULTANT – JHB NorthKnowledge of & travelled to East Africa.5+ yrs exp.Amadeus/Galileo.Salary: R8 500-R18 000 p/m. Jean

SENIOR TRAVEL CONSULTANT – JHB CBDAmadeus.International Travel exp.Handle all VIP clients.Salary: R15 000 - R18 000 p/m ctc. Medical & Provident. Jean

LEISURE TRAVEL CONSULTANT – Kwa- Zulu Natal & GeorgeInternational Travel exp.18+ months exp.Salary: R6 000 – R9 000 p/m ctc. Candice

INCENTIVE TRAVEL CONSULTANT – Pretoria3+ yrs exp. as an Incentive Travel Consultant.Galileo. Salary: R24 000 p/m neg. Candice

E mail: [email protected] | [email protected] | [email protected] Web: www.pcs-sa.co.za

Pick of the week

These adverts were selected from the vacancy section of www.travelinfo.co.za For more details contact [email protected]

brought to you by

TNW

6981

Qualified Accountant – BraamfonteinIndaba Global TravelAccountant with a Diploma. Email: [email protected]

Junior Consultant – BraamfonteinIndaba Global TravelJunior Consultant. Email: [email protected]

Secretary – CPTQuantex Recruitment GroupLooking for a WoW boss who sets trends & is customer centric? Ability to work independently, type 55wpm & manage office in absence of Director required.Email: [email protected]

Secretary to CEO – StellenboschQuantex Recruitment GroupDynamic, career orientated & 5+ years’ experience in the hospitality / tours industry in a similar position. Advanced Excel & PowerPoint exp. Email: [email protected]

Branch Manager – SandtonInfusion ConsultingStaff management, client and contract management, monitor profitability. 10 years consulting experience + 3 years’ in a Management Role - Galileo. R neg / Avail : ASAP. Email: [email protected]

Operation Manager – PretoriaInfusion ConsultingStaff and Operational Management Role, ensure smooth running of branches, recruitment, handle supplier contracts. 10 years consulting (Galileo) + 5 Management. Avail : ASAP. Email: [email protected]

Tour Manager – RivoniaProfessional Career ServicesWell established inbound tour operator. German (speak, read & write) essential –be responsible for the German market. Knowledge of Southern Africa. FIT & Groups. Oversee 3 consultants. Email: [email protected]

Travel Advisor – Gauteng/Cape/KZNPentravelWrite your own salary cheque and develop an exciting, and rewarding career working for Pentravel. Package includes incentives, ed allowances, medical aid and more. Email: [email protected]

Sales Exec – SandtonLee Botti & AssociatesEnjoy a combination of new business & servicing of existing corporates. Highly professional, well established TMC! Competitive offer. Email: [email protected] Inbound Reservations Consultant – KZNLee Botti & AssociatesWork in busy, fun office environment! Your African and Indian market experience opens the door.Email: [email protected]

Intermediate & Senior Consultants – Gauteng – Randburg – RetailWendy’s Travel Personnel Excellent opportunities with market leader for your corporate travel experience!! Corporate Hours - No Saturdays - Galileo. Email: [email protected]

In-Bound Consultant – SandtonEquity Connections ccImpress with sound knowledge of South/Southern/West Africa, creative itinerary design and in-depth understanding of quotation processes. Email: [email protected]

Senior Consultant – JohannesburgEquity Connections ccSenior position for corporate expert with extensive International know-how, sound understanding of Fares and leisure spin-off experience. Email: [email protected]

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Top jobs in Cape Town this week:German FIT Cons Luxury T/O req Southern Africa specialist to join energetic team. Sal R 17 000 + comm.

Online Consultant Online wizard with SA product knowledge needed for city based T/O. Sal R16 000 +

Senior Groups Cons Creative South & East Africa fundi will excel in this role. Join renowned T/O & create magical getaways for int’l clients. Sal from R 13000 +

Interm Corp Cons Great opp to join buzzing retail office. Your knowl of domestic /regional bookings on Galileo will be rewarded. Sal from R 9000 +

Temps! You are in demand! Your choice of long / short term assign in exchange for your min 2 yrs exp. Competitive rates.

Call Malika: 021 418 1084 | [email protected]

n Debra Sivertsen has been appointed general manager of Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront in Cape Town.

Then and now…Where are they now – those industry stalwarts who played a pivotal role in travel but have moved on or retired? Write to TNW and let us know…

THOMAS Zilk, previously gm for Southern Africa of Austrian Airlines, and Izy Etkin, previously gm for Sabena Airlines, met each other 20 years ago at the yield improvement meetings, started by SAA in 1992. Today, they are still close friends who meet for coffee often to talk about how the industry was in the good old days.

“When I saw Izy the first time at the end of ’92, I knew immediately that we would become friends and, at the same time, serious competitors on the marketing and pricing front,” says Thomas.

He explains that while he couldn’t compete with Sabena Airlines’ offers of free televisions and washing machines for a business class ticket, Izy could not compete with the legendary Austrian Airlines’ travel agent parties that included themes such as Wild West, Mafia and Rock ’n Roll.

“Now Sabena is gone and so is Austrian Airlines but we are still here and our smiles are still the same, despite the fact that our beards got grey,” says Thomas.

Thomas now owns City Watch International, a corporate watch company, and Box Genie, an industrial packaging supply company. He is also chairman of the Austrian Business Chamber. Izy is a director at Wings Travel Management.

Do you know of any industry stalwarts who we should feature in TNW? Write to [email protected] and let us know.

Now: Izy Etkin (left) and Thomas Zilk often meet for coffee to catch up on old times.Then: Thomas Zilk (left) and Izy Etkin in 2000.

Now Then


TNW NEWS

eTNW and TRAVELINFO

brought to you by

To sponsor this poll contact Kate on 011 214 7334

or e-mail [email protected]

To the point

Moz tourism takes a diveHave you noticed a decline in travel to Mozambique among your clients due to unrest?

Yes 59%

No 41%

Airline seating rules upset agents

entertainment?” Inge Beadle of Corporate

Travel Services agrees: “Has air travel become such a moneymaking racket that now the seat that you paid for with your already high fuel surcharge has to be paid for again with another fee?”

Anna says: “Virgin Atlantic will ensure that children

under 12 will always be seated with one of their parents. However, if families want to guarantee seats together for their whole party they would need to pay for seats via the website.”

Agents argue that airlines can make money by charging for special seats such as exit seats or bulkhead seats but charging

for regular seats is taking things too far. One agent illustrated the situation by saying: “I have just quoted a flight from Durban to London on Virgin for R13 899 in the so called cheap seats. Now I have to advise the client to take her chances at check-in or pay another R880 to sit in the sardine can. Seriously, are these seats worth the extra R880?” n

Win with WLH!World Leisure Holidays is offering agents an incentive to book and spend five nights at the five-star Long Beach Hotel in Mauritius on a half-board basis. Five bookings secure your complimentary stay and with an extra three bookings you can bring your spouse and/or any children sharing. Bookings must be travelled by March 31. Racing to win are World Leisure Holidays gm, Johann Strydom and national sales manager, Cathie Bester. Photo: Shannon Van Zyl

From page 1

UK airport tariffs drop but little relief for paxDorine reinstein

THE UK Civil Aviation Authority announced last week that it would reduce

airport charges at Heathrow by1,5% per year between 2014 and 2019 but industry players say it is unlikely to bring any relief for travellers.

The CAA said passengers would benefit from lower prices and high service standards. This is in sharp contrast with its previous announcement in October, which suggested airport tariffs would rise in

line with inflation. Dame Deirdre Hutton, chair

of the CAA, said: “Today’s decisions are good news for air passengers. They will see prices fall while still being able to look forward to high service standards thanks to a robust licensing regime.”

But the reduction in charges is a far cry from what is needed to mitigate the steep price increases customers have seen at Heathrow in the last few years, says Craig Kreeger, ce of Virgin Atlantic. “Prices at Heathrow are already triple the level

they were 10 years ago and, coupled with ever-increasing Air Passenger Duty, customers flying to and from the UK are facing some of the highest travelling charges in the world.”

Craig says an improvement of the passenger experience at Heathrow could also have been achieved with a more significant reduction in charges. “We will be carefully considering our right to appeal on behalf of our passengers, who will ultimately pay the price for the CAA’s decision,” he said. n

Director of ATL Tours behind barsDorine reinstein

AHMeD Talaat, director and chairman of ATL Tours, has been arrested on charges of ‘theft and fraud’ and is being held in custody.

Over 40 customers came forward late last year to open cases of fraud against ATL Tours, demanding money for unconfirmed travel packages they had fully paid for, while others were stranded abroad, unable to get back home.

Andre van Wyk, senior investigator at Forensic Data Solutions, a small, private financial crimes investigations company, told TNW Ahmed

was arrested on the evening of January 8 in the Rosebank area after a tip-off.

Ahmed had his first appearance in the Johannesburg Magistrates Court on Friday, January 10. His attorney was informed that he would not be granted bail at this stage. Ahmed’s next court appearance was due on Friday, January 17 in the same court and the state was opposing bail again, due to the fact that Ahmed was considered a flight risk, confirmed Andre.

He added that it appeared Ahmed had moved money overseas and his accounts in SA had been frozen. n

CWT makes cutsnatasha tippel

CARLSON Wagonlit South Africa has made staff cuts, retrenching over 30 employees including key management, as part of the BidTravel Group’s strong

push to move online. Md of BidTravel, Allan

Lunz, denied rumours that there had been mass resignations.

He confirmed to TNW that CWT SA was undergoing a realignment

and restructuring. “We’re tightening our belts and reducing head count in line with our online strategy, particularly in the Johannesburg area. There’s nothing to be alarmed about,” he said. n

Effective January 12, British Airways (operated by Comair) Groups will no longer accept VMPDs for payment for group bookings. A refund must be submitted for any VMPDs for use after January 31. Agents are reminded that ticketing is to take place six weeks prior to departure. Ticketing is within 24 hours for bookings made within four weeks of departure. Change fees are to be collected as an OD tax.

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