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Medway Travel Business eNews
-February 2007-
Welcome to the February 2007 edition of the Medway Travel Business email newsletter.
This newsletter is available on free subscription only and is our way of keeping you informed about developments in the business travel industry, as well as explaining how our services may be of benefit to you and your organisation.
In this issue:
- Subscribers Prize Draw
- Virgin offers many extras
- Leisure Club for Clients’ staff to be launched
- Airlines' route additions and changes
- Chicago becomes Virgin Atlantic's 10th US gateway
- Oasis Hong Kong gains right to fly over Russia
- BA trims fuel surcharge
- EasyJet adds Gatwick routes next summer
- International Trade Fairs
- BA unveils new Club World
- Heathrow to London – Cheaper by Rail
- InterContinental launches new prototype
- Specially Negotiated Fares
- BA hits back at Heathrow charge hike plans
- Trains taking on low cost carriers
- Revolutionary new payment process
Highlights from our Leisure Travel newsletter:
- Fancourt (Golfing) Resort, South Africa
- BA forced to do U-turn on Baggage policy
- Overseas Property
Click here to read more of our Leisure Travel newsletter
Subscribers Prize Draw
Every quarter we draw a winning name. The odds are far better than winning the lottery, so anyone who has not subscribed to our free eNews, now is the time to be in with a chance of winning the subscribers' prize draw for the 1st quarter 2007!
The voucher certificate will have a value of £100, redeemable against any form of holiday booking (combination of travel and accommodation) made through us to the value of £500 or more, and will be valid for a period of 18 months from the date of issue. It will be transferable, providing the winner advises Medway Travel of the name of the eventual recipient.
From a City break to a Cruise, from an all-inclusive package to a tailored holiday, the choice is yours. We have a massive range of outstanding holidays to offer and a team of consultants highly qualified to research and advise on all aspects of your trip. The chances of your being the lucky winner in the next 12 months are better than 1 in 500, so the very best of luck!
Virgin offers many extras
Virgin
The award winning Upper Class cabin and the biggest fully flat bed in business is only the tip of what an Upper Class ticket gives you. When you fly Virgin Atlantic Upper Class you get first class service from door to door, with
- Complimentary ground transfers
- Drive Thru Check In
- Stylish Clubhouses, beauty therapy treatments
- The Freedom Menu
- A fantastic amenity kit to help ease you to your destination.
Just look at the comparison with other airlines and see if you can spot why Virgin Atlantic is so popular!
Upper Class
Airline Four free chauffeur driven car transfers* London Drive Thru Check In Lounge with salon ** Onboard massage *** Heathrow Arrivals lounge
Virgin Atlantic Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Business (comparable) class in other airlines
British Airways No No Yes No Yes
South African Airways No No No No No
American Airlines No No No No Yes
United Airlines No No No No Yes
Delta Air Lines No No No No N/A
US Airways No No No No N/A
Continental Airlines Yes No No No N/A
All Nippon Airways No No No No No
Cathay Pacific No No No No Yes****
Japanese Airlines No No No No No
- Ground transfers at most destinations and available with most Upper Class fares. Restrictions apply. Travel Upper Class with Virgin Atlantic and the service begins from the moment you leave your home or office.
We can arrange for our complimentary chauffeur driven car service to collect you from work or home. We'll also meet your flight at the other end and take you to your hotel or office. If time is vital you could opt for our LimoBike service from Central London and the Home Counties to Heathrow or Gatwick. Or relax at our expense on the Heathrow Express or Gatwick Express train service.
** Virgin Touch health and beauty salon available at London Heathrow and London Gatwick. British Airways salon only at London Heathrow.
*** On flights from London Heathrow.
**** Shared access to American Airlines arrivals lounge.
(Information correct at time of publication)
So we would suggest you try Virgin Atlantic for your next trip if our consultants advise that the fare is advantageous for you. You only have something to gain!
Ask our consultants to pre-book your long stay airport parking. We can obtain better rates, whether it is for meet and greet or DIY parking,
Leisure Club for Clients’ staff to be launched
Medway Leisure
Medway Travel will shortly be launching a new leisure Travel Club with free membership for the staff of our corporate clients.
We plan to roll out the launch over a few months to ensure that the administration of enrolment for the staff of each corporate client is hassle-free.
The club will operate on the principle that the more a member spends on holidays (that include both travel and accommodation) in a 12 month period, the greater the benefits will be for that member during the ensuing 12 months.
Members will receive one point for every pound spent on qualifying holidays and the benefits will also only apply to such holidays.
Bronze membership will automatically be given for the first holiday booked with Medway Travel, and the membership year will commence from the first travel date.
On completion of the holiday that gives a member a cumulative total of 2500 points in that membership year, the member will be eligible in the following membership year for an upgrade to Silver Membership, 7500 points Gold, and for 15000 points VIP Membership.
Benefits of membership shall apply to the member and one spouse/companion travelling with the member, and will be applied to all qualifying holidays invoiced during the period for which that grade of membership is held.
Should a member not book qualifying holidays with Medway Travel of a sufficient value to maintain or enhance their membership grade, then their membership grade will drop one level for each membership year for which this applies.
If a Member recommends any family or friends to book a holiday through Medway Travel then they will receive 500 points as a bonus on completion of that holiday.
Points are only used to qualify for a particular grade of membership, and are not transferable, nor redeemable for cash.
Each member will receive our Leisure Club eNews on a monthly basis as well as the benefits detailed below:
- Bronze - 2% discount on holiday bookings.
- Silver –4% discount on holiday bookings, plus free holiday insurance.
- Gold – As for Silver, plus free airport parking upgrade from standard to Meet & Greet, at the UK airport of departure*.
- VIP – As for Gold, plus free executive lounge at UK airport of departure*.
- In each case this benefit is limited to 3 occasions only in the membership grade year, and if it is not available, a £30 voucher will be issued for use on a future holiday within 12 months of its issue.
Whilst members will be encouraged to discuss their holiday ideas with our specialist leisure travel consultants, over the ‘phone, the membership administrative systems rely upon members accepting that its administration will only be conducted by email.
Medway Leisure Travel reserves the right to withdraw club benefits on giving twelve months notice.
Any change of address / email address must be advised immediately.
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We hope that clients’ staff will welcome the personal and dedicated attention our consultants will give, and the excellent value that our research will result in, to say nothing of the added membership benefits that they will earn.
If you wish us to enrol your staff as a priority, please let us know, and we will gladly give your company priority in the roll-out programme.
Airlines’ route additions and changes
Virgin
Chicago becomes Virgin Atlantic's 10th US gateway
Virgin Atlantic is extending its transatlantic network with daily flights to Chicago.
The airline is to launch the service from Heathrow on April 23, making Chicago its 10th US gateway and its 28th destination worldwide. This, together with a second daily flight between Heathrow and Washington being introduced for the summer from April 24th, will increase Virgin’s capacity to the US by around 15%.
The Chicago service will be operated by an Airbus A340-300. This will be configured with 34 Upper Class Suites, 35 Premium Economy seats and 171 economy seats. Passengers on the new route will have use of the airline's new Premium Economy seat and service onboard by the end of June.
Virgin Atlantic chairman Sir Richard Branson said: "We can't wait to fly to Chicago, the third biggest destination to the US from London, with nearly 2 million passengers travelling between the two cities each year."
Our consultants will, of course, include this new option when researching travel to Chicago for you from 23rd April onwards.
Oasis Hong Kong gains right to fly over Russia
Low fare long haul carrier Oasis Hong Kong Airlines is reducing flight times between London and Hong Kong after winning the right to overfly Russia.
The airline was granted permission by the Federal Air Navigation Authority in Russia to fly in Russian airspace, reducing the flying time to 10 hours 50 minutes from Gatwick and to 12 hours 20 minutes on the return, depending on prevailing weather conditions.
Oasis, which has taken delivery of a second ex-Singapore Airlines Boeing 747-400, claims 73% average passenger load factors on the London route in November, exceeding its expectations.
The airline plans to launch flights from Hong Kong to Oakland, California during the next six months, followed by Cologne/Bonn, Milan, Berlin and Chicago.
The company is "actively seeking" to acquire up to five aircraft a year and expand its fleet to 25 aircraft by 2010.
The creation of new airlines and setting up of new routes by them and many long established airlines means that researching your own long-haul travel can take a lot of your valuable time and may result in your paying well over the odds. Medway Travel has the technology and experienced consultants to do this research very thoroughly and quickly, often finding fares in our own specially negotiated fares programme, that are not generally available. So do contact us to make sure you get the best deal for your next trip.
BA trims fuel surcharge
BA
The fuel surcharge on British Airways long haul flights of less than nine hours duration, has been cut by £5 to £30.
Falling oil prices have prompted the reduction but the fee remains at £35 per flight sector on longer range services to reflect the high fuel consumption, BA said.
The short haul fuel surcharge has also remained unchanged at £8 per sector or £16 return.
The airline's commercial director Robert Boyle said: "The cost of oil has reduced in recent weeks and therefore we believe that it is right that our customers benefit from lower prices on shorter flights.
"Reducing the fuel surcharge on some of our long haul flights means that the amount customers pay better reflects the cost of fuel to BA for their specific flight.
"Despite the recent drop in oil price, our fuel costs remain a real burden. It is our second largest cost after employee costs."
easyJet adds Gatwick routes next summer
easyJet will be expanding its schedules next summer with a daily service from Gatwick to Palermo and Pisa.
The budget carrier is also raising the frequency of Luton-Ibiza flights from weekly to daily from May 25.
The Gatwick-Pisa flights start on April 3 and Gatwick-Palermo on June 18 with tickets starting at £27.99 one-way including taxes.
These are in addition to new regional departures from Edinburgh, Belfast, Newcastle and Bristol previously announced by the airline.
EasyJet will offer a network of 92 routes to 57 destinations from its three London bases in Summer 2007 – Gatwick (35 routes), Luton (32 routes) and Stansted (25 routes).
Medway Travel has the very latest technology and system enabling our consultants to spot whenever a new No-Frills route is available anywhere in the world, so to ensure you get the best and most recent review of options, always contact our consultants before booking your trips.
International Trade Fairs
The following are some of the more significant trade fairs taking place at the start of 2007. If you wish to attend, then please contact us and we will be happy to arrange your trip. On the other hand, you may prefer to try to avoid the host cities during these fairs, as they will inevitably be more crowded than usual!
In general, we will be able to obtain better deals for you on airfares and hotel accommodation, the earlier you decide to attend such events.
Australia - Sydney - CBIT: 1st - 3rd May 2007
China - Guangzhou - INTERZUM; 27th - 30th March 2007
China - Shanghai - SEMICON CHINA: 21st - 23rd March, 2007
Germany – Dusseldorf – GDS: 9th – 11th March, 2007
Hong Kong - GIFTS AND PREMIUM: 28th April - 1st May 2007
India - New Delhi - HOSPIMEDICA: 9th – 11th March, 2007
India - New Delhi - BUILD EXPO '07: 24th - 26th March 2007
Malaysia – Kuala Lumpur – MPLAS: 29th March – 1st April, 2007
Russia – Moscow – SHK : 28th May – 31st May, 2007
Singapore - MTA 2007: 28th - 31st March 2007
Singapore - AUTOMATION 2007; 28th - 31st March 2007
Singapore - SEMICON: 8th - 10th May 2007
Tanzania - Dar Es Salaam - EATIF - 20th - 3rd April, 2007
Thailand – Bangkok – PACKPRINT: 26th – 29th April, 2007
U.A.E. – Dubai – GULF PRINT: 2nd April – 5th April, 2007
If you or your colleagues have plans to visit any overseas trade fair in the future, please contact us as soon as possible about your arrangements for travel and accommodation, as the earlier we can make the bookings for you, the lower will be the cost of the airfares, and the greater the selection of hotel accommodation. We would also suggest you take a look at our website Trade Fairs page from time to time, to help with your forward planning.
Also, don't forget, if there are a number of you travelling together, there are major savings possible for groups of 9 or more, when we negotiate group rates with the airlines. Click here to see more about our Group travel services.
BA unveils new Club World
BA has unveiled its new-look Club World, boasting the widest seat on offer and looking and feeling more like the First Class of less than 10 years ago. The new and very much upgraded business class product has a seat width of 25.25" (64cm), over 5" wider than its predecessor.
For the first time it features what the airline calls the "Z" position, supporting the knees and back in a seated recline. This gives a total length of 78" (198cm), again a considerable gain on the current offering.
Better privacy
Perhaps the most obvious improvement is the privacy screen. Gone is the fan-like contraption, replaced with an electronically controlled partition.
You can either speak to your neighbour or completely disregard them.
BA has also upgraded the in-flight entertainment (IFE) offering in all classes for its long haul fleet. Supplied by Rockwell Collins the new IFE offers a full video on-demand facility with interactive control. The system boasts the ability to run over 200 entertainment choices, with 100 films and TV programmes, 70 CDs and 20 games as well as radio channels and audio books.
Club kitchen
In addition, BA has dropped its current between-meals concept in favour of Club Kitchen, which offers a range of food including sandwiches, wraps, bite-size cakes, crisps and a bar selection in a stand-up area of the galley. It will also offer hot snacks from early 2007.
BA CEO, Willie Walsh, said "British Airways set the industry benchmark with the launch of the first flat bed for business customers in 2000. We are giving our customers what they want - not gimmicks and gadgets - but an environment that is comfortable, flexible and private, with service that anticipates their every need."
Heathrow to London – Cheaper by Rail
Getting to Heathrow from Paddington has suddenly become cheaper.
Until now there hasn't been much of a price difference between the fares charged by Heathrow Connect (a semi-fast service operating every 30 mins to Terminals 1,2 and 3) and Heathrow Express (a non-stop service every 15 mins serving all the terminals).
When Heathrow Connect was launched in 2005 the one-way fare was £9.50 as against the £14 charged by Heathrow Express. Most travellers didn't consider this to be a big enough saving to switch trains, bearing in mind Heathrow Connect's longer journey time (28 mins as against 15 mins) and its less frequent service.
But now that Heathrow Connect has begun pricing more aggressively you may be more tempted to change.
Heathrow Connect has reduced its fares to £6.90 one-way and £12.90 return with a day return offered for £11.90. At the same time, Heathrow Express has raised fares to £15.50 and £29 respectively (they do offer a £16 day return although certain time restrictions apply).
A spokesperson for both train services denied that Heathrow Connect was starting a price war. "Heathrow Express is being targeted at business people while we view Heathrow Connect as a more family-friendly way of getting to the airport," he said.
Be that as it may, Heathrow Connect is quite suitable for business people provided they stick to its schedules and don't mind making five stops en route. There is no sacrifice in comfort as both services use state-of-the-art Siemens' rolling stock.
If you are travelling to Heathrow from London, by train, ask our consultants to book your tickets for you on whichever of these service you feel suits you best. If you are going by road, we have a number of time-saving or stress reducing options and we’d be pleased quote for them.
These include:
- Meet-and-greet car parking (becoming much more popular)
- Taxi or car from home or the office
- Airport hotel plus hotel car park for the duration of your trip.
InterContinental launches new prototype
Intercontinental Hotels has launched a new prototype for its Crowne Plaza brand – one which is focused on providing meetings facilities for the business traveller.
Designed to meet the needs of the emerging marketplace, the prototype is based on research conducted by the company from meeting planners and guests. The emphasis is on:
Flexibility
“While traditional meetings that occur in our designated meeting space are critical, guests also desire the flexibility and control to conduct business throughout all areas of the hotel, both formally and informally," said Kevin Kowalski, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts' Vice President, brand management. "We leveraged this customer insight to make the public space design modern, efficient and relevant to today’s traveller”.
Wi-fi access
For example, the lobby area and lounge contain soft seating with adjacent hard surfaces, power sources and Wi-Fi to accommodate smaller, informal meetings and individuals working outside their rooms.
Included in the new prototype are meeting rooms with movable partitions/walls, multi-zone flexible lighting, ergonomic chairs, Wi-Fi access and backlit projection screens.
“Working” Guest rooms
Guest rooms are also to be centred around the business traveller. They will be fitted out with flat screen television featuring laptop plug-in, ergonomic chair with mobile workstation, multiple power sources and Wi-Fi access throughout. [Editor’s note: We believe a bed will also be included!]
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Please remember that Medway Travel will be pleased to research your hotel requirements and make your reservations free of any transaction fee, if requested at the same time as your travel requirements for the same trip. This will save you time and ensure the details are included in itineraries and management information reports.
Specially negotiated fares
Medway Travel has access to one of the largest portfolios of specially negotiated contract fares open to any travel agent in the country. This means we can - subject to availability at the time of booking - offer unusually low prices for many long-haul and certain European routes.
This month's examples, all from London and in Pounds Sterling, are:
Economy Fares
Route
Airline
Fare
Taxes
Las Vegas
Virgin Atlantic
167.00
140.40
San Francisco
Virgin Atlantic
167.00
146.00
New York
Virgin Atlantic
131.00
146.00
Dubai
Virgin Atlantic
133.00
122.20
Bahrain
Gulf Air
162.00
132.10
Delhi via Paris
Air France
173.00
162.70
Mumbai via Paris
Air France
173.00
162.70
Bangalore via Paris
Air France
233.00
162.70
Business Class Fares
Route
Airline
Fare
Taxes
Las Vegas
Maxjet
1016.00
75.70
San Francisco via Detroit
Northwest Airlines
1404.00
170.20
New York
Silverjet
779.00
73.00
Dubai via Paris
Air France
972.00
203.90
Bahrain
Gulf Air
1103.00
172.10
Delhi via Abu Dhabi
Etihad Airways
1004.00
156.00
Mumbai via Abu Dhabi
Etihad Airways
1004.00
156.00
Bangalore via Dubai
Emirates
1185.00
96.00
Each month we bring you a small selection of the 9 million such fares, to illustrate the level of fares you can enjoy as a result of our extensive connections and research.
So if your next destination isn't on the above list of examples, please do contact us. There is every chance we will have a real bargain to offer you!
BA hits back at Heathrow charge hike plans
BA jet
British Airways has admitted being "extremely disappointed" at proposals to raise charges at Heathrow by inflation plus 4-8% each year between 2008 and 2013 (which implies an increase of at least 26% ABOVE inflation by 2013).
The airline wants rates to be increased no faster than inflation during the next five years with a lower cost of capital and greater operating efficiency.
The airline was responding to a CAA consultation on price controls for the BAA-owned London airports of Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted which outlines charges and suggests the removal of price controls at Stansted.
BA pledged to lobby the CAA and the Competition Commission during the consultation on airport charges over the next year.
The carrier's airport policy general manager Paul Ellis said: "Airport charges could well increase by 50% during the current five year charging period yet passengers have yet to see an improvement in facilities and service. To advocate another 50% rise over the next five years cannot be justified."
BA welcomed plans for improved investment at Heathrow but passengers deserve world class facilities and excellent service levels without a further hike in charges. BAA should be pushed further and faster to become more efficient.
"We also believe that robust service quality standards should be backed by higher financial compensation payments to ensure that the investment delivers a better experience for passengers."
Virgin Atlantic was also highly critical of the CAA proposals, saying that at a time when airlines face intense competition and a tough operating environment, it had hoped that the CAA would have sought tighter controls on the monopoly powers of BAA.
The CAA is suggesting little or no incentive for BAA to become more efficient. For example the CAA has so far not clamped down on BAA's poor handling of the security issues in August. Yet again, the CAA seems to be making the travelling public the principal loser.
Trains taking on low cost carriers
Airport security issues are helping drive more business travellers to the railways, according to recent analysis.
Rail business has risen by 25% last year, driven by new online rail booking tools and flexible fares in addition to problems at UK airports. For example, there has been a big increase in travel by rail from London to Manchester.
Business travellers want to know they can arrive on time. At the moment you have a better chance of this by rail than by car or air because our UK road infrastructure is so congested and travellers face delays at the airports.
Travellers have also realised that they can work on the train and make much better use of their time. They are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental factor as well.
Booking rail travel with Medway Travel has become much easier due to our having the very latest technology which takes into account all route options and fare structures. We will offer you the most favourable fare options - one way fares and more flexible return fares – taking advantage of the rail companies having basically taken on the low cost carriers, in terms of pricing.
Business travellers will still use low cost carriers, as one can no longer see the difference between service levels on a low cost airline compared with a traditional airline but there is now more choice in the marketplace. The low cost carriers are still good value, but the railways are very competitive players in the market now.
If you think rail may offer a convenient and comfortable alternative, do please consult our reservations team. They will be pleased to compare air with rail for your trips and advise on the pros and cons of each.
Revolutionary new payment process
We are now pleased to be amongst a relatively few UK travel Management Companies to be able to offer the most effective and cost efficient way to enable you to manage, pay for, control and plan your business travel costs, the AirPlus Company Account. It is widely used on the Continent and some 80% of Germany’s top 100 companies have adopted it.
You make no changes to your current preferred booking procedures, you continue to talk and deal with your chosen travel consultants at Medway Travel, and enjoy the high level of knowledge and skill we apply to every booking we make for you.
In short, all the services we currently provide remain, but we collect payment from AirPlus, whilst you (instead of paying Medway Travel) simply settle your resulting AirPlus travel account monthly, enjoying a minimum of some 20 – 25 days credit . The benefits are considerable and include seamless electronic invoicing and the ability to reconcile your business travel transactions more easily than ever before. What’s more, all transactions can be viewed online at any time via the AirPlus Business travel portal. If you prefer, you can import your data directly into Excel for you then to evaluate as you wish.
An AirPlus Corporate card is also available, affording you and your travellers flexibility, security and transparency for all your individual travel needs. With this card, travel costs can be settled as they occur with a clear statement of expenditure being sent every month. Submission and processing of expenses, with all the cost and time this normally entails, becomes a great deal easier!
Another major benefit of the scheme is that for a single annual fee of only £62 per account, comprehensive insurance protection is provided for ALL your travellers, up to £380,000 each trip.
There are many more benefits besides, and we would welcome the opportunity to show how these can work for your company. Please contact David Pickard to arrange a meeting
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Any views or opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the author and not necessarily those of Medway Travel Limited. We have taken all reasonable care to ensure the accuracy of the data and information contained in the document, but will not accept liability for any errors or omissions. Whilst we have also taken reasonable precautions to ensure that this email is virus free, we advise our readers to virus check all messages and their attachments regardless of their source. We will not accept liability for any damage or loss you may suffer as a result of viewing this newsletter.
