SOuThERN AFRiCA’S TRAVEL NEWS WEEKLY
December 2 2009 I No. 2086
1582E
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INSIDE
TRAVEL NEWS WEEKLY
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rEporT
NEWS
fEaTurE E
LOSiNg reveNue FOr SA
my Bright ideA
trAve A L mONey & iNS Ave NSurANCe
Agents lose out to overseas
Taking blogging to the next level
End of traveller’s cheques?
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Low fares to mPm with LCC 1time natalia thoMson
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LMOST a year after Mozambique announced plans to ease its strict aviation policy, low-cost carrier 1time has announced it will be launching five flights a week between Johannesburg and Maputo in early 2010. Heavily regulated skies in Mozambique have had a detrimental effect on the country’s tourism industry. According to research firm Commark Trust, the high ticket prices on the JohannesburgMaputo route, when compared with those on the JNB-DUR
route (the same distance), were due to a policy that protected the Mozambique national carrier, LAM. With the entry of a low-cost carrier on the route, prices are going to be “considerably lower” than those currently being charged on the route, says Desmond O’Connor, commercial manager. “We expect our airfares will make it far more affordable for people to fly between South Africa and Mozambique, as 1time becomes the first lowfare airline to operate this route.” This is also the third
regional destination in Africa that 1time has been granted in the last two years, after Zanzibar and Livingstone. Travel agents have largely welcomed the news saying the competition will certainly improve pricing. “Any competition on these routes is great for our clients. Flights within Africa are generally expensive and with the extra competition, the prices tend to stabilise at an affordable level which encourages passengers to fly rather than drive,” says Janet Naylor, owner Travel Today in Nelspruit. n
LOC to look into inflated domestic airfares Melody Brandon THE 2010 World Cup Local Organising Committee (LOC) should be dishing out red cards to airlines for introducing overinflated fares during the soccer event next year, which could see local travellers battling to fly domestically. “It is not in the spirit of the World Cup to increase prices. One of the big pluses behind staging the World Cup in South Africa was because it was cost effective and flights reasonably priced,” said Local Organising Committee
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ce, Danny Jordaan, who has undertaken to investigate the high prices. Agents are up in arms over inflated prices, with more bracing themselves for mayhem when it comes to booking flights. “Airlines will easily lose business this way, but I guess supply and demand is the model they are going for,” said one agent who wished to remain anonymous. Lindsay Thomas from Pentravel Pavilion in Durban believes travellers will pay whatever the going rate is if they don’t have an option.
Linda De Bruin, manager at Sure Travelmania in Cape Town said she was glad the LOC was investigating overinflated prices. “There are a number of international flights that do not leave from Cape Town. In addition to finding flights for our regular corporates, we have a number of clients wanting to go overseas during that period. Some of the domestic add-ons to OR Tambo International have been freed, but it is still very concerning,” she said. Most of the agents TNW spoke to said they were
have travelBuck$, will travel… Join the rush to collect TravelBuck$ and soon you will be rushing to the airport on your next exciting holiday. Earn TravelBuck$ on all your Thompsons Holidays, Trafalgar Tours, Insight Vacations and Contiki Holidays bookings until Jan 31 and redeem them against a range of exciting holidays around the world. Pictured here, flying through the airport, are Vincent Dikotla and Chantel Arjoon from Thompsons Holidays. See ad on page 13 Photo: Tijana Huysamen waiting with bated breath for the announcement of the qualifying teams on December 4, in the hope airlines would publish their allocations and pricing. 1time marketing manager, Anya Potgieter, said agents could expect a 25% to 30% increase on standard ticket prices. “We do not want to blow our prices out of the water and chase away our
current clients. There will be an increase, but we are not milking the Soccer World Cup,” she said. heidi Brauer, executive manager group marketing at Comair, said the decision had been taken to make some limited inventory available for fans and businessmen who needed to confirm seats in advance. To page 16