Thursday, June 17, 2004

Travelport Corporate Solutions, Cendant's corporate travel division

TW Crossroads: "Travelport Corporate Solutions, Cendant's corporate travel division, said revenue increased 116% from May 2003 to May 2004, compared with the year-earlier period, and that online transaction volume generated by Travelport customers grew 93%.
Travelport also said that corporations Ariba and Volt contracted Travelport to provide technology and travel agency services, a model that Travelport calls its 'end-to-end solution.'
Earlier this year, Travelport revealed that Nextel Partners was its first travel agency client. "

Radisson SAS Hotels Stansted

travmedia.com: New Radisson SAS Hotel Opens At London Stansted Airport
"Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts, part of Rezidor SAS Hospitality, currently operates 130 hotels in 37 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with another 30 projects under development. Radisson SAS is a first class hotel brand with key differentiators such as the 100% Guest Satisfaction Guarantee and the Yes I Can spirit of service. For more information, visit www.radissonsas.com"

Dublin Tourism launch last-minute accommodations booking engine

BookAssist - Search ResultsDublin Tourism also launched a last-minute accommodations booking engine on its Web site. Roomless customers in a pinch can check same-day availability at tourist-board approved properties across the capital at www.visit-dublin.com/lastminute .

More Payment Choices, More Sales Center for Media Research - Daily Brief

Center for Media Research - Daily Brief: "More Payment Choices, More Sales"

Wednesday, June 16, 2004

Blackout hits major Web sites | CNET News.com

Blackout hits major Web sites | CNET News.com: "A domain name outage Tuesday morning that left many popular Web sites, including those of Yahoo, Google, Microsoft and Apple, temporarily inaccessible was the result of an Internet attack, according to Web infrastructure company Akamai. "

Tiscover takes share in NetHotels - 15-Jun-04.

Article in full: Tiscover takes share in NetHotels - 15-Jun-04.: "The destination system provider has bought a 26% share of online reservations platform NetHotels.com. The deal is still subject to approval monopolies and mergers authority.

NetHotels distributes around 35,000 hotels online through its own and affiliate websites. It developed and sells the NetHotels ReServer Software Technology. If the deal is approved the company will continue to operate independently under its own name.

The two companies plan to pool resources and knowledge to create an online solution for hotels and tourism organisations.

Tiscover executive director of sales, marketing and finance, Karsten Kärcher said: "To strengthen our position at the head of the tourism solutions marketplace it made commercial sense to take a stake in NetHotels.com."

NetHotels AG
Headquarter
Neulinggasse 31, 1030 Vienna - Austria - Europe
Tel.:+43-1-713 22 20 Fax:+43-1-713 22 30

Internet: http://www.nethotels.com
e-mail: office@nethotels.com

Holidays in Austria, British Isles, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Italy: "From cozy private guesthouses to luxury 5-star hotels - Tiscover has is all. Choose from a wide range of online bookable hotels and guesthouses in Austria, British Isles, Germany, Italy and Switzerland."

quick comparison showed NetHotels beat totaltravel.com on price
87.00 GBP (incl. VAT) / night (by excluding continental breakfast) compared to £99.00 (incl VAT) inc breakfast




Independent European Hotel Groups, Hampshire Hospitality & Leisure and Partner Hotels Europe Collaborate / June 2004

Independent European Hotel Groups, Hampshire Hospitality & Leisure and Partner Hotels Europe Collaborate / June 2004: "Hampshire Hospitality & Leisure has joined Partner Hotels Europe, the first co-operation of independent European hotel groups. This unique co-operation allows the Dutch hotel group to offer its guests a reliable network of over 450 private, individually operated hotels throughout Europe. Partner Hotels Europe and the six hotel groups involved strive for a synergy between the hotels..

Partner Hotels Europe consists of six hotel groups in seven European countries: Danske Kroer & Hoteller in Denmark (86 hotels and Inns), Hampshire Hospitality & Leisure in The Netherlands, Belgium and western Germany (37 hotels), Charme & Relax Hotels in Italy (153 members in the superior class), Euro Hotels in Norway (29 city and country hotels), Idyll Hotels in Switzerland (15 rural hotels operated on ecologically friendly principles) and Ring Hotels in Germany (176 hotels). Partner Hotels Europe is the perfect choice for both business and leisure travellers throughout Europe.

Partner Hotels Europe published an exclusive brochure – the PHE Guide – which contains detailed particulars of all hotels (including maps to show exact locations, useful contact addresses for reservations and more). This free catalogue is available in German-English and Italian-English. Also see www.partnerhotelseurope.com.

A growing number of hotels in The Netherlands and abroad are joining Hampshire Hospitality & Leisure. For an overview of all connected hotels, reservations or information regarding packages and brochures, contact Hampshire Hospitality & Leisure via +31 35 672 00 77 or check www.hampshire-hotels.com.

Hampshire Hospitality & Leisure was founded in 2001. The group offers three brands: the high yield ‘A Hampshire Classic Hotel’, the four star ‘Hampshire Hotels’ and the comfortable three star ‘Hampshire Inns’. "

IgoUgo Travel Community: new feature:

email announcment:Last month, IgoUgo launched our brand-new Travel Agency, offering handpicked trips that are signed, sealed, and delivered with the IgoUgo stamp of approval. What's so different about our trips, you ask? We of course offer you fascinating destinations like Russia and Vancouver. But even more important, we help you indulge your passions while you're there—from gourmet tours and art appreciation to travel writing. And all in the company of like-minded IgoUgo members.

We research each trip down to the smallest detail, so we can personally vouch for the quality of your experience. Heck, these are trips that members of our staff will be taking with you!

With the great feedback we've received from our maiden trip—Travel Writing in Provence—we're eager to continue creating fabulous, engaging trips for you. So keep your eyes peeled. This is just the beginning!

links to:

IgoUgo Travel Community: Free Travel Reviews, Journals, Photos, and Special Deals: "Welcome to a new kind of travel agency�one that goes beyond simply finding trips and booking them. With our handpicked IgoUgo Community Trips, we invite you to explore a unique perspective on some of the world�s most exciting destinations, and all in the company of like-minded IgoUgo travelers. "

Read what participants of IgoUgo’s first Community Trip—Travel Writing in Provence—had to say about their experiences

IgoUgo Travel Community: Free Travel Reviews, Journals, Photos, and Special Deals: "Travel Writing in Provence
May 8�15, 2004

Learn about the travel-writing biz
Test your cooking mettle
Walk or bike through Provence
Tour surrounding vineyards and towns
Meet like-minded travelers "

funding plaxo cbs marketwatch

supine4
quakers
TV & Radio

Plaxo co-founders Todd Masonis and Cameron Ring explain the similarities and differences of their start-up story to that of Google and Yahoo.
"We're planning ways to monetize that don't require 20 million users [or so]," said Ring. Plaxo currently has 2 million installed users. The recent deal with Yahoo is an example. Plaxo receives a fee for each search that a Plaxo user conducts in through Yahoo.

In their very early days, their big ideas catch the eye of Michael Moritz, venture capitalist at Sequoia Capital, whose reputation is that of a VC with a knack for taking the right risks. Sequoia invests.

And, what are the next strategic initiatives after that? It seems Masonis and Ring aren't too sure, but they know one strategy they'll keep reinforcing is to stay focused."The best advice [given by Moritz] is to stick with it," said Masonis. "Stay lean and stay focused. If you try to do too many things, you'll definitely fail. We're solving one problem, and we're trying to do it well."


Sequoia Capital

Contacts Kanoodle

MediaDailyNews 06-16-04: "Kanoodle Names Zucker SVP, Sales" Previously, Zucker was vice president of partner marketing at IAC/InterActiveCorp where he spent seven years. In his most recent position, he was responsible for advertising sales across the entire network of IAC sites including Ticketmaster, Match.com, Evite and Citysearch.

privacy & personalisation Slashdot | Turning Up The Heat On On-Line Registration

Slashdot | Turning Up The Heat On On-Line RegistrationCNN is running a story on the growing number ofprint newspapers with [1]on-line editions that are requiring registration.Apparently there are some folks out there who don't like this 'feature'!I found a few things interesting about the story: Privacy groups say it'sa dangerous practice and promotes spam; I didn't realize people put realpersonal info into these things (110-year-old surgeons from Bulgarianamed Mickey Mouse). About 15 to 20 percent of the registrations for the[2]Philadelphia Inquirer turned out to be bogus, a figure that was muchlower than I would have thought. Also mentioned in the story is a website called [3]BugMeNot.com, which lists 'communal' logins and passwordsfor on-line newspapers."

BugMeNot.com: "BugMeNot.comBypass Compulsory Web Registration"

www.insightvacations.com

travmedia.com: "Insight�s managing director John Boulding is the first to admit that coach touring has never been No. 1 on U.K traveller�s lists when it comes to choosing their dream holiday."

www.insightvacations.com or for bookings call 08705 143 433.
For media information or to arrange an interview with Mr Boulding call Angela Saurine on 020 7468 4118.

www.austravel.com Packages to beat

travmedia.com: "book flights, hotels and Australian visas online at www.austravel.com.

Visit Western Australia from just £1035!Explore the fascinating sites of Western Australia with Austravel from just £1035 and save £76 per person! This great deal includes flights with Singapore Airlines departing from London Heathrow and Manchester, 10 nights at the 3* Sullivans Hotel Perth (on a room only, twin share basis) and a 5 day self drive Wine and Forest Experience. To get your hands on this deal, book and travel by 30th June 2004.

Special Summer Flight Only deal…Make the most of a flight only offer with Austravel to Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Cairns, Darwin and Perth with Qantas! Flights to New Zealand are £539 and flights to Australia are £559! All flights depart from London Heathrow. Book and travel by 30th June 2004.

Austravel has a comprehensive Fare Guide, which gives details on seat-pitch, in-flight entertainment and additional information about different airlines to help you when booking your holiday.
With 25 years experience, Austravel specialises in travel to Australia, New Zealand, South Pacific and Asia, offering value-for-money tailor-made holidays. There are shops in the City of London, London�s Knightsbridge and London�s West End, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester."

www.ferrybooker.com

travmedia.com: "About Ferrybooker.com:
Ferrybooker.com is the UK's largest online ferry and cross-Channel booking service and provides quotes and reservations with all major operators offering UK departures.

The site also features complete searchable timetables for all major ferry operators, holiday and short break offers and add-ons including European accommodation, insurance, car hire and currency. Travellers also benefit from exclusive content such as weather reports, port information, Calais and Cherbourg shopping directories and a guide to driving in France. "

Virgin America

TW Crossroads: "Virgin America is the name of the new U.S. airline that intends to fly the Virgin brand in the U.S. domestic market. "

http://www.virginamerica.com/Main.aspx

Travelocity in profit?

TW Crossroads: "Will Travelocity finish in the black during second-quarter 2004? It could, said Sabre, Travelocity's parent, in a Securities and Exchange Commission document it filed June 15...

Sabre CEO Sam Gilliland said an improvement in Travelocity's bottom line was partly due to "dramatic progress from an expense perspective."

Specifically, Gilliland mentioned the outsourcing of a portion of Travelocity's customer service to call-center firm WNS -- which has operations in India -- and reduced fixed payments to portal partner, AOL. "

Tuesday, June 15, 2004

London summer events pdf

http://www.londontown.com/Summer.php

top 10 travel sites - destinations & top 10 travel advertisers

Cendant price guarentee

travmedia.com: "Days Inn & Wingate Price Match Guarantee"
Cendant Hotel Group Europe launches a ‘Best Rate or It’s Free’ guarantee programme, promising a free night to leisure guests who book at www.daysinn.co.uk, www.daysinn.com or www.wingate.ie or via the free-phone telephone numbers, but who find a lower rate for the same room and date on a third-party website.

Belinda Atkins, director of operations, Cendant Hotel Group Europe, which franchises the brands in the UK and Ireland.

Cendant Corporation
The hotel division of Cendant Corporation is the world’s largest lodging franchisor with over 6,000 hotels on five continents under the Super 8, Days Inn, Ramada, Travelodge, Howard Johnson, Knights Inn, Villager, Wingate Inn and AmeriHost Inn brands. Days Inn is the world’s largest hotel brand with 1900 properties in 14 countries.

Bransons latest...

TW Crossroads: "Virgin, this summer, will introduce a service that enables upper-class passengers to travel the Thames River by Gibbs Aquada amphibious vehicles. Like a James Bond spy gizmo come to life, the vehicles are sport cars that covert into boats."

VisitBritain International Passenger Survey: Transatlantic tourism to the British Isles has skyrocketed

TW Crossroads: "Transatlantic tourism to the British Isles has skyrocketed in the first few months of 2004, with U.S. air arrivals in Great Britain rising by as much as 21% and overall North American tourism to Ireland growing by nearly 23%.
VisitBritain officials said that 764,000 Americans landed in the U.K. from February to April -- compared to just 631,000 in the same period last year -- representing a 21% growth and comprising 12.7% of all arrivals.
For the four months of the year, VistiBritain saw a slightly lower 17% growth from the States, according to its International Passenger Survey. In total, 6 million international visitors traveled to Britain, the highest number of visitors ever recorded in the period.
Rob Franklin, executive vice president at VisitBritain for the Americas, said the figures are evidence that long pent-up demand for a U.K. holiday finally is being released. "

VisitBritain attributed the rebound to its media and direct-mail "Britain Just Go!" and "Spring Main Campaign" promotions in the U.S.

Meanwhile, things were looking good across the Irish Sea, as well, with U.S. and Canadian arrivals in Ireland rising 22.7%, to 173,000, in the first three months of 2004, compared to the same quarter in 2003, when just 141,000 visited, according to Dublin's Central Statistic Office.

By way of comparison, overall visits from all source markets grew by 8.4% in the same period, while earnings rose 5%.

Bristol 2005 travel trade conference

travmedia.com:
Bristol has been awarded runner up in the Best Provision of Group Facilities category in the 2004 Group Travel Awards. The award is defined by the quality of services and facilities offered to groups of visitors such as coach set down points, signage, fast track entry and special group rates at attractions and the support and information offered prior in the planning stage of the visit.

Voted for by readers of Group Travel Organiser Magazine

"Next year Bristol will be hosting a major travel trade conference which will further highlight the region to hundreds of national coach and tour operators and group organisers"

travel agencies fight back?

travmedia.com: "www.travelsaversuk.com"

Wales TB

travmedia.com: "Giving Wales A Sporting Chance" Economic Development and Transport Minister, Andrew Davies AM, Wales Tourist Board Chairman Philip Evans and Chief Executive Jonathan Jones, will today (Monday 14 June) launch the Wales Tourist Board’s Sports Tourism in Wales: A Framework for Action.

Trailfinders 1 In 5 Travellers from UK

travmedia.com: "1 In 5 Travellers Prefer Trailfinders 14 Jun 04

In 2003, a staggering 20% of all travellers from the UK to Australia made their travel arrangements through Trailfinders. According to The Australian Tourist Commission over 675,000 Britons visited Australia last year and of those, 1 in 5 chose to travel with Trailfinders.

Long gone are the days when the company was thought of as a flight-only specialist. Although the company began as the UK�s first flight consolidator, it now operates out of 18 travel centres across the UK, Ireland and Australia, selling everything from hotels to car hire, tours to cruises. In fact Trailfinders has booked over 107,000 hotel room nights in Australia alone in the last year.

Whilst the company has expanded to sell holidays to virtually anywhere worldwide, Australia still remains one of its most popular destinations, with Sydney topping the list of �most booked destination� for 2003. Perhaps helping it to become one of the UK�s largest operators to Australia is the fact that each of its� clients gets AU$100 worth of travel vouchers that can be used towards payment of a huge range of local tours booked through any of their Australian travel centres.

Figures based on departures from March 02 2003 to February 28 2004

For further information please call Trailfinders press office on 020 7937 8499 or 020 7937 6544"

Monday, June 14, 2004

Pricester.com Launches Travel Services on E-Commerce Website

Pricester.com Launches Travel Services on E-Commerce Website: "June 11, 2004 Pricester.com, a new South Florida Internet marketplace website, announces that it has recently launched Pricestertravel.com - a complete online travel reservation service for its visiting customers.
'Now visitors to Pricestertravel.com can shop for the best possible travel deals on airline tickets, hotel rooms, car rentals, cruises, golf vacation packages and travel insurance,' said Bernard Gutman, Pricester.com's Chairman of the Board."

http://www.pricestertravel.com/

iMedia Connection: Online Travel Part 3: Is Bigger Better?

iMedia Connection: Online Travel Part 3: Is Bigger Better?: "

Links to P1 & P2

There's a reason millions of people visit general travel sites -- one-stop shopping (last of three parts)...

what do the all-in-one travel sites do to encourage users to bypass the hotel and airline sites?

Sabre Holdings launched Travelocity in March 1996, and it now is the nation’s sixth largest travel agency. On an average day, the site has 13.8 million page views. Travelocity has sold more than 40 million airline tickets since launch, and booked almost $4 billion in travel in 2003. But despite all that traffic, the site still operates in the red -- although Travelocity expects to finally turn a profit later this year.

The key advantage to using a general travel site, says Susan McLaughlin, Travelocity’s vice president of marketing, is the ability to comparison-shop a multitude of air fares, hotel room rates, car rentals, cruises and vacations across a wide variety of suppliers "

REVIEW MAIN FEATURES ORBITZ & Travelocity'

Conference Sessions By Day

Conference Sessions By Day

Trawl for contacts, articles etc

Desirable blog readers

MediaDailyNews 06-14-04: "a survey of blog readers conducted by Weblog ad network Blogads, they're older and wealthier than what's portrayed by their stereotype. What's more: many buy and donate online, spend on books and magazines, and have clicked on a blog ad..

47 percent of blog readers spent more than $500 online for plane tickets,"

FC revamps independent sales team - 14-Jun-04.

FC revamps independent sales team - 14-Jun-04.: "First Choice has restructured the sales team for its independent travel division.The change brings Unijet Flights, Suncars and first4extras under a single sales unit.The team is to be headed by Teresa Walsh, First Choice Independent Travel natonal sales manager"

Sunday, June 13, 2004

Seen Cornwall ::Your gateway to the arts in Cornwall::

Seen Cornwall ::Your gateway to the arts in Cornwall::
supplement in Guardian Sat 12/06/04

download supplementGuardian Unlimited | Living on the edge | Cornwall Arts

For more information contact us on
01872 274427 or
office@artscornwall.com

Cornwall Arts Marketing is a project part-financed by
the European Union - Objective One.


Guardian Unlimited Travel | Travel sites

Guardian Unlimited Travel | Travel sites: "Ros Taylor reviews hundreds of different travel-related websites"

Saturday, June 12, 2004

Expedia books itself a hotel deal | orbitz travelweb

Expedia books itself a hotel deal | CNET News.com: "Hotels could soon find it easier to sell rooms online, thanks to an acquisition announced on Tuesday by online travel company Expedia.

Expedia is purchasing Newtrade Technologies, a Montreal-based software development company. Newtrade is developing an XML-based system that will allow hotels to send information about their room availability and pricing to various distribution networks via the Internet. Expedia and Newtrade plan to introduce the new technology early next year, the companies said....

Travel has been one of the biggest and fastest growing areas of e-commerce. On the Internet, hotel bookings have long trailed behind airline ticket sales, but that may be changing. A recent research report from Bear Stearns, for instance, projected that use of Web sites to book hotel rooms is poised to surge in the next few years..

Part of the problem hotels have faced is that unlike airfares, which are largely distributed online, lodging information has generally been distributed via fax to companies such as Expedia or to global distribution systems, said Jared Blank, an online travel analyst for Jupiter Research. It's been done that way for a long time, and the distribution companies have had little incentive to change, he said.

Newtrade's system may not be an immediate incentive for distributors to change their ways, but it could help Expedia itself get access to a wider selection of rooms and rates, Blank said.

Newtrade's technology will work with other companies besides just Expedia, Charlier director of investor relations for Bellevue, Wash.-based Expedia said. Because it is based on XML (Extensible Markup Language), Newtrade's software will be able to connect the various systems used by hotels to manage their room inventory with the systems used by the various distribution networks, she said.

Travel is the largest segment of e-commerce and is still growing relatively fast. Jupiter Media Research recently predicted an annual growth rate of 23 percent in the online travel industry through 2006, with lodging growing at 26 percent annually during the same period to hit $15.5 billion."

Airlines have struggled with how to handle discounted fares online. A few companies have fought back by launching Orbitz, a booking site owned by a consortium of airlines. Five hotel chains have tried to copy this model, opening Travelweb.com in February. Travelweb has been fairly successful, Ader said, grabbing 4 percent of the online lodging market. But it could face the same legal troubles related to antitrust issues that Orbitz has run into.

Hotel chains face other problems too: independent hotels and franchisees. Independent motels and hotels have found it easier to reach wider audiences through online travel sites. And franchisees, which account for a substantial number of rooms in the major chains, may be prompted to challenge rate and marketing decisions made by their corporate parents.

Friday, June 11, 2004

highest ever-recorded number of visitors to UK

Full article: travmedia.com: VisitBritain today said that between February and April 2004, six million international visitors travelled to the UK, representing the highest ever-recorded number of visitors in this period. The increase has been driven by substantial growth in North America and Europe, two crucial markets for the industry

"VisitBritain today said that between February and April 2004, six million international visitors travelled to the UK, representing the highest ever-recorded number of visitors in this period."
Major multi-partner campaigns are scheduled throughout VisitBritain’s key overseas markets aimed at further raising the profile and brand of Britain to stimulate bookings. Building on the success of the 2003 ‘City Breaks’ campaign, the organisation will continue this initiative throughout Europe to capitalise on the recent growth in popularity of city break travel. ‘Good Living Britain’ targets audiences in Europe, Asia, North and South America keen to relax and re-charge their batteries. And ‘Touring Britain’, aims to encourage visitors to explore the country and experience real British life, this campaign will also entice them to travel more widely.

Examples of immediate activity planned for the summer months includes: a campaign in partnership with STA Travel in America targeting the youth market with a joint music promotion; a series of promotions at gardens centres around Germany in support of the ‘Year of Gardening’ campaign and sponsorship and branding of London black cabs in Singapore to inspire consumer enquiries.

The roll out of VisitBritain’s third generation website, www.visitbritain.com will also be an important tool for capturing visitor information and vital data on consumer trends thus further growing the organisation’s consumer database. The website will be available in 33 countries and 19 languages, including new sites in Chinese, Korean, Polish and Russian.

The figures in full are available from the VisitBritain press office. Contact details below.For further information, please contact:
Elliott Frisby, Press and PR Officer, VisitBritain on 020 8563 3035, mob: 07951 996241

VisitBritain chief executive, Tom Wright

Trailfinders no hidden extras

In full travmedia.com: "It is unusual in the current travel market for a client not to experience a surprise when it comes to paying, however with Trailfinders there are no hidden extras - what you are quoted is what you will pay.

Trailfinders guarantees to make good any money paid to the company by a client in the event of financial collapse of an airline, hotel, car rental operator, tour company or any other supplier. The company elected, as long ago as 1995, to enter a voluntary but binding agreement with the Civil Aviation Authority to protect clients against the financial collapse of an airline, even if that airline is in �Chapter 11�. Unlike many other travel organisers, where such insurance can cost as much as �5 per person, Trailfinders does not make a charge for this protection.

Mike Gooley, Chairman and founder of Trailfinders, can claim that none of it�s clients have ever suffered financial loss as a result financial failure under any circumstances.

Furthermore credit card surcharges, normally standard practice amongst travel organisers are never applied by Trailfinders who instead elect to bear these costs themselves, ensuring savings of up to 2.5% on bookings.

In addition, Trailfinders guarantees it will not use premium rate telephone lines or charge extra postal fees."

REPORTED TO HERE TelMe Farebase signs agreement with Conferma - 11-May-04.

TelMe Farebase signs agreement with Conferma - 11-May-04.: "Travel technology and air fares distribution specialists, TelMe Farebase has signed a collaborative agreement with leading online hotel reservations company, NIS Europe, to integrate NIS�s Conferma hotel management system into the Ticket Window suite of products.

Conferma Operations Director, Sherie Keable
Ticket Window Conferma will be available as part of the TelMe Farebase Ticket Window suite of products. It will initially be available through the Sabre GDS system. Galileo access will follow shortly afterwards and full GDS compatibility should be available by the end of 2004.

Peter Muller, Managing Director of TelMe Farebase"

Lastminute.com Up to 1,000 agents targeted by Holidaysandmore - 11-Jun-04.

Up to 1,000 agents targeted by Holidaysandmore - 11-Jun-04.: "Lastminute.com is hoping to sign up between 750 and 1,000 agents when it officially launches its Holidaysandmore trade operation later this year...

“This has give the agent more flexibility,” he said. “If a customer wants to travel on a Tuesday and there is no availability, the agent is able to search a scheduled, charter and low cost airlines without the need to go into individual systems.

“We will have 750 to 1,000 agents signed up by the end of October when we officially launch.”

Along with dynamic packages, agents are currently able to book accommodation only and lifestyle products – the new brand offering anything from theatre tickets to skydiving. Mr Coyle said that while the package holiday was not dead “it was dying”, with sales of dynamic packages growing by up to 120% on last year.

He said the dynamic packaging market will continue to grow as customers are better informed, crave new experiences, demand flexibility and make impulse decisions. "

Sabre finds lowest fares - 11-Jun-04.

Full article Sabre finds lowest fares - 11-Jun-04.: "A new study of global distribution systems found Sabre outperformed any other GDS in finding the lowest air fares in the US.

The study found Sabre GDS saved travellers anywhere from $44 to $90 per ticket.The survey was conducted by TOPAZ International, a provider of airfare analysis and benchmarking data. The company sampled 60 city pairs with US departures, both domestic and trans-border.

For the third consecutive year, an independent study demonstrates that the Sabre system yields the lowest fares of any GDS,� said Hugh Jones, senior vice president of Sabre Travel Network, North America."

Accor in euro252m Club Med buy-in - 11-Jun-04.

Accor in euro252m Club Med buy-in - 11-Jun-04.: "Accor is to acquire almost 29% of Club Med for euro252 million.

The deal sees historic shareholder the Agnelli Group offload its stake in the global all-inclusive holiday village company to the hotel giant."

Yahoo Kelkoo News

News: "Kelkoo has today announced Greg Grant as the company's new UK marketing director."

UK Travel Insurance 2003 - Insurance Business Review

UK Travel Insurance 2003 - Insurance Business Review: "43 per cent of Britons fail to take out adequate insurance on short breaks. Approximately 2.4 million trips a year could therefore be uncovered. This area therefore represents significant growth opportunity for travel insurers."

Choice Hotels Joins HotelRooms.com

Hospitality Net - Industry News - Choice Hotels Joins HotelRooms.com: "Choice Hotels Joins HotelRooms.com"

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) is the latest hotel partner of the global, one-stop, hotel search engine and super site
"We are very pleased to offer our visitors access to Choice Hotels' extensive list of US properties," said Mr Avi Goldstein, President & CEO of HotelRooms.com. "The Choice website is one of the largest hotel sites in the world, and it is a great asset to our hotel database. Our goal is to provide the most thorough dataset of property information to hotel-seekers worldwide, while giving them access to competitive room rates. By connecting directly to each hotel's webpage, the HotelRooms.com user knows that the price of their hotel room has not been inflated by the typical fees and commissions associated with third-party reservation sites."

In addition, HotelRooms.com users can take advantage of the "Best Choice e-Rate Guarantee" which offers a 10% discount to anyone who finds a lower rate for the same room and date from any other online source.

"Choice Hotels' online guarantee program, which encompasses over 3,500 domestic properties, is an ideal fit for our site," said Mr. Karmelo Dominguez, Executive Director of Sales, HotelRooms.com. "We can offer our travelers the lowest available hotel rate in practically any city in the US, without jeopardizing the hotels' pricing integrity. This is the future of the online hotel industry, which is slowly breaking away from its dependence on discount/consolidator websites."

"We have worked with countless hotel websites and vendors, and the HotelRooms.com model offers a very interesting and new approach to online marketing," said Mary Beth Knight, vice president, E-Commerce of Choice Hotels. "The implementation of all of our properties was virtually effortless, and since hotel rates and availability are derived directly from the Choice Hotels website, no ongoing maintenance is required."

Offering an extremely user-friendly interface and an information-packed site, HotelRooms.com, the world's largest hotel search engine, makes it easy for travelers to research more than 40,000 hotels in all 50 U.S. states and throughout the world.

Unlike other more limited travel websites, which provide access to directory-style, filtered hotel information, a search on HotelRooms.com, the Official Hotel Search Engine, results in a list of dynamic links which connects the user directly to each hotel's own website. Searches can be made in luxury, budget, corporate, boutique, resort, motels, extended stay as well as other hotel categories.


HotelRooms.com is one of the very few worldwide travel portals that has not migrated to either a wholesaler, wholesaler affiliate, or a "Pay Per Click" model. Rather, for a fixed monthly fee they simply feed targeted web traffic directly into hotel property websites via hyperlinks. The property's own "Booking Engine" is used to make the transaction and affords the property the opportunity to participate in Online Distribution without the concerns found in traditional Merchant Wholesale Internet Travel sites i.e. highly discounted net rates driving down ADR and management of cumbersome extranet inventories.

The HotelRooms.com pricing model is based on each hotel's subscription level - with a variety of placements available to increase visibility and exposure.

Visit www.hotelrooms.com, the Official Hotel Search Engine, to explore the wealth of information provided, and plan your next vacation or business trip. For further information, inquiries can be sent to: info@hotelrooms.com, or you can contact 718-730-6000.


Choice Hotels International is one of the world's largest lodging franchisors, marketing more than 5,000 hotels open or under development in 44 countries and territories under the Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, MainStay Suites, Econo Lodge, and Rodeway Inn brand names.For reservations at any Choice brand hotel worldwide or for more information, contact Choice's toll-free reservation service at 1-800-CHOICE, or visit www.choicehotels.com.

Choice Hotels, Choice Hotels International, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Clarion, Sleep Inn, MainStay Suites, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn are registered trademarks and service marks of Choice Hotels International, Inc.

CONTACT
Avi Goldstein
Phone: +1-718-730-6000, ext. 12
Email: ag@hotelrooms.com

ORGANIZATION
Hotelrooms.com
http://www.hotelrooms.com
108-18 Queens Blvd.
USA - Forest Hills, NY 11375
Tollfree: (800) 486-7000
Phone: (718) 730-6000
Fax: (718) 261-4598
Email: ag@hotelrooms.com

Definitive 2004 Ranking Of Hotel Groups | MKG Consulting

ArticleHospitality Net - Industry News - The Definitive 2004 Ranking Of Hotel Groups | MKG Consulting: "2004 Ranking Of Hotel Groups | MKG Consulting"

press release with some charts http://www.hospitalitynet.org/file/152001434.pdf

Definitive 2004 Ranking Of Hotel Groups | MKG Consulting

ArticleHospitality Net - Industry News - The Definitive 2004 Ranking Of Hotel Groups | MKG Consulting: "2004 Ranking Of Hotel Groups | MKG Consulting"

press release with some charts http://www.hospitalitynet.org/file/152001434.pdf

Train travel stats & Budget airline fails to take off

Domestic railways' all-too-familiar problems have left only one in 20
Britons regularly using them for leisure travel, according to
research from Key Note. We're missing out. For all their faults,
Virgin have at least innovated, brought in new trains - and while
spontaneity isn't cheap, booking ahead can make fares affordable.

If this week's crisis does mean the cheap flight bubble deflates like
a Branson balloon, rediscovering European train travel might prove a
pleasant surprise for many. There's a lot to be said for keeping your
feet on the ground.
Guardian Unlimited Travel | News | Budget airline fails to take off: "It promised to fly passengers from Luton to Lisbon for a fixed fare of �65, but yesterday no-frills Now Airlines became Never Airlines"

Branson to send Virgin tourists into space

Guardian Unlimited Travel | News | Branson to send Virgin tourists into space: "Not contented with running the West Coast rail route, Sir Richard Branson said yesterday that he intended to bring space travel to the general public by pioneering space flights at affordable prices"there had been rumours for some time that Sir Richard was interested in space flight. "He has had some conversations with [space tourism firm] Space Adventures about being a space tourist himself,"

People contacts Bristol airport

eyefortravel.com - Travel Distribution News, Events and Analysis: "Jason Wescott has been promoted to the position of Sales Manager, following a total of eight years with Bristol International, three as Travel Trade Executive. He will now head a team that includes a newly-appointed Sales Executive and Marketing Executive, Louisa Purcell.
Jason will also take direct responsibility for handling relationships with scheduled airlines, business agents, and the four major tour operators at Bristol, First Choice, Thomson, Air Tours and Thomas Cook.
The role of Sales Executive will be filled by new appointment, Shirley Knight. Shirley joins the airport with extensive experience in the travel trade industry, following work with Bakers Dolphin and the MOD. She will take responsibility for handling relationships with specialist tour operators, retail travel agents and regional sales managers.
www.bristolairport.com "

eyefortravel.com - Travel Distribution News, Events and Analysis

eyefortravel.com - Travel Distribution News, Events and Analysis: "Thomas Cook's new venture, roomsandhotels.com, was launched this week offering 10,000 hotels across 700 resorts with some rooms offered for as little as �1 per night. (6/7/2004)
� Print Version
� Send to a Friend
Several other hotels and self-catering apartments will be under �20pp per night, even during peak holiday seasons.
www.roomsandhotels.com "

Ebookers

eyefortravel.com - Travel Distribution News, Events and Analysis: "Ebookers Offer Cell Phone Bookings"The company says it plans to add the ability to book hotels, car rental and insurance to the mobile service.

Ebookers has introduced technology, via application provider Cellectivity, to search and purchase tickets up to eight hours before departure by keying basic details into a WAP-enabled mobile phone.


ebookers' Sales Increase 54% in Quarter. (5/13/2002)
ebookers Appoints New CFO and Chief Information Officer. (6/6/2002)
ebookers and Tiscover to Partner Online. (6/12/2002)

tech low cost flights TRAVELfusion

eyefortravel.com - Travel Distribution News, Events and Analysis: "TRAVELfusion, a world leader in travel commerce, announces the launch of the first XML booking engine that manages bookings on over 50 low cost airlines web sites & reservation systems. "

TRIPplanner XML is the only system designed around location based trip planning intelligence with web services architecture. Together with its state of the art automated Direct Connect integration and booking engines, it offers the most comprehensive solution for booking of low cost airlines. With one simple interface and web services support, customers can benefit from a cost effective integration that gives them all the functionality and support they need to perform searching, booking and data reporting of their low cost bookings.

“TRIPplanner XML is changing the distribution landscape. Customers can manage and seamlessly integrate low cost airlines (Direct Connect) into their online and offline applications and processes” Says Moshe Rafiah, CEO of TRAVELfusion. “We now deliver not only great functionality, unrivalled reliability and proven track record, but a simple XML interface and maximum flexibility for our customers.

About TRAVELfusion TRAVELfusion is a world leader in travel commerce. TRAVELfusion provides a suite of e-commerce technology and services solutions to corporates, travel agents, GDS and managed travel businesses. TRAVELfusion core services include:

· TRIPplanner XML - low cost airlines booking solution (over 50 web fare and low cost airlines suppliers)
· TRIPplanner Corporate Direct – Europe’s leading online corporate self booking for SMEs and travel agents
· TRIPplanner Software: the only location based, multi-modal web journey planner supporting: dynamic packages, door-to-door travel time/cost, Direct Connect
· Internet booking engines for travel agents and online travel companies
· TRIPplanner Mobile - mobile travel booking solutions
· TRIPplanner Fare Tracker - market intelligence, tracking and analyzing fares from low cost airlines and scheduled airlines

www.travelfusion.com
Contact: Moshe Rafiah, moshe@travelfusion.com

Activity breaks on the up - 09-Jun-04.

Activity on the up - 09-Jun-04.: "British holidaymakers are increasingly on the lookout for more active holidays � with operators reporting increased interest in �activity� breaks. The Times today quotes a report by the market research organisation Mintel, which states that 15 million activity holidays were taken by UK tourists in 2003. This represented some 10.4 per cent of all holidays taken and an increase of 12.5 per cent over the previous six years.

The newspaper states that three quarters of those trips were taken in the UK � but it does illustrate a trend away from more traditional �sun, sea and sand breaks� � and, the newspaper reports, the biggest percentage growth was for overseas trips. The trend appears to have been noted by First Choice, which yesterday released its figures for the six months to April 30. The Times reports that the operator�s overall figures were roughly in line with last year�s, while its activity division was up eight per cent on 2003."

people Management reshuffle for UCTG - 09-Jun-04.

Management reshuffle for UCTG - 09-Jun-04.: "United Co-op Travel Group general manager, Mike Greenacre, has appointed a second in command to allow him more time to work on group strategy."

Spain hotels husa hotels in Spain hotels

Spain hotels husa hotels in Spain hotels
Leading Spanish online hotel-booking provider Area Hotels launched a new Web site for Barcelona-based Husa Group--which operates 170 hotels in 25 cities--at www.husa-hotels-spain.com. Area Hotels, formed in 2001, operates more than 300 such hotel Web sites for 10,000-plus properties in Europe.

flight pass All Flight Pass routes $99 one-way within Europe

Europebyair.com: "All Flight Pass routes $99 one-way within Europe "Hellas Jet, based in Athens, Greece, joined EuropeByAir's $99 FlightPass program. The carrier--with routes from Greece to Brussels, London, Manchester and Paris--is the 25th airline to join up. In related news, FlightPass customers can now fly to new European Union member Cyprus thanks to new thrice-daily flights from Athens on Aegean Airlines. For more on FlightPass, visit http://www.europebyair.com or call (888) 231-9455.

amadeus

eyefortravel.com - Travel Distribution News, Events and Analysis: "Amadeus is set to complete the acquisition of its NMC in Bulgaria by purchasing the remaining 51% of shares from Balkan Bulgarian Airlines. (6/9/2004)"

travelzoo

eyefortravel.com - Travel Distribution News, Events and Analysis: "Ashbrooke joins Travelzoo from iVillage Inc "Travelzoo Inc has announced that it has named Nancy Ashbrooke as vice president of human resources, with effect from 14 June.

tech more re sabre v galileo

eyefortravel.com - Travel Distribution News, Events and Analysis: "Fourteen leading travel agencies have switched to the Sabre global distribution system (GDS) over the past two months in the largest single group of business wins the company has ever seen in the UK. Another 38 from France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Switzerland and The Netherlands have also converted to the system. (6/9/2004)"

orbitz

TRAVELCOM Report Newsletter: " June 9, 2004 � Vol. 4 Issue 3
Travel Commerce Report:
Your Source for Travel Commerce News & Analysis
TravelCom Expo Update:
Save the dates! TravelCom 2005 to be held April 27-29 at the Marriott Marquis in New York City.
Research
75 Percent of Americans Plan to Travel this Summer: Yahoo! Travel/Harris Interactive
Higher Prices at the Pump are Greatly Influencing Consumers' Behavior and Spending Habits: The NPD Group
Airlines
Airlines Find Fuel Prices Tough to Swallow
Flying With Cleaner Air In Mind
Hotels
Hotels Ride the Recovery
Hotels Are Spending More on Ads Numerous Hotel Chains
New Campaign from Red Lion Hotels Brings the Lion to Life
Security
Report on Travel to Summer 2004 Olympics Report Cites Practical Methods to Avoid Security Threats
Visa Delays Cost US Firms $30 Billion
People
HSMAI Announces Two Executive Promotions
Search Begins For New TIA President And CEO
Orbitz Appoints Steve Tracas President of Orbitz for Business
Sentient Jet Names Hankin CEO



RESEARCH
75 Percent of Americans Plan to Travel this Summer: Yahoo! Travel/Harris Interactive
Three out of four Americans plan to travel this summer, according to a recent survey conducted by Yahoo!(R) Travel and Harris Interactive. Additionally, the average amount summer vacationers plan to spend is $1,756 per household, including transportation costs, accommodations, food expenses and entertainment.
While 75 percent of Americans indicate they plan to take a summer vacation this year, 14 percent are still undecided on how or where they will be spending it.
Overall, more respondents plan to spend their vacation at the beach (21%) and visiting family and friends (2"

USA travel intentions & spend survey

TRAVELCOM Report Newsletter: "75 Percent of Americans Plan to Travel this Summer: Yahoo! Travel/Harris Interactive
Three out of four Americans plan to travel this summer, according to a recent survey conducted by Yahoo!(R) Travel and Harris Interactive. Additionally, the average amount summer vacationers plan to spend is $1,756 per household, including transportation costs, accommodations, food expenses and entertainment. "

eatin.lastminute.com

from promo comp as in newsletter...Dear pete,

thank you for registering for this fantastic prize!
The winner will be announced on June 30.
We would like to take this opportunity to introduce (or remind you of) the Eatin service: a unique web site where you can order takeaway meals effortlessly, and benefit from great value, choice, and convenience. We have thousands of restaurants on-line covering most of the country, and we're growing fast.
We hope you will like the service - we have listed the restaurants serving your address below.
Just click to order now... eatin.lastminute.com

eatin.lastminute.com: "
Find the restaurants that deliver to your home or office, then place your order online!

Just tell us where you are, for example (W1 2AB), and we'll find the restaurants that deliver to your area. Any questions? Just call 0870 443 9904. We're here for you 7 days a week"

tech events tours tickets & comps

SAN FRANCISCO -- Viator, which sells tours and attractions' tickets through many consumer Web sites, developed technology to send customers immediate and delayed confirmations for reservationsTW Crossroads: "Viator's distribution partners include Orbitz, Travelocity, Wyndham, Galileo, Hotwire, British Airways, Air France and PlacesToStay.com. "

opodo news The price is right - 10-Jun-04.

The price is right - 10-Jun-04.: "Opodo has launched a service that emails customers when a flight comes up at the right price.


Registered users of the website can request up to five email alerts to be sent to them when a specified flight comes within their price range, or when the price changes. The user inputs the destination, specifying length of stay, month of travel, and how long they wish the alert to remain active.


The service, called Fare Alert, is free and is available on the UK, French and German websites. To register users need to provide an email address, date of birth and contact telephone number.


A spokeswoman said that text alerts were being considered, but not in imminently."

Upcoming industry shows Technology Show is 90% sold - 10-Jun-04.

Technology Show is 90% sold - 10-Jun-04.: "The Travel Technology Show, which takes place on February 1-2 next year at Olympia in London, will be in its second year. It will run alongside the Business Travel Show again."

Tourism Ireland - trade site relaunch

"http://www.tourismirelandinfo.com/">Tourism Ireland

Ireland Minister announces funding for twelve projects under the Tourism Product Development Scheme

Minister announces funding for twelve projects under the Tourism Product Development Scheme: "Mr. John O'Donoghue, TD, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, today (26th May, 2004) announced that funding of up to �13.5 million has been allocated to twelve projects under Failte Ireland's Tourism Product Development Scheme. Included is a grant for Clare County Council of up to a maximum of almost �10 million (50% of eligible expenditure) towards the major re-development of the visitor attractions at the Cliffs of Moher in Co Clare."

updates for transport pages .

Would need similar feed for public travellers newsKeep up-to-date with all the news and special offers from the low-cost airlines with Cheapflights.co.uk

Ryanair is extending its "Summer Sale" until midnight tonight, (Thursday). Travel in July and August from 99p one-way excluding taxes.


Book by midnight on Friday, 11 June to take advantage of flybmi's seat sale. The airline is offering 70,000 seats from Heathrow to Glasgow (£49), Aberdeen (£59), Amsterdam (£59), Brussels (£59), Teesside (£68) and Leeds Bradford (£69). Fares are return, include taxes and are valid for a weekend stay between 14 June and 1 August.


Germanwings is holding one of their regular "Crazy Weekends" with 119,000 tickets from €19 (£12) incl. taxes. All flights are to/from Cologne and/or Stuttgart. Travel until 30 October. Book until Sunday at 10.59pm (or 11.59pm outside the UK and Ireland).


Fly from Gatwick to Faro with Monarch Scheduled for £69 return incl. taxes. Book before 13 June. Travel up to 31 October.


Flybe has 100,000 seats available from Southampton, Exeter, Birmingham, Bristol, Belfast City and Gatwick to all their destinations. Prices start at £15 one-way with taxes. Book by 17 June.


Mytravellite's current offers include one-way fares with taxes to Dublin and Knock from £15; Barcelona and Palma from £35 and Alicante and Malaga from £39. Travel between 1 and 31 July Mon-Thurs.
New route - bmibaby: From 29 June, the Midlands-based airline will be flying between Glasgow and Nottingham East Midlands Airport three times a day.


New route - The Isle of Man is now linked to Stansted for the first time. Euromanx has introduced a twice-daily service. Fares start from £69 return with taxes. There are also flights from Liverpool, Dublin, Edinburgh and Glasgow.


New route - Alitalia is to launch a service from Manchester to Milan on 1 July and is offering flights from £99. From Milan to Rome £99, Turin £119, Ancona, Genoa, Perugia and Trieste £125; Bologna, Florence, Pisa and Venice £126; Naples £135; Bari, Brindisi, Catania, Lamezia Terme and Palermo £165. Book by 15 June and travel after 1 July.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Megabus.com is adding more journeys on some of its services to and from London. New return journeys are being added on the Cardiff, Bristol and Brighton routes from 28 June. Seats start from £1, with higher fares for last-minute bookings or popular journeys. Megabus.com now offers a text messaging service. Customers can receive booking reference numbers by mobile for 10p each.


Holiday Autos is offering 25 per cent off all rentals in June. Destinations include Tenerife from £63, Malaga from £70, Alicante from £77, Faro from £84, Athens from £112, Pisa from £140 and Dublin from £119. All prices are per week.

iMedia Connection: Travel Buying Has Changed Forever

iMedia Connection: Travel Buying Has Changed Forever: "Bala Subramanian, senior vice president of brand integration at Hilton Hotels. Subramanian, whose responsibility spans Hilton, Embassy Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn, Homewood Suites and Doubletree "

Chusid, managing director of Americas sales and marketing for Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines says, "Historically, airlines ran fare sales in newspapers, or even on TV and radio, but that's less common now, as the Internet allows for such dynamic changes. Just putting a low fare in the market does work, since sophisticated monitoring systems pick actions up quickly. But most consumers don't have their 'radar' out, so it's important to place the price in targeted places, such as the Internet travel agencies and on one's corporate Web site, while at the same time minimizing cannibalization, or the dilution of higher fares that would otherwise be charged...

Stellwag and other airline marketers are partial to rich media, since it vastly outperforms traditional banners on every branding metric.

some vendors are trying to get their customers back from the middlemen, and are willing to match them or offer prices to beat them, such as Hilton does with the hotel sites."

Hilton's Subramanian says, "These aggregator sites provide a useful complement to our efforts with loyal customers that we have a relationship with, but their costs and commissions are substantially higher, so our hotels use them primarily as a source of distress bookings.

Stellwag agrees. "Aggregator sites such as Orbitz tend to be great for shopping, but supplier sites (airline and hotel) tend to be great for buying. We see it time after time. Consumers know that aggregators provide the richest information on multiple suppliers, but that the best airfares sometimes hide on the airline's Web sites.""

visitbritain

travmedia.com: "To help visitors discover these and other gardens in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, VisitBritain has published a free guide called �Britain�s Gardens,� available from VisitBritain�s Travel Center, Suite 701, 551 Fifth Avenue (at 45th Street), in New York City, Mondays through Fridays between 9.00am and 6.00pm. VisitBritain�s Travel Center can also be reached via email at: travelinfo@visitbritain.org or telephone on Toll Free: 1 877 899 8391. Online: www.visitbritain.com/usagardens, where visitors can order the guide online and have the chance to win a trip to Britain."

travmedia.com

travmedia.com: "Birmingham based Thomas Cook Airlines is flying high, having topped the league of Britain�s charter airlines for punctuality at the West Midlands airport.It has soared into top position cutting the average delay to 6 minutes and achieving *89.9% of all its flights departing On-Time."

Managing Director Glen Chipp
Thomas Cook Airlines UK 24 hour press office 0161-489-6373
Birmingham International Airport press team 0121-767-8024
*Figures based on statistics from Birmingham International Airport for the Nov03 to Mar04 period

TV PICTURES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST For further press information, please contact Shaun Robinson on 0161-489-6373, or at shaun.robinson@thomascook.com

Mitchell Corp (NZ) Au comp

travmedia.com
travmedia.com: "Chris Mitchell, Managing Director of Mitchell Corp (NZ) Ltd announces CEO, Matt Standing has become a financial partner in the company.

Chris Mitchell established the company over 19 years ago providing sales, marketing and reservations services to its accommodation clients throughout New Zealand and Australia. The company operates the Mainstay Hotels, Oceania Resorts & Apartments and Golden Chain Motel brands in addition to the �Go Kiwi� and �Go Koala� product range."

Australian office headed by Denise Scrafton, appointed UK based Madeline Elliott and Mark Hallem to manage the UK and Continental Europe markets respectively. Chicago based Annie Sparks represents Mitchell Corp in North America. This international expansion has been built on a strong New Zealand team, based both in Auckland and Christchurch

Matt Standing
CEO
Mitchell Corp New Zealand
Ph: 0274 766 204
Email: matt@mchg.co.nz

Chris Mitchell
Managing Director
Mitchell Corp New Zealand
Ph: 0274 331 140
Email: chris@mchg.co.nz

Thursday, June 10, 2004

Best Western signed a deal with SideStep, a travel search engine,

TW Crossroads: "Best Western, SideStep forge pact (6/9/2004)

By Michael Milligan
PHOENIX -- Best Western signed a deal with http://www.sidestep.com, a travel search engine, to help drive more consumers to its Web site, www.bestwestern.com.
SideStep said that each month more than two million consumers use its product to find information on flights, hotels and car rentals.
'With SideStep, we drive travelers to our [Web site and] ... have the opportunity not only to close sales, but also to strike up an ongoing dialogue with prospective repeat customers,' said Ric Leutwyler, Best Western's senior vice president, brand quality and member service.
'Driving consumers to our partners' sites gives hoteliers a chance to connect with travelers, forging direct relationships between brands and buyers,' said Don Smith, SideStep's vice president, hotels.
In addition to Best Western, JetBlue, Continental Airlines, Orbitz and Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group are among the companies that also partner with SideStep. "

Cheap Airline Tickets, Discount Hotels, Travel Deals - SideStep: "Find travel deals from dozens of sites with one search!

Search dozens of sites at once to save on airline tickets, hotels and rental cars
Automatically compare prices side-by-side with sites like Expedia and Travelocity.
Discover deals from travel providers that other sites miss � like JetBlue."

Consumer Reports survey..ring hotels direct for cheaper rooms

Posted in full so no need to log in for article: TW Crossroads: "Consumer Reports: It pays to call the hotels (6/9/2004)

By Michael Milligan
YONKERS, N.Y. -- Consumer Reports, which in its July issue offers strategies on finding the best hotel deal, found that it got a lower price about 75% of the time from the 100 hotels it contacted directly than it did when comparing their rates on five travel Web sites.
The hitch, however, is that it compared prices it negotiated on the phone with hotel reservations clerks to the rates it found for those properties on Expedia, Orbitz, Quikbook.com, Hotels.com and Travelocity.
A Consumer Reports researcher contacted the hotels and surfed the Web sites about three weeks in advance when looking for room rates on three-night getaways in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, New Orleans and Washington.
'We found that about three out of four times, hotels gave a better deal than the travel Web sites,' according to Consumer Reports' 'Guide to a great rate' in its July issue. 'When hotels were cheaper, the difference was impressive -- averaging $83 per night. When travel sites were cheaper, the average difference was only $61.'
As part of the article, Consumer Reports also surveyed 35,000 readers and found that while nearly 7 of 10 readers were 'very or completely satisfied' with recent hotel stays, one-third had at least one complaint.
Among the top complaints were hotels' poor lighting, unattractive decor and excessive phone charges.
The survey participants picked Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons as the top 'luxury' hotels; Walt Disney Resorts just edged out Embassy Suites among 'upscale' properties; and SpringHill Suites by Marriott and Homewood Suites by Hilton took top honors in the 'moderately priced' category. "

wotif

travmedia.com Wotif.com ( www.wotif.com ) Australasia’s leading last-minute accommodation website announces the appointment of Matthew Harris as UK Manager and the relocation of its European headquarters to central London...

Wotif.com meets the demands and growing trend fuelled by budget airline carriers, of British travellers booking last-minute accommodation independently from their flights online. This trend, combined with Wotif.com’s new strategy and huge product range, will quickly fuel our growth. I look forward to driving this success with our current and future suppliers.”

Wotif.com CEO and Founder, Graeme Wood stated: “Our strategy is to keep things simple and deliver great value last-minute accommodation. The UK is a key market in our international expansion and we find that 90% of our business is coming from repeat custom and word-of-mouth referrals. This quality of service speaks for itself. To drive business in the UK market, we will concentrate on demand generation activities, consolidate our inventory and build key partnerships. Matt’s in-depth hotel industry experience will leverage this and we welcome him onboard.”

About Wotif.com
Founded in 2000, Wotif.com ( www.wotif.com ) is the global specialist in last-minute accommodation. Its easy-to-use website and booking engine offers travellers quality accommodation at competitive prices worldwide. This unique win-win service provides customers with access to accommodation at reduced rates for the next 14 days and fills rooms that would otherwise remain unsold. Wotif.com’s portfolio includes over 6000 hotels, motels, apartments, resorts, guesthouses and bed & breakfasts in 32 countries.

Wotif.com’s European office is located in London and its properties can be booked online or through its call centre which operates a superior and personable customer service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from its Australian headquarters. International offices of Wotif.com are based in Canada, New Zealand and Singapore.

For further information, please contact:

Tristan Rutherford
Public Relations - UK
www.wotif.com
Ph: + 44 207 539 0766
Fax: +44 207 539 0770
tristan.rutherford@wotif.com

Matthew Harris
Manager - UK
www.wotif.com
Ph: +44 207 539 0765
Fax: +44 207 539 0770
matthew.harris@wotif.com

Search Press Releases close
Keywords:
Search: All of Wotif.com
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Wednesday, June 09, 2004

You're Probably Using Internet Explorer Right Now

You're Probably Using Internet Explorer Right Now: "According to OneStat, Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) 6.0 claims 69.3% of the worldwide Internet browser user market, while all versions of Internet Explorer claim 93.9% overall. "

TravelSupermarket - Find cheap flights with Flight Finder

From newsletter:Announcing new improvements to Travelsupermarket.com! 08 June 2004 17:59 http://www.travelsupermarket.com/flights/FlightFinderStep1.asp

Flexible with your departure dates? Then you'll love our brand new feature.
Trying to find the cheapest price to your favourite destination can be tiring - especially to holiday destinations with a charter airline - they often fly out on specific days - meaning you could miss out on your bargain flight!

That's why we've added this brand new feature to Travelsupermarket.com - if you wish to, we'll automatically bring you results of up to 3 days either side of your chosen departure date - who knows, if you can travel a day earlier, you could potentially save £100s!!!

We've applied this feature to our charter airlines for the moment, but we'll be applying this feature to more airlines week by week!

TravelSupermarket - Find cheap flights with Flight Finder: "Please complete the following questions to enable us to trawl the web and find the most competitive flight for you."

Bit slow but seems effective at finding lowest prices

Event Leeds Castle Hot Air Balloon & Vintage Car Festival

travmedia.com Leeds Castle Hot Air Balloon & Vintage Car Festival September 11 and 12

Also
Open Air Concerts on June 26 and July 3

www.leeds-castle.com

openjet.com Cheap Flights

Cheap Flights From openjet.com - europe's low fare flight search & booking engine. Search and look for cheap air fares: "Tired of searching multiple sites for the best deals? Frustrated with figuring out connections between different airlines? Welcome to Openjet.com � where fare searching is made simple. Designed for ultimate ease of use, openjet.com lets you compare, combine and book low-cost tickets with the low-cost airlines. openjet.com does the work for you.
We only search High Quality Low Fare Airline sites for you, giving you the most competitive point to point routes - no long bus journeys from green field airports miles from the city centre! One search on openjet.com will query the following airlines; Easyjet, MytravelLite, BMIbaby, Volareweb, Basiq Air, HLX and Germanwings . From a total of 91 different destinations, simply select your starting point, destination and preferred dates to see all your options in seconds"

Tuesday, June 08, 2004

Help Yourself to a KPI! : E-consultancy.com

Help Yourself to a KPI! : E-consultancy.com: "which Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) should comprise the basics of your online measuring, testing and optimization activities."

Covers the different aspects of TT site & marketing kpi's:
Ecommerce and Retail Sites
Content
Self-Service and Support Sites
Lead-Generation (PPC)