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News SAA plans to boost African routes SAA looks set to strengthen its regional network, focusing on local and African operations. The airline would not reveal any details about the routes but recent applications for extra flights to destinations SAA already serves hint at the carrier’s plans. According to the Government Gazettes published between the end of August and early September, SAA applied for three flights a week to Luanda, one a week to both Kinshasa and Dar es Salaam and three a week to Harare. Routes getting the biggest boost include Mauritius to which it has applied for a further five flights a week and Windhoek B747s planned for CPT-GBE-LGW A NEW Botswana-based startup airline – Kalahari Airways – plans to launch daily flights from Cape Town to London Gatwick, with a 30-minute stopover in Gaborone, from early 2014. Behind the airline is ceo, Denis Coghlan, a former pilot of the South African Ministry of Defence, who says he has “extensive experience in transportation and, in particular, aviation”. The airline intends to deploy three ex-Qantas B747-400s on the route. It requires a lease purchase facility of $30m for the acquisition of these, as well as a standby facility of $10m to comply with the Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana’s (CAAB) working capital minimums. Coghlan explains: “I’ve been trying to raise the 25% of the sponsor’s contribution I need to qualify for funding by Botswana Development Corporation but without success.” He has now started a crowd funding campaign to raise the necessary funds. He told Travel Buyer he had been contemplating the launch of flights since the day British Airways ceased operations on the GBE-LON route. An advantage of the proposed with seven flights a week. Carla da Silva, regional manager of Air Mauritius for Southern Africa and Latin America, says demand on flights between South Africa and Mauritius exists during peak times and that there has been an increase in corporate demand following retail, banking and IT investments in Mauritius. route, he says, is that travellers will be able to “avoid the inconvenience of transiting through Johannesburg where they need to undergo multiple security checks”. Coghlan explains he wants to offer affordable economy air tickets through heavily marketed discounted fares in both Cape Town and London. He adds that premium seats will be marketed to diamond industry players and corporates from the rapidly expanding business sector in Botswana. Kalahari Airways is currently still awaiting the necessary operating licenses. Manoj Papa resigns from SAA MANOJ Papa, SAA’s acting gm of commerical, has resigned. “The last year and eight months at SAA have been most enjoyable and extremely fulfilling. However, I believe it’s time for change,” he told Travel Buyer. SAA spokesperson, Tlali Tlali, said the recruitment process for the position of gm of commerical was near complete. Papa will serve his notice period, leaving SAA on November 18. “I plan to take this precious time to refresh and rejuvenate. It’s not often that people have the opportunity to take time out to ‘sharpen the axe’, ” he said. Mara Serena Safari Lodge receives facelift Pic: SHANNON VAN ZYL ‘We’re not travel agents’ – Flight Centre FLIGHT Centre is reinventing itself. The group wants to shed its image as a travel agent or “middle man” and rather identify with the public as a “travel retailer”. “Flight Centre Limited is transitioning from travel agent to a world-class retailer of travel products to leisure and corporate customers. Being a world-class retailer means we are the brand that people identify with and go to. It is very different from being an agent, a middle man Did you know? EMIRATES will launch flights to Boston early next year. The route will be the airline’s eighth to the United States and will or a dealer for someone else’s products,” said Andrew Stark, gm of Flight Centre Retail SA. Flight Centre Limited will change its name to Flight Centre Travel Group, with the new identity set to be rolled out in SA over the next year. The branding on stores, however, will remain unchanged and it will still carry the name Flight Centre. Flight Centre has launched a range of products in line with the change, including Captain’s Red Label Fares, a new fare package begin on March 10, with daily flights. Flights will be operated by a B777-200LR, departing Dubai at 09h45, arriving in with “Price Drop Protection”. This means that if a customer finds an advertised available airfare for less than the Red Label Fare they purchased, Flight Centre will refund them the difference by issuing a gift card. There is also the MyTime hotel programme. MyTime allows travellers to enjoy VIP treatment at no extra cost when they stay at select resorts and hotels from around the world. Both products were launched in August in the South African market. Boston at 15h15. The return flight will depart Boston at 22h55, arriving in Dubai at 19h10 the next day. Mara Serena Safari Lodge is currently undergoing an extensive refurbishment programme. Rosemary Mugambi, regional sales and marketing director for Serena Hotels, assures travellers that all disruption to services and guest comfort are kept to an absolute minimum. The lodge has recently renovated its reception, bar lounge and arrival lobby area. The gift shop has also received a facelift as well as the public area washrooms. The lodge now also features the Serena Maisha Health Club and Spa, which offers an extensive spa menu as well as steam rooms, a sauna and a gymnasium. Pic: SERENA HOTELS 2 November 2013 • TRAVEL BUYER
GBTA forum: a three-way conversation THE Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) recently held a workshop entitled ‘The Tender Process: a 3-way conversation’ in Johannesburg. TMCs, travel buyers and corporate clients attended the event, which was designed to assist all parties in better preparation of requests for proposals (RFPs). Michelle van Antwerp and Hein Siecker, Budget Rent a Car; with the GBTA’s Jacky Maulgue. Travel index reveals booking trends AVIS has launched its first GDS Travel Index – a report revealing GDS booking trends in the airline, hotel and car-rental sectors. The index shows a year-on-year growth (Aug 2012-2013) for the hotel and airline industries of approximately 8% and 6% respectively. Meanwhile, car-rental bookings declined by about 1%. Executive of sales, Lance Smith, said the slump in car-rental bookings was representative of a drop in corporate and government travel over the past year and a still-struggling economy. He added that the growth in airline bookings was likely as a result of more LCC inventory being made available on the GDS. Meanwhile, hotel bookings saw a slow but steady increase. The report will be published quarterly. Pics: Michelle Colman Aneesa Carrim, accounts manager, SATC Travel Adventures International; Mariska South of 9 Degrees South; Perpetoa Nyama, key account executive, SATC. Namagirl Phala, BCD Travel; Charity Ndlovu, corporate account manager, American Express Cards; Busisiwe Ziqubu, corporate sales executive, Nedbank. Shop now, collect later – Acsa ACSA plans to introduce a new service for travellers departing its international airports, allowing passengers to pre-purchase duty free products when they depart from the airport and collect their goods on return from their trips. Travellers moving through OR Tambo, Cape Town and King Shaka International Airports who purchase goods from the international departures duty free stores will, on return to South Africa, be able to collect their purchases at the arrivals store of the core duty free operator, before moving through customs. TB1970SD November 2013 • TRAVEL BUYER 3
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