p12 nov7 5/11/08 17:17 Page 12
news
ttglive.com
After Wife Swap, here’s agent swap
Kay McLellan.
of Bradford-based Idle Travel, who will trade a shopping mall and Lindsay’s in a village – so
TWO Advantage members have agreed their own places next Friday with Lindsay Salvini, of Home it will be interesting to see the similarities and
version of Wife Swap, trading places for a day to & Away, in the nearby village of Queensbury. differences.
find out how the other agency works. Both agents hope to share best practice and “Everybody, including the staff, will gain from
“Agent swap” is the idea of Tony Mann, owner get an insight into what they could be doing it and it will show us some of the things we’re
better. If the swap proves successful, Advantage doing right and wrong.”
may encourage other members to have a go. Salvini said: “We can share best practice and
Mann and Salvini will initially spend half a day perhaps help each other on our bottom lines.
observing, before spending a full day on the floor “We’ve nothing to lose on this and I’m always
of each other’s businesses. Each will fill out a looking to get new ideas.
form so they can compare notes. “Tony is quite open and so are we. Already just
Mann said: “I’m a reality TV addict and I thinking about the objectives and what we want
thought Wife Swap would be a good idea to put to identify has been a really good exercise.”
into an agent format, hopefully with fewer rows.
Agent swap: Lindsay Salvini and Tony Mann “We have different types of agencies – mine in ■Full “agent swap” report in TTG November 28
Holiday Extras
seeks agent aid
to redesign site
HOLIDAY Extras is to overhaul its trade website
as part of a £200,000 rebrand – and is seeking
agent input on the plans.
The company, which celebrates its 25th
anniversary this year, said it was the right time
for a review as 80% of its bookings now came
online.
Agents can use a form on the trade homepage
to vote on potential new functions and suggest
their own ideas for the look and feel of the site.
Ideas being considered include enabling all
products to be searched in one go rather than
individually, and an enhanced, Google-style
search facility allowing much broader requests.
Another proposal is for Holiday Extras staff to
MY BEAUTIFUL BALLOON: High above the Masai Mara game reserve, Suzanne Tanner make bookings on behalf of agents, who would
(fourth right) of Newell’s Travel enjoys Kenya from the basket of a hot-air balloon. She provide them with basic information and receive
was part of a group of travel agents who visited the country courtesy of Somak Holidays. the same commission.
The site could also display the last five
bookings made and the commission earned.
Holiday Taxis offers ski resort service
The initial stage of the rebrand has already
seen a new-look consumer site launched.
HOLIDAY Taxis has introduced a ski transfer range of transfers offered, including transfer Matthew Pack, web and marketing director,
programme and interactive map designed to time and prices. Transport options include said: “We’re always careful with introducing new
help travel agents book ski transfers. shared shuttles, private taxis and minibuses. functionality and are already getting suggestions
The service has been introduced to cover the Sales and marketing director Russell Parr said: for the site.
main ski resorts in France, Austria, Switzerland, “In the past selling a ski transfer has been a “We have our own ideas and are obviously
Italy, Bulgaria and Andorra. challenge; that challenge has now gone away. trying to make it as simple as possible, but
The interactive ski map on its website allows “While our competitors may offer some ski agents know what’s right for them and have
agents to immediately see which resorts can be transfers, our service provides agents with the strong opinions on things.”
reached from the client’s destination airport. most comprehensive programme and the easiest Holiday Extras aims to launch the revamped
A click on the chosen resort will show the way in which to book it.” trade site within six months.
12 07.11.2008
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