Scottish agency chain Barrhead Travel is targeting American customers by launching a website selling international and domestic flights in the US.
The company made an attempt to sell holidays to US clients several years ago, but found there was too much red tape.
Chairman Bill Munro said: “That was in the days before e-ticketing when we had to send documentation, so it was too much trouble.”
The firm is already using the domain name, flightsdirect.com, in the UK and will launch it in the US in two weeks’ time, selling international and domestic flights including no-frills airlines.
Barrhead has also revealed plans to open another shop in East Kilbride, near Glasgow.
“In East Kilbride we have just completed a deal to buy the land and we will start building in eight weeks. We hope it will be completed by February 2011. It will be a 2,000sq ft store so could have up to 30 staff.”
Initial feedback on Barrhead’s own tour operation has been positive, added Munro. The firm is offering holidays to Barcelona and Palma from Glasgow during the summer months, in a bid to plug the gap left by the collapse of Globespan and Seguro.