n siA in alliance move
Singapore Airlines is poised to join Star Alliance on May 2. An announcement is expected at the group’s quarterly meeting in Sydney next month which willformally welcome SIA’s partners Air New Zealand and Ansett Australia into the alliance. SIA already works closely with Star Alliance carrier Lufthansa and is seeking a stake in member Thai Airways.
n advantage promotion
Advantage Travel Centres has promoted RayDickinson to the new post of marketing manager. Dickinson was previously sales developmentmanager for Advantage in the west and southwest of England.
n aer lingus boost
Buoyant traffic on UK routes helped Aer Lingus increase pre-tax profits to ú40m in the year toDecember 31 1998. The rise, from ú35m in 1997, was reflected by a 10% increase in passengernumbers to 5.8m.
n VIRGIN DROPS OUT
Virgin Atlantic has dropped out of the bidding for a minority stake in South African Airways. Thedecision leaves a four-way fight between favourite Lufthansa, KLM, Swissair and American Airlines.
n peel profit boost
Peel Hotels has reported a ú754,264 pre-tax profit in its first full financial year to February 21. The group now holds the lease for the Bull Hotel in Peterborough and the Midland Hotel inBradford and has themanagement contracts for 29 former Thistleproperties across the UK.