STEWART TRAVEL'S 'BEST IN THE WEST' WIN SPAA TRAVEL QUIZ 2013 IN HOT FINAL!

Drawing ahead in the final round by a tight 5 points, Stewart Travel's Team - 'Best In The West' - were victorious in last night's Grand Final of the 2013 SPAA Travel Quiz, beating off hot competition from Thomas Cook's 'George Street Gals'.

At the end of the closely fought competition, Stewart Travel had 208 points; Thomas Cook were Runners-up with 203 points, and Alba Travel's 'Airheads' shared 3rd Place with Travel 2's 'Travel 3' on 195 points.

28 Teams - yet another record - contested this year's Quiz, with 9 reaching the Grand Final (although only 8 were able to compete due to staff problems at the other Finalist - ATPI's 'Choir Boys').

Immediate Past President Brian Potter (Clyde Travel) welcomed the assembled company on behalf of President Kevin Thom (QA Business Travel), beginning with a vote of thanks to Travel 2 for another year of excellent hospitality in hosting the Final in Glasgow HQ - Skypark. He also thanked Sponsors - Superbreak, Glasgow/Edinburgh/Aberdeen Airports and Virgin Atlantic for once again offering splendid prizes; respectively - short break vouchers, Kindles and air tickets (worldwide).

Commenting on the fact that Questionmaster Aman Kohli was officiating - in his own unique way - for an 8th and final year, ably assisted by colleague Lisa Menzies, Brian went on to present Aman with a 'one-of ' 'Aman Kohli On Tour' teeshirt (take a look at the Gallery, above) and a bottle of single malt; he also made a presentation to Lisa, who will be retiring at the same time as Aman. Taking up the mantle from 2014 (and the cudgels, where necessary?) will be Council Member Irene Darracott (Connoisseur Travel).

As always, Aman's unconscious humour spiked the evening with good-natured controversy and much laughter. Perhaps his best question of the evening (and possibly, ever!) - an impromptu tie-breaker between the Alba Airheads and Travel 3 - was, "Which Magazine is published by what organisation?". It could be construed as the world's first unanswerable question, but SPAA Today understands the intended answer is the Consumer Association! Ultimately, the two 3rd place contenders were inseparable and a generous Wendy Cameron offered vouchers to both Teams.

During the evening, SPAA Secretary Janice Hogarth made a collection for the Association's designated charity - CHAS (Children's Hospice Association Scotland).

MTB 14/06/2013

Reports by Kevin Thom, SPAA President ... and check out the Gallery for all the pictures from the Heats

ABERDEEN HEAT - 28 MAY 2013

Tuesday night saw the final heat of the SPAA Travel Quiz in Aberdeen, with a record amount of teams entering. After a very closely fought battle, the Alba Airheads were the worthy winners, closely followed by Beaver Travel and ATP International. These teams will now join the winners from both Glasgow and Edinburgh in the final to be held in Glasgow in June. Let the battle commence!!

KT 30/05/13

THE ABERDEEN TEAMS :

Alba Travel : The Airheads : Heat Winners

Beaver Travel : The Quizzy Rascals : Runners-up

ATPI : The Choir Boys : Third Place

ATPI : The 3 Amigos

FCM Solutions : The Tortured Souls

Munro's Travel Group : Munrosia's Rice Puddings

Munro's Travel Group : Quiz Akabusi

Portman Travel : The Portables

QA Business Travel : 3 Men On A Fact Hunt

RCI : Here For The Beer

Trailfinders : Trains, Planes & Hot Air Balloons

EDINBURGH HEAT - 21 MAY 2013

Last night, the runaway winning team at the Edinburgh heat of the SPAA Quiz was the Dickson Dippits (John, Mark and Siobhan) In 2nd place was Traveleads and, after a closely fought battle, the 3rd place went to Thomas Cook's George Street Gals from Perth. The winning teams, along with Glasgow's top 3 and the 3 finalists from next week's Aberdeen Heat will all compete in the Grand Final in Glasgow on Thursday 13 June.

KT 22/05/13

THE EDINBURGH TEAMS :

Ian Dickson Travel : The Short Straws : Heat Winners

Traveleads : The Triple Nines : Runners-up

Thomas Cook : The George Street Gals : Third Place

Connoisseur Travel : The Three Sages

Connoisseur Travel : The Three Stooges

Osprey Holidays : Osprey Ski

Trailfinders : The Three Goolies

GLASGOW HEAT - 14 MAY 2013

It was a closely fought night at the Glasgow heat of the SPAA Travel Quiz. Our Quizmaster Kohli was his usual entertaining self but was kept in tow by Quiz Mistress Irene. The leader board chopped and changed throughout the night but the worthy winners - the team from Costwatchers - were closely followed by Travel 2 in 2nd place and Kenneth Macleod Travel in 3rd place. All the teams did extremely well with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd placed competing in the final in Glasgow on 13 June. Next week the battle will continue with the Edinburgh Heat on Tuesday 21 May. So make sure you watch this space to see who will make it to the grand final!

KT 17/05/13

THE GLASGOW TEAMS :

Costwatchers : The Costies : Heat Winners

Travel 2 : Travel 2 : runners-up

Kenneth McLeod Travel : Third Place

Clyde Travel

Hays Travel

Stewart Travel : The Best In The West

Travel Counsellors : No Clue ATOL

Travel 2 : The T Amigos

Travel 2 : Make Mine A Stella

MTB 31/05/13

SPAA SEEKS SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT ASSURANCES ON ‘DEVOLVED’ APD

Following Alex Salmond’s recent media statement, in which he indicated he would be ‘minded to reduce’
APD should responsibility for the tax be devolved to the Scottish Government, SPAA President Kevin Thom has sought a written assurance from the First Minister that ‘a major reduction would be implemented’ in such circumstances, and details of how the resulting shortfall in revenue would be made up.

In his response on behalf of the First Minister, Keith Brown MSP – the Minister for Transport and Veterans
– whilst stopping short of providing his direct assurance regarding a reduction in the tax, has spoken of the Scottish Government’s shared frustration at the ‘significant and recurring increases in APD and the competitive disadvantage this represents’. In his letter, he goes on to confirm that continued pressure is
being applied on the UK Government to devolve responsibility for APD as quickly as possible, and that
if and when it is, he will consult with stakeholders before introducing any new legislation at Holyrood.

Mr Brown concludes that the Scottish Government ‘would look to introduce a more competitive regime’,
supporting route development, improving direct international connectivity and facilitating sustainable
economic growth.

Commenting on the response, the SPAA President said, "The Scottish Government’s goals are admirable
ones, shared by the SPAA, but not at the cost of continuing with APD at current levels. This is a serious
issue on which we will continue to press both Holyrood and Westminster for pragmatic and supportive
action.”

MTB 24/05/13

THE LATEST futureSPAA UPDATE FROM GAYLE GORDON

 It does not seem like a month since the last SPAA newsletter but here I am again with all the latest news in the world of Scottish Travel.  There really is a lot going on at the moment with Associates as well as the SPAA!!

Firstly, the dates have now been announced for the ever popular SPAA Quiz.  The heats will be held in Glasgow on 14 May, Edinburgh 21 May & Aberdeen on 28 May, with the final battle in Glasgow on 13 June. If you haven’t already entered, there is still time, so come on, put a team together and have a great night out.

The SPAA Summer Ball is the next major event.  Tickets are now on sale and selling very quickly, so, if you don’t want to miss out, make sure you check out www.spaa.org for more information or, alternatively, e-mail jhogarth@spaa.org to reserve a space.

Now that I have alerted you to the SPAA up and coming events, here is the latest news, etc. from Suppliers & Tour Operators.

Edinburgh Airport has launched free Wi-Fi as part of its wider commitment to provide passengers with the best possible experience.  This new service enables passengers to access up to two hours of free internet access for any type of device, from anywhere within the terminal

Glasgow Airport is to strengthen its 2013 summer schedule to North Cyprus with the addition of Cyprus Premier Holidays.  This UK based Company will, with effect from 20 June to the end of July, operate a weekly direct flight to North Cyprus.  Remember, North Cyprus belongs to Turkey and, therefore, the official currency, i.e. Turkish Lira, is, at present, excellent value.  This is available to all SPAA members.  Also, don’t’ forget, additional capacity from Glasgow to Palma will be available for 30 June, 7 & 14 July, courtesy of Avro & Cosmos.

Holiday Extras as you are probably all aware is celebrating 30 years of trading and, to reward the Travel Trade for their support in achieving this milestone, the top performing Agents can win Gold Award Tickets to various events, i.e. Ascot VIP Day, West End shows, the X-Factor Live Tour & the Brit Awards.  Agents will also be treated to Silver Awards for team nights out as well as Bronze Awards for sweetie hampers.  Now, I know that all of you love incentives, so make sure that you watch out for more details on this fantastic enticement.

Attraction World – Breaking News….regional theatre tickets are now on sale on the website, which is a great addition to what is already a fantastic product!  Tickets for shows in Edinburgh, Cardiff, London, Liverpool, Manchester & Newcastle are already available, with more shows & locations coming soon. 

Miya has sent me lots of offers, but there is one that really jumps out and I really need to share with you.  If you need to get in shape and fancy a bikini body (which, let’s face it, the majority of us do), why not book the world residential fitness boot camps in the UK.  With 50% off, these camps, which are available at three locations, Cotswolds, Peak District & Dorset, start from only £175.00 per person!!  Any chance of a wee Educational, Miya??  Make sure that you complete the online training module on Thailand & Mexico before 31 May to be in a with a chance to win some fabulous prizes.

News on the Airline front as follows:-

KLM & Air France - Remember, Remember (ok, wrong time of year I know) that the KLM paid baggage option has been delayed until 14 May.  Also, don’t forget, there are now increased frequencies from regional airports to Amsterdam & Paris (CDG), allowing better connections to many worldwide destinations.  New services will include Kuala Lumpur, Montevideo & Minneapolis.

Air France, in conjunction with its partner, Cityjet, are excited to add new affordable MiNi fares in addition to their all-inclusive Classic fares on short & medium haul routes.  These new fares, which are on sale for travel from 05 June, are ideal for price-conscious travellers who wish to travel light and prefer a simplified product at a reduced cost.  Passengers can, however, continue to take advantage of complimentary snacks & drinks, as well as one piece of hand luggage weighing up to 12 kgs.

BMI REGIONAL has, for the 8^th consecutive year, been named the UK’s most punctual airline, with almost 94% of its flights departing within 15 minutes of the allotted time.  The airline operates in Scotland from (1) Aberdeen to Bristol, Esjberg, Manchester & Norwich, (2) Edinburgh to Brussels, Copenhagen, Zurich & Manchester and (3) Glasgow to Copenhagen.  For more information, check outwww.bmiregional.com

EMIRATES  has announced two new routes, i.e. Haneda in Japan available from 30 June and Clark in The Philippines from 01 October.  The capacity to Bangkok will be increased to 5 x daily and, with effect from 27 October, a second A380 will be introduced on this route.  Also, as of 07 October, the capacity to Hong Kong will be increased to 4 x daily.

Passengers can now take advantage of 20% discount on car parking at Glasgow – details online atwww.emirates.com - go to Special Offers and then to Fly Emirates from Glasgow.

Now to the water!!:-

NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINES  - I was extremely lucky to be invited onboard the amazing Norwegian Breakaway last week.  To say I was completely “blown away” is an understatement!! Many, many thanks to Norwegian & Martin for allowing so many of us to experience this fantastic ship at first hand.

There are some amazing prices available on Epic starting from only £772.00 person, flying direct from Glasgow, so make sure you get booking.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN – If you fancy some vouchers, all you need to do is create & confirm any new automated booking for 2013, then log onto www.cruisingpower.co.uk , register your entry form and, every day in May, 2 x £100 Lifestyle vouchers can be won.

CELEBRITY CRUISES’ May Campaign includes onboard spending for Ocean View categories and above.  However, if clients move up a stateroom category, they will receive double the amount of onboard credit and, if they book a balcony, they will receive US$500 onboard credit!  Not only that, but, on selected sailings, the Classic Drinks Package is courtesy of Celebrity.  Once again, check outwww.cruisingpower.co.uk for full details.

AZAMARA has extended its biggest offer ever until 31 May 2013.   If you book one of the selected voyages, customers will receive a double upgrade from Club interior to Club balcony PLUS free or reduced flights!

Now to Tour Operators:-

AIRWAYS HOLIDAYS  has extended the £25/£50.00 per person discount until the end of May on holiday from regional airports to both Guernsey and Jersey!  Don’t forget, there are now direct flights from Glasgow to Guernsey for the summer period. They also have announced details of their May sale, watch out for forthcoming communications from Airways with more details of their sale, but with discounts of up to 20% at the following hotels, West View, Mountview, Apollo, Beachcombers, Cristina, De France, De Normandie and Runnymede Court your clients could really get a bargain!! Have a look at www.airwaysholidays.com for info!

TRAVEL 2  has now unveiled its new and improved website as a direct result of agent feedback and, I have to say, it does look really good.  Gordon McCreadie, Sales and Marketing Director T2, commented "The huge investment we've put into our new website is exciting news for all agents, the ease of navigation, huge selection of fares and increased ground content provides an online showcase for our vast array of holiday options and we're confident that this upgrade will make booking with Travel 2 even easier"

LUX* has a great offer for the month of May - kids stay/eat/fly for free when visiting LUX* Maldives between 1 May and 30 Sep 2013.  They have been awarded "Best luxury Spa Group" for the innovative LUX* Me Spa concept awarded by World Luxury Spa Awards.  Please check www.luxresorts.com for lots more information & offers.

And finally, US AIRTOURS is offering unbeatable USA & Canada Fly-Drive prices including FREE car Upgrade. Also, FREE Disney dining is back, along with US$200 Disney Spending Money.  Do you know that you will receive a £50.00 Love2Shop voucher with every Disney Cruise Line booking by simply e-mailing your claim to agencysupport@tailormadecruiseholidays.com  Also, your clients will receive a FREE cabin upgrade on Disney Cruise Lines Mediterranean bookings.  All these offers are onwww.usairtours.co.uk

I hope you have all had a great Bank Holiday weekend and will maybe catch up with many of you at the SPAA Quiz.

As always, remember to find me on the Future SPAA Facebook page as this is used by many of our Associates who are continually updating this with news and offers.  Same time again next month?

Bye for now!!

Gayle