Universal Studios Escape has joined forces with Lunn Poly to boost sales of three-day Escape Passes. The promotion will involve Universal point of sale material appearing in Lunn Poly shops while staff will be offered incentives to push the tickets. Pictured launching the promotion are Amanda Tompkins from Lunn Poly’s Chiswick branch and Alasdair Farrimond from Universal Studios Escape.
UNIJET has increased regional capacity to Florida in its 1999/2000 programme to the Sunshine State.
Additional seats are available from Newcastle, which has its own weekly Boeing 767 departure instead of sharing a flight from Manchester, and Cardiff, where seat capacity is quadrupled.
“We tested Cardiff this year and it has worked well,” said joint managing director Terry Brown. He refused to say how many seats Unijet will have from the Welsh airport.
Unijet also operates flights from Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Belfast and Glasgow using Air 2000 and Airtours International.
New on Air 2000 flights is an on-board Disney service, with entertainment, a fun-pack, 32-page Walt Disney World guide and the chance to buy a seven-day Disney pass from the crew.
The brochure, on sale now for holidays starting in September, concentrates on Orlando, but also offers the Gulf Coast, Fort Lauderdale andcruising.
Lead package price is £389 per person for 14 nights in Orlando, while flydrives start at £299 per person, also for two weeks. Brown said prices are similar to this year.
“Florida is a mature destination so there are few changes to the programme, but we are pushing more the idea of pre-paying for extras such as theme park passes and insurance for clients hiring a car,” said Brown.
He admitted that bookings to Florida are depressed this year so Unijet has held capacity at current levels, which is down on 1997. He would not reveal figures.
He added:”We are seeing a resurgence for this summer, although yield is not good as there is a lot of capacity out there, but I think we are back on track for summer 2000.”
n Thomson pleased with agent response
Thomson Travel Group claims to have received a massive response after sending out hundreds ofletters to independent travel agents inviting them to sell their business to the market leader or enter into a partnership (Travel Weekly April 19). Thomson retail developmentmanaging director Nigel Cleevely refused to reveal how many had contacted the operator, but said: “We are extremely pleased with the response. People are keen to talk to us, whether it is about alliances orpartnerships.”
n Kosmar ditches regional supplement
Greece specialist Kosmar has dropped supplements for clients flying from seven regional airports until May 20. The move saves clients up to £40 each.
n Goodger landsco-op tours role
Midlands Co-op Travel has appointed Esta Goodger as the first UK tours escortfor its coach holidayprogramme. Thebrochure carried 7,000holidaymakers in 1998.
n commission to 20% on norwegian voyages
Scandinavian TravelService is paying agents 20% commission on allNorwegian Coastal Voyage bookings made for August departures from theCruising with a Difference brochure.
n travel 2 plansglasgow call centre
Long-haul specialist Travel 2 is opening a new callcentre to improve itstelephone reservationsservice to agents. Up to30 staff will be employed at the new Glasgow centre by September growing to 50 by the end of the year. The move follows delays ingetting through to theoperator’s reservations centre. Travel 2 also has call centres in Manchester and London.
CADOGAN has launched its first cities and short-break programme with four and five-star stays in nine destinations.
The move follows the expansion of routes by its sister company GB Airways.
Managing director Gary David predicted first year carryings would hit 5,000.
“The range of countries now served by GB Airways gives us a chance to challenge this fast-expanding market,” he said.
The programme features Portugal, Spain, Majorca, Gibraltar, Morocco, Tunisia Madeira, Malta, Cyprus and Jersey.
Prices lead in at £334 for three nights’ bed and breakfast at the five star Hotel Occidental Monte Picayo in Valencia.
The majority of flights will be on GB Airways out of Gatwick but other carriers will also be used from Heathrow, Manchester and Luton.
UNIJET has launched its winter 1999-2000 Las Vegas programme ahead of finalising capacity for the millennium.
Joint managing director Terry Brown said hotels have had rooms blocked off for two or three years.
“Some are trickling back now so we are waiting to see what we can get. But there are 10-fold price increases at some hotels so I question the validity of offering it,” he added.
Clients have to phone Unijet for millennium prices.
Lead price in the brochure, on sale now for holidays from November 1999 until April 2000, is £399 for a week in the city based on four sharing.
The programme also has new flights from Prestwick, on November 29, December 13, and April 24. Brown said the airport was an afterthought this winter, but had sold well.
The brochure also features a new eight-day flydrive visiting Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Lake Powell and the Grand Canyon. Prices start at £299 a person.
CHRIS Browne has left Thomas Cook after failing to reach agreement on a new role in the company.
Thomas Cook spent six weeks trying to find a position for the former managing director of Carlson Worldchoice but finally admitted defeat last week.
Thomas Cook retail and direct managing director Andrew Windsor said he was disappointed at losing Browne, who is widely respected in the industry. Many observers thought she deserved a director role in the newly mergedoperation.
Browne has already attracted offers both inside and outside the industry but declined to reveal details at this stage.
“I am weighing up my options but would prefer to stay in travel,” she said.
“Thomas Cook did all it could to find a role for me and some of the positions were very interesting. But it would have mean relocating to Peterborough which is the major reason for my departure.”