ADVANTAGE Travel Centres is hoping its business agents’ consortium, called Focus 2000, will be up and running by the end of the month.
The group, which has been set up to negotiate improved deals with airlines and other suppliers for Advantage business travel members, initially had a launch date of January 1 as exclusively revealed in Travel Weekly (August 9 1999).
However, business development manager Norman Gage said he wanted to fine-tune the legal documents before he asks members to sign up.
Gage said:”Focus 2000 is top of my agenda, but it is also a long-term project. There is no point drawing up legal documents which might be obsolete in a few months’ time.
“Ihave to look ahead at what the challenges might be in three years time.” He has already drawn up a business plan and has asked individual members who are interested in joining to comment on the plan.
Initially, some suppliers were believed to have expressed concern about the new group, but are warming to the idea (Travel Weekly November 29 1999).
Gage said: “Initially, the airlines thought that Focus 2000 was just another consortium, but they are now starting to realise the benefit of having another strong group out there.
“Once our members sign the legal document, I will write to all the airlines to brief them about it.”
Between 40-80 Advantage members are expected to sign up to Focus 2000 which Gage hopes will be launched onJanuary 28.
Gage said he is confident that preferred deals agreed with airlines by Focus 2000 can be backdated to January 1.