News

Celebrity Cruises hands Hawke and Stirrup promotions in management shake-up

The premium ocean line has restructured its senior management team to ensure its better positioned to ’meet its strategic goals and respond to the evolving needs of the business’

US warned its airports won't cope with 'mega decade' of sporting events

Country’s airports not ready for ’Thanksgiving-like travel extremes’ ahead of next year’s Fifa World Cup and the 2028 Olympics, warns the US Travel Association

Explore Worldwide teams up with International Rail to offer flight-free breaks

The deal is part of Explore Worldwide’s ongoing focus on sustainability and providing customers with greener travel options

Abta reinstates Baldwins Travel membership as agency appeals expulsion

Baldwins Travel has had its Abta membership reinstated pending an appeal after the association began an investigation into its finances

Jet2 predicts 10% profit lift, but warns of pressure on margins in coming year

Jet2 says it is on course for an 8-10% increase in profits this year, but has also warned its next financial year – beginning as the summer season commences – could see a squeeze on margins

Abta terminates Baldwins Travel's membership after agency 'failed to provide required financial information'

Association’s membership committee resolves to terminate southeast agency’s membership with ’immediate effect’, although its consortium the Advantage Travel Partnership tells TTG Baldwins remains a member ’as it stands’

Virgin Atlantic seals WestJet codeshare ahead of Toronto launch

Virgin Atlantic will offer codeshare connections to 13 Canadian destinations via Toronto under a deal with WestJet that starts next month

'It's time to expand with the trade,' says Atlas Ocean Voyages sales chief

Atlas Ocean Voyages has scheduled six ship visits and a roadshow programme for agents as part of plans to strengthen its support for and ties with the trade this year, international sales lead Bernie Carter has told TTG

InteleTravel agent repeats clever sales trick to land three more group bookings worth €600,000

The new sales come after Dublin-based Lucille Furlong made a booking for 234 people earlier this year, which included members of the Star Struck Dance Academy

Stuart Perl returns to river cruise sector with new international sales role

In his new position, Perl will attract international customers to Scylla’s ships by working with small tour operators which want to charter vessels for individual sailings

UK regains place as Malta’s number one market after record year for island

UK visitation to Malta grew by nearly a third in 2024 making it the Mediterranean island’s number one source market

Elegant Resorts and If Only managing director Lisa Fitzell to stand down

Fitzell to stand down at the end of the month after seven years, with If Only general manager Gordon McCreadie poised to take over as MD of the two luxury brands

Agents to keep ‘up to 100% of commission’ in new homeworkers start-up

Azure’s new luxury homeworking agency hopes to give members more flexibility and freedom.

Air India ramps up summer schedule but suspends Kochi-Gatwick route

Air India will put on extra services from Heathrow, Gatwick and Birmingham this summer, but its non-stop Kochi-Gatwick flight will cease operating from 30 March

Crystal commits to paying agent commission faster

Luxury line will also back date speedier commission payments for all existing, qualifying bookings

Kuoni parent Dertour Group acquires Hotelplan Group and UK brands

Deal covers Hotelplan’s Inghams, Inntravel, Santa’s Lapland and Explore Worldwide brands, but not holiday home specialist Interhome

Aviation minister hints government won't pay for Heathrow third runway groundwork

Aviation minister Mike Kane has indicated funding for the enormous cost of moving the M25 for Heathrow’s third runway won’t come from the public purse

Off Broadway Travel acquires south London agency Travel Designers

It follows Travel Designers owner Nicholas McKay’s decision to step back from day-to-day running of his agency and transition towards retirement after 25 years

Heathrow to upgrade Terminals 2 and 5 ahead of third runway push

Heathrow has made a number of commitments to invest in Britain’s busiest, including increasing capacity at Terminal 2 and Terminal 5, as it pushes ahead with its plans to expand via a third runway

Kellie Samuda says ‘transparency’ is key to new homeworking agency

The luxury travel veteran hopes to grow to 50 homeworkers as her new business takes off

Alison Earnshaw to leave World Travel Holdings UK after nearly 20 years

Group’s UK managing director to step away for personal reasons later this year

Eurostar vows to restore full London-Amsterdam capacity by September

European rail operator has restarted direct services between London and Amsterdam following works at Amsterdam’s central station, and hopes to increase the route to five daily services by 2026

Increase in January customers offset by fall in spend with agents – Barclays

Barclays Consumer Spend report finds transactions through agents in January grew but at reduced value, with airlines not faring so well

Tui heaps praise on independent agents, but focus on app sales bears fruit

Tui has said independent agents are ’very important’ to its business in the UK, but has also highlighted the success of its app during peaks