March 2007

Our clients from Kent and South East London will be pleased to know that London Ashford Airport in Lydd, has submitted planning applications for a new terminal and runway extension.

If approved, the development would enable the underused airport to eventually handle up to two million passengers a year – up from its current capacity of 300,000.

The proposed runway extension will allow aircraft to operate at Lydd with full payloads, so the airport would be able to offer a greater range of more distant destinations to passengers.

The cost of the runway extension is put at £3 million and it is expected to take around four months to construct.

The Airport’s managing director said recently that the extension would allow aircraft, which are capable of using the current runway, to carry more fuel, thus permitting a greater range of destinations to be served.

The increase in runway length will also have allow a greater number of passengers to be carried as previously but with the same number of aircraft movements.

The overall redevelopment proposals for Lydd, are in the form of separate applications for the construction of a new terminal building in two phases. The first phase would allow for up to 500,000 passengers a year, and the second would increase this capability by a further 1.5  million passengers each year.

The construction period for phase one of the terminal, is scheduled to last around 18 months and will be triggered once the airport reaches 200,000 passengers with the existing facilities, so we regret that clients from this area will have another 2 years at least to fight their way round the M25 to LHR or LGW before Lydd can become a practical alternative for many of their destinations.

Major tour operators are to mount a legal challenge to the doubling in Air Passenger Duty.

The Federation of Tour Operators and its major holiday company members have obtained advice, which suggests that Gordon Brown's doubling of APD is legally suspect.

The rise has no statutory authority until the House of Commons passes a resolution (under the Provisional Collection of Taxes Act 1968) or until new primary legislation is enacted, the FTO claims.

Neither has yet taken place and the Treasury therefore has no grounds for its action.

What makes the introduction date even more unfair is that four million holidaymakers had already booked their holidays for departure after February 1 and tour operators are not able to recover the added tax, because of UK rules on holiday prices. This will cost tour operators some £45 million and is seems to be yet another example of this Chancellor introducing retrospective legislation.

The FTO and ABTA has called upon the government to give the industry a longer period in which to introduce the tax change, as it has always done in the past both when APD was introduced in November 1997 and subsequent changes of rates.

A letter setting out the legal basis of possible claims has been sent to the Chancellor .

FTO director general Andy Cooper said recently: "Because the Government to date has not on this occasion been prepared to respond positively to tour operators' needs, FTO members find themselves with no alternative than to challenge the whole constitutional basis of the tax, and have obtained strong legal advice that a Judicial Review would prove successful.”

It is understood that the outcome will not be known for months, and if it is shown to have been illegal, the tour operators may get their money back, but what about those passengers who have had to pay the extra directly to the airlines, having booked their flights before the increase was announced?

We would encourage anyone caught up in this, to write to “Grabber Gordon”, or at least to their MP, to protest at the retrospective nature of the application of this tax increase. How can sound business or personal planning survive in an environment where perfectly sound and legal actions can be adversely affected by subsequent arbitrary government directives?

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 2nd 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!

Benefits

The Star Alliance member airlines offer you more of the travel benefits you want to 855 destinations in 155 countries plus access to airport lounges worldwide.

An alliance for all the right reasons

In 1997, a group of five world-class airlines got together to create something never seen before – an alliance that brought together several airlines, their networks, lounge access, check-in services, ticketing and dozens of other services to improve the travel experience for customers and efficiencies for the carriers. They called it the Star Alliance network.

By 2006 the alliance had grown to 17 members and three smaller, regional members. Two other international carriers in China are scheduled to join in 2007.

A large network of carriers means more choices for customers. The alliance members fly to more destinations than the competition, which means easier travel and quicker connections. The main goal has always been to make the travel experience smoother for travellers. That involves locating the member carriers closer together in airports, introducing new technologies, building common facilities at airports, coordinating schedules and installing connection teams for faster transfers of passengers and baggage.

The brand – including the familiar star-shaped logo – represents the promise that the alliance strives to deliver, and it lets the traveller know that wherever they are in the world, the alliance is there to help them enjoy a smooth travel experience.

Earn miles or points and status faster

Join one programme and maximise your miles or points. With the largest airline alliance, you can earn miles or points in your programme almost anywhere in the world.

Earn recognition around the world. The more you fly with the Star Alliance member airlines, the higher your status level in your frequent flyer programme. As a result of your higher programme status, you will receive additional Star Alliance Gold or Star Alliance Silver travel benefits across the worldwide alliance network.

How to earn on the Star Alliance network

Follow these tips and you'll be on your way to earning the best frequent flyer rewards your programme has to offer, like award travel and status. To find out how many miles or points you can earn on a Star Alliance flight*, refer to your frequent flyer programme's earnings chart.

• Quote your frequent flyer number every time you book with any Star Alliance member airline or travel provider. Your number appears on your membership card.
• Show your membership card when you check in for any flight to ensure you earn your miles or points.
• Save your passenger receipts and boarding passes. If your miles or points do not appear on your account, send your tickets and boarding passes to your frequent flyer programme service centre and have them credited to your account. Allow six to eight weeks from the date of request

Corporate Plus

Corporate Plus is tailored around the specific requirements of travel buyers for the larger corporates:

• One agreement – all Star Alliance member airlines participating in the Corporate Plus arrangement will be contained in a single agreement tailored to your company’s needs.
• One report – you’ll receive a single customisable report detailing all your company travel, no matter which airlines or routes are flown. It eliminates the need for multiple reports and consolidation and allows easy analysis and performance measurement, both as an overall picture and from a local perspective.
• One contact – a single key airline contact from the lead airline negotiates the contract with you and then liaises with you for the entire lifespan of the contract. The key contact also has considerable knowledge of what the other Alliance airlines involved, can offer you.
• Value proposition – we can improve the value of your travel programme.
• Discount Incentive schemes– we will work with you to find the best solution to meet your travel needs.

Member Airlines

Air Canada, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, bmi, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Spanair, SWISS, TAP Portugal, THAI, United, US Airways.

We at Medway Travel have a close and preferred relationship with the Star Alliance, through our membership of the prestigious Focus Group of Advantage Travel Centres.

A "raft of external factors" such as fog and luggage problems at Heathrow has been blamed for a £53 million drop in British Airways' quarterly profits.

The airline also expected to lose some a £80 million in revenue during the current quarter as a result of the threatened cabin crew strike which was averted at the eleventh hour.

"Revenue has been hit by a raft of external factors," he said. "These include the continued impact of the August security measures. Common EU baggage standards on liquids were not agreed until mid-way through the quarter and more restrictive rules on hand baggage continue to apply in the UK.

"As a result, transfer volumes at Heathrow are still down. The baggage system operated by the BAA at Heathrow's Terminal 4, failed twice in December and severe fog led to the cancellation of 800 flights in the pre-Christmas peak period.

"The impact of all these external factors in the quarter is estimated at £40 million.

"The uncertainty caused by the threat of recent industrial action has added to this but we have reached an agreement with the cabin crew branch of the T&G over a range of issues which I am confident forms the basis of a good relationship in the future.

"The patience and loyalty of our customers has been tested and I want to apologise for the inconvenience they have suffered during this period. We are now re-focusing on customer service to win back the confidence and trust of our customers " said Walsh.

Meanwhile, British Airways has announced that it will grant a temporary amnesty before applying its controversial new checked-baggage weight limit. The reduced limit of 23 kilos was due to come into effect on February 13, but as “a gesture of goodwill” [or could it be due the huge public outcry!] the carrier announced it would wait six months before applying strictly the new restrictions. A spokesperson for BA said: "To allow our customers to become familiar with the new baggage policy and weight limitations, the airline will continue to accept bags at check-in weighing up to 32 kilos for travel completed by September 30”.

At the same time, the proposed high charges the airline will be levying for extra suitcases, will hardly endear the airline to its public! But be prepared for an excess baggage charge of £240 per bag on longhaul, with £120 and £60 respectively on European and domestic flights. However, First and Club World class passengers will be allowed to check in three bags weighing up to 23kg each, within their free allowance. Club Europe and World Traveller Plus passengers will be allowed two.

Surely a case of mixed messages!

The many Medway Travel clients who suffered doubt and flight cancellations as a result of the recent threatened strike by BA cabin crew, were all found alternative flights or have had refunds processed by our consultants – who worked particularly hard to ensure the adverse effects of strife within BA, were minimised.

We suspect that those who book direct with BA to save the modest fees we charge for managing their travel, may not have fared so well!

There may be times when you wish that a traveller is helped through a busy and perhaps unfamiliar or confusing airport, in which case, let us arrange to:

• Take the hassle out of airport check-in with its long queues and tiresome procedures
• Make that VIP feel appreciated
• Look after your frail relative or friend
• Ensure the invalid/disabled traveller is expertly helped through the airport, from arrival to departure, at each end of their journey.

We contract with a team of highly experienced and well-connected airport concierges who are available to meet departing and arriving passengers and assist them with check-in, luggage and any other service that may be needed. This service is available at most major domestic and international airports.

As soon as you step off the plane, our welcoming partner will be there to escort the traveller through the arrival formalities. Friendly and attentive, our VIP team will help you or your guest through passport control, assist with baggage collection, through customs, and smoothly connect up with your company's representative, the car rental office, taxi or as instructed.

For departures, our VIP team will escort your traveller through check-in, passport control, security screening and onto their plane.

We would be happy also to provide executive lounge facilities if required, in order to make the inevitable waiting more palatable. Please contact our consultants for further details.

Business class passengers can park free at Heathrow provided they fly with Air New Zealand (ANZ). The carrier is promoting its Business Premier service with the offer of up to 30 days free valet car parking.

Heathrow car parking is costly. Normally valet parking for a working week would cost £100 or more. A traveller heading Down Under for a three week business-cum-leisure trip might pay as much as £300.

This deal, which is offered to UK-based travellers, is being marketed in conjunction with Chauffeured Parking Services. It covers passengers taking one of ANZ's twice daily flights from Heathrow either to New Zealand or Hong Kong or Los Angeles.

The free car parking must be booked directly with ANZ within 48 hours of departure from London.

Contact us to discuss and take advantage of this offer.

Jersey regains Heathrow air link after six years

Bmi is to revive flights between Heathrow and Jersey – terminated back in 2001. The airline is to operate two flights a day to the island from the Heathrow starting on March 25, subject to confirmation of appropriate take off and landing slots.

Fares will start at £26 one-way from Jersey inclusive of taxes, and from £37.90 one-way from Heathrow.

Bmi CEO Nigel Turner said: "We are delighted to be re-establishing direct air links between Heathrow and Jersey. We have a long history and association with the island and recognise the importance of its having direct links into the world's busiest international airport.

"The States of Jersey authority has been extremely positive about an airline with the reputation and history of bmi serving this vital air link. We have a clear strategy of bringing much needed competition to new destinations, improving our overall yields and serving routes where we see growth potential. Heathrow to Jersey provides us with an ideal opportunity to do this."

SAS expands from London City

SAS is to raise frequency between London City Airport and Copenhagen.

A third daily frequency is being added from the start of the summer timetable on March 26 using a 76-seat Q400 aircraft.

The London City flights compliment the Scandinavian carrier's existing six daily services from Heathrow to Copenhagen and will bring the airline's weekly services from London to Copenhagen to 55.

SAS operates a one way fare structure enabling passengers to mix and match the airports they travel from. So they can fly out from London City and return via Heathrow according to which airport is most convenient to their home or office.

Finnair drops Singapore and Malaysia in favour of China, India and Japan

Finnair will add more flights to India, Japan and mainland China this summer. At the same time the Helsinki-based carrier will stop serving Singapore and will abandon plans to inaugurate flights to the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur.

finnair

The principal feature of Finnair's expansion is the launch of a five times a week service to Mumbai during June. In addition, the current three times a week link to Delhi (launched only a couple of months ago) will move to a daily frequency.

Taking the bold step of operating 12 flights a week to India demonstrates that Finnair is planning for the future.

A Finnair spokesman said that it will be extremely hard, if not impossible, for airlines to secure new arrival and departure slots at Indian airports in the future, and that by adding to its Indian scheduled traffic now, Finnair is ensuring its presence in these fast-growing markets.

Other expansion plans for mid-May involve a fourth weekly flight to Guangzhou in mainland China and a daily service to Hong Kong (presently served four times a week). At the same time the popular service linking Helsinki with Osaka will go from four a week to daily. Then in mid-June, Finnair will boost its Nagoya service from three to four flights a week.

But at the same time Singapore (currently served as a continuation of the Helsinki-Bangkok route) will be dropped, and plans to launch a new service to Kuala Lumpur are to be abandoned.

Finnair is acquiring two Airbus A340-300s during May and June for its long-haul network.

Silverjet, to launch its second daily Luton-Newark flight

New "all business class” airline, Silverjet, is to launch its second daily Luton-Newark flight in July.

The date emerged as the airline was set to make its debut on the route today. Silverjet aims to be running three flights a day by the end of the year.

Silverjet made a simple commitment to the market when it was formed –constantly to challenge the airline status quo, to do things differently from the competition and to react quickly to passenger feedback.

By offering travellers an exclusively business class product from £999 return, compared with an average of £3,000 from its competitors, it aims to create a new market for low fare luxury travel.

There are plans to launch further long-haul route opportunities including a three times per day service to New York, by the end of the year.

Spanish carrier adding Heathrow service

Budget carrier Clickair is poised to add London to its fast-growing network. The Spanish airline will replace Iberia (which owns a stake in Clickair) on daily flights into Heathrow from both Seville and Valencia.

The services started on February 1st with tickets costing less, on account of Clickair's lower operating costs. Thus return fares to Seville typically start from £79 while Valencia costs from £61.

clickair

The London-Seville service will depart at 11.10 to arrive in the Andalucian capital at 14.50. The inbound flight will leave Seville at 14.30 to reach Heathrow at 16.05.

Clickair's Valencia service will depart Heathrow at 17.15 reaching the city at 20.30. Out of Valencia the service departs at 0840 arriving in London at 10.00.

Clickair flies from Barcelona, and also Seville and Valencia.

Medway Travel has the very latest technology and systems 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.

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
Australia – Adelaide – Gift Trade Fair: 6th – 8th May, 2007

Canada – Toronto – PLASTEX: 1st – 3rd May, 2007

Germany – Munich – BIJOUTEX: 30th June – 2nd July, 2007
Germany – Frankfurt – TENDENCE: 24th – 28th August, 2007
Germany – Dusseldorf – GDS (shoes): 14th – 16th September, 2007

Hong Kong - GIFTS AND PREMIUM: 28th April - 1st May 2007

Indonesia – Jakarta – INACRAFT: 19th – 23rd April 2007

Russia – Moscow – SHK : 28th – 31st May, 2007
Russia – Moscow – CPM: 5th – 9th September, 2007

Singapore - SEMICON: 8th - 10th May 2007

Switzerland – Basel – BASELWORLD 2007: 12th – 19th April, 2007
Switzerland – St. Gallen – NANOEUROPE: 11th – 13th September, 2007

Tanzania - Dar Es Salaam - EATIF - 20th - 3rd April, 2007

Thailand – Bangkok – PACKPRINT: 26th – 29th April, 2007
Thailand – Bangkok – HOSPIMEDICA: 12th – 14th September, 2007

U.A.E. – Dubai – GULF PRINT: 2nd – 5th April, 2007

U.S.A – New York – ACCESSORIES: 7th – 9th May, 2007
U.S.A – Las Vegas – GLDA: 29th May – 1st June, 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.

At Medway Travel, the whole team takes Clients’ concerns very seriously.

On learning of a concern or problem – whether it arises during a trip or is associated with the booking or accounting process, an action report is raised by the member of staff hearing of the problem, and discussed with our Quality Manager. An action plan is agreed and progress monitored.

If the concern relates to substandard service from one of the travel vendors, we will make representations to the vendor on the traveller’s behalf and seek compensation or an explanation and apology. It can sometimes take vendors a number of weeks to investigate the facts, the cause and the liability of such complaints, and longer still to agree any legitimate compensation, due to the size of the bureaucracies involved. During this time, we will be both chivvying them and keeping our client informed. Over the last few years we have handled 6 such concerns for every one thousand bookings we have made.

On the other hand, the concern may be due to a fault in our own work (we are only human, so regrettably it can happen!). In such cases we investigate the situation as a priority and aim to respond meaningfully to the client within days. Our policy is to be completely honest in cases where we have been at fault and to try to ensure that our client does not suffer any loss as a result. The majority of such cases results in our scrutinising our procedure manual for flaws in the systems or in a training session with the staff, to try to ensure that the problem does not recur.  Analysis of the statistics shows that over the last few years we have handled some 5 such concerns for every one thousand bookings we have made. Pleasingly, the average over the last 18 months has dropped to 4.4 per thousand bookings.

The whole system is carefully monitored through our ISO 9001.2000 procedures, externally audited every year, and each action report is signed off by the managing director to ensure necessary action has been taken.
Please do contact us if you have any concerns (or particular appreciation!) about either the service provided by any of the vendors Medway Travel books for you or about our own service. We need to know so that we may continue to ensure the support we give is the very best.

Hilton Hotels Corporation aims to add more than 20 hotels across China as part of a three-way joint venture.

The hotel chain is to develop 5,000 rooms under the Hilton Garden Inn brand to add to the five hotels it already has in the country.

Locations being considered include Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin and urban centres within the Yangtze River Delta and Bohai Bay regions. These regions represent many of the faster growing economic areas in China, according to Hilton.

Hilton believes that China is an outstanding market whose booming economy and growing tourism, both domestically and in-bound, will ensure a strong demand for focused service hotels.

This strategic relationship with two very experienced specialists is planned to enable Hilton rapidly to roll out its first focused service hotel brand in China.

Our consultants have access to tens of thousands of hotels around the World, and will be pleased to find just the right ones to fit in with your trips, taking into account your convenience, comfort, safety and budget. Furthermore, we make no charge for this service if we make your reservations at the same time as booking your flights, so do contact us with your requirements.

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
LON/HKG/LON – VIA CDG	AF	£216.00	£161.20
LON/BKK/LON – VIA CMB	UL	£270.00	£162.10
LON/SHA/LON – VIA AMS	KL	£216.00	£140.90
LON/PEK/LON – VIA CDG	AF	£216.00	£159.30
LON/CAN/LON – VIA CDG	AF	£216.00	£159.30
LON/TYO/LON – VIA MLE	UL	£270.00	£160.60
LON/SEL/LON – VIA AMS	KL	£302.40	£149.60
LON/MNL/LON – VIA AMS	KL	£356.40	£135.00

Business Class Fares

Route	Airline	Fare	Taxes
LON/HKG/LON – VIA DOH	QR	£1082.16	£168.80
LON/BKK/LON – VIA KWI	KU	£1026.00	£144.30
LON/SHA/LON – VIA AMS	KL	£1242.00	£140.90
LON/PEK/LON – VIA AMS	KL	£1242.00	£140.90
LON/CAN/LON – VIA BUD/PEK	MA	£1284.12	£185.90
LON/TYO/LON – VIA MLE	UL	£1296.00	£201.90
LON/SEL/LON – VIA AMS	EK	£1296.00	£107.60
LON/MNL/LON – VIA AMS	QR	£1078.90	£155.60

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!