Travel industry news

Agency considers charter flight after Scotland qualify for first men's World Cup for nearly 30 years

'The sheer volume of people looking to go I think means it will be very good for business,' Thorne Travel's Shona Thorne tells TTG

John Docherty and Demi Johnson join Wendy Wu Tours as BDMs

Docherty arrives from easyJet holidays and will look after agents in Scotland, while Johnson joins from Trailfinders and will manage agent relationships in the north

Jet2 praises agents for getting behind Gatwick base launch

Airline and operator hails trade's response to its Gatwick plans, which it says will underpin its expansion plans over the next decade

Jet2 pins hopes on consumers' trust in brand amid ongoing market caution

Airline and operator predicts only a small capacity increase in the market in 2026, with consumers still reluctant to commit

Aer Lingus considering closing under-performing Manchester base

Airline weighing up 'long-term viability' of Manchester operation, telling staff options include 'the possibility of a base closure'

WestJet to return to Glasgow and launch new Cardiff route next year

Canadian carrier to serve the two cities four times a week from Toronto Pearson airport

Jet2 says going into Gatwick presents 'a unique opportunity' to extend its footprint

Airline and operator says plans to grow capacity next year will focused primarily on new Gatwick base, where it will put more than 900,000 seats on sale

Brands rapped for misleading hotel pricing as ASA keeps travel in the spotlight

Booking.com and several hotel brands have been sanctioned by the Advertising Standards Authority over misleading prices in promotional ads

Classic Collection's Manisha Blair launches marketing agency for the trade

Blair, who most recently led Classic Collection’s marketing activity, before On the Beach announced it was closing the brand, brings nearly a decade of B2B travel expertise to the new consultancy, offering immediate support as agents prepare for the crucial peaks January trading period.

Blair says she has a track record of working with agents and suppliers to “accelerate brand growth and deepen customer engagement”.

Holiday sector left feeling the heat in huge crackdown on online pricing practices

Holiday and travel businesses issued nearly 20 written warnings by the Competition and Markets Authority – the most of any sector in the spotlight

Garstang Travel owner Nicole Eaves sells up to Althams Travel after 42 years

Garstang will continue to trade under its existing name and branding, and in the same premises, as part of Althams Travel Group, with all nine members of the team staying on

Irish agency Best4Travel grows retail network by 50% with acquisition

Ireland’s Best4Travel has acquired Just Split Travel Group and its five branches as part of its expansion mission

Agents seek fellow neurodivergent travel professionals to join support and discussion group

The agents, Travel Without Limits’ Ben Langsdale, Travel Counsellors’ Helen Maltby and One Travel Club’s Carol DeMartini, all agreed they would like to meet other neurodivergent travel agents, as this can be a challenge.

Langsdale set up the Facebook group (Neurodivergent Travel Professionals - Discussion & Support Group) this month after his interview with TTG. He hopes if the group gains momentum, there may be scope for off-line meet-ups too.

Channel Islands operators rush to secure new airlift after Blue Islands collapse

The closure of Eastern Airways and now Blue Islands has left operators searching for flights to operate their 2026 packages

AI trial will elevate Hays Travel agents 'to a different level', says Dame Irene Hays

Hays hopeful of rolling out AI quote generation tool to shops, independence group members and homeworkers in time for peaks, capable of saving an agent half a day's work

Tui to partially resume Jamaica programme as hotels firm up plans to reopen

Operator to restart stripped back Jamaica programme next week following Hurricane Melissa, while several major hotels – include Sandals – detail their longer-term plans to reopen

Hays Travel inks Ryanair distribution deal to boost city break reach

UK's largest independent joins the likes of Tui and On the Beach in agreeing terms with Ryanair allowing it to dynamically package flights from the budget carrier's vast network

Rivals step in after Blue Islands suspends operations and cancels all flights

Government of Jersey pulls support for the airline, which has served the Channel Islands for more than 25 years

Sandals extends Hurricane Melissa support after Island Challenge exceeds fundraising target

Extra money raised beyond £100,000 target used to buy equipment and resources for Bustamente Hospital for Children in Jamaica's capital Kingston

Andy Squirrell to leave Titan Travel after more than 20 years

Chief commercial officer Squirrell, who joined the Saga-owned brand in 2003, will leave the business at the end of the year

Hampshire agency saves handful of local jobs with expansion to second branch

Ocean World Travel started life as a call centre 30 years ago before jumping into retail in 2017 and is now expanding to a second location

'I’ve never disclosed my diagnosis to a supplier': neurodivergent agents share the challenges of working in travel

Working in travel with a neurodivergence presents opportunities and creates daily challenges; three neurodivergent agents share with TTG how they learnt to make things work for them, and their clients

Virgin Atlantic secures $745 million loan against Heathrow slots to invest in fleet revamp

Cash will allow Virgin to refurbish its Boeing 787-9 aircraft and bring free Starlink WiFi to its entire fleet

New Era Travel ceases trading nine months after agency founder passes away

Alan Godfrey passed away suddenly in February 2025, leaving his sons and wife to run the business, which is now in the process of being liquidated