THE AIRTOURS group is to open its first superstore in Monks Cross, Yorkshire, and is considering branding it under the newly acquired Travelworld brand rather than main agency chain Going Places.
The move follows Going Places’ failure to win planning approval for a superstore in Trafford Retail Park, Manchester (Travel Weekly January 20).
Going Places deputy managing director Paul Evans said Airtours hoped to open in Monks Cross, a new retail shopping centre near York, within four to five months.
“We are discussing the branding now and haven’t drawn conclusions as to whether it will be Going Places or Travelworld,” he said.
Evans said the group had plans for other superstores and claimed they would offer something different on the market.
“Some of the existing superstores are merely large travel agencies,” he said.”Our superstores will be the leading edge and cater for everything, not just be a booking station. The future of agencies is adding value and we must do that.”
n Going Places is to retain its ú10 service charge for transactions under ú100 after a successful three-month trial.
“People have accepted it because we are offering value for money and providing a service by searching for the best fare,” said Evans. “If you ring an airline, you will only get what they want to sell you.”