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 8th 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
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