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Recruiter magazine has an article in today's issue on the travel and tourism jobs market.
The piece reflects AA's recent salary survey results which were upbeat. Theme of the piece is once again that online skills are very much in demand as well as business travel skills.
TW's business and community editor Jackie David who was quoted in the piece.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Guillaume at Hotel Blogs has posted a video from a quick drive he took around the Dubailand construction site. It doesn't look like much yet - construction won't be finished until after 2010 - but it's interesting to get a look at the size of the bare site.
There's a screamingly over-the-top promotional video for Dubailand embedded in a preview we did a while back. Take a look.
From what I've seen and heard so far Dubailand is going to win on scale, but lack the focus and distinct personality of, say, a Disney park.
Impersonal sprawl could be a difficult sell to the family market that Dubailand would presumably like to attract, but it's all speculation at this stage - let's watch and wait.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
In a forerunner news piece for tonight's BBC Radio 4's File on Four programme, Don Langford, head of customer services Europe for American Airlines, said Heathrow suffered from lack of investment.
American Airlines flies out of Terminal 3, which Langford described as a "bit of a dump".
Radio 4's File on Four programme at 8pm tonight investigates the chaos surrounding the opening day of Heathrow's Terminal 5.
The programme should be interesting as it interviews some of the volunteers drafted in to 'test' T5 prior to opening.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Following on today's aquatic theme, Tenerife's Siam Park has built Europe's tallest water slide - the Tower of Power.
Not to be confused with Disney's Tower of Terror or the US soul and funk band Tower of Power.
A 28m drop is followed by sliding through an aquarium (via a tube) and finishes in a pool.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Here are some more pictures from yesterday's agent day on board Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas.
Captain Teo Strazicic let us up on to the bridge - here he is pictured in the captain's seat. And then we have the promenade that runs down the centre of the ship and the Flowrider surf ride.
Check out Jane Archer's review of the consumer day on Independence of the Seas (and a picture of Scouting for Girls).
UPDATE: More pics on Flickr.
Martin Couzins, online editor
TW is on board Royal Caribbean's latest ship the Independence of the Seas.
This ship shares the title of the world's largest cruise ship - it is the width of a football pitch and the length of three. I was hoping to post some pictures but access to PCs is limited (I can't access the USB socket) so am scuppered.
However, we have been granted access to the bridge, the galley and the engine room so have some interesting footage to share.
First impressions are: wow, this is a big ship. It has very friendly staff and is jammed with impressive facilities. Looks like a very family friendly ship with loads to do for the kids.
And it is based in Southampton - so great news for the trade and consumers.
Only criticism . . . some access to USB sockets required.
More pictures and video footage tomorrow . . .
Martin Couzins, online editor
Business class airline Eos is the second no-frills business only airline to fail within six months following the collapse of rival MaxJet.
The airline cancelled all its flights from New York to London today (Sunday) and is only operating selected flights over the weekend. All flights will be cancelled from tomorrow (Monday).
It announced that it had filed for a voluntary position under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code yesterday (Saturday) despite successfully negotiating terms for further funding.
Here is the Eos press statement.
More on The TW website as the story develops.
Juliet Dennis, chief reporter
Our sister title Travolution held its 2008 awards last night, and it went off very well by all accounts.
I couldn't be there, but some of my handiwork was: it was me who flew to Athens to film Stelios accepting the Travolution Achievement Award. (Loooong day, but worth it.)
The awards were preceded by the Travolution Summit, from which Kev and Martin Cowen were blogging throughout the day.
Update: why Stelios? Kev explained in his introduction to the Travolution Achievement Award - read the transcript.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Because there's no point pretending it always goes to plan...
The line was "Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines UK and Ireland managing director Jo Rzymowska," of course.
Watch the full interview with Jo, who was at Travel Weekly towers guest editing the paper, over on the website.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
There was an interview with GAP Adventures founder Bruce Poontip on BBC Radio 4's Today this morning, pegged loosely on recent adventure holiday tragedies in Ecuador and Bolivia.
Of course, we can rely on the BBC to take a fair and sensible approach. Over to business reporter Simon Jack:
Don't people rely on people like you to keep them safe? I expect if me, John or Ed decided we wanted to climb Everest someone would probably take our money and say, 'Off you go.'
Oh dear.
Apparently GAP's sales are up 40% despite the sinking of its Explorer vessel in the Antarctic in November 2007, so there is evidence that the higher risks do not put holidaymakers off adventure breaks...
Listen to the interview on this audio stream - it starts at about 24:00.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
TW is at the Travolution Summit today. Highlights have included a talk by Robert Torres, Google MD of advertising and marketing for the North American travel sector, and an onstage interview with Steve Hafner, co founder and CEO of Kayak.
The audience has just been treated to a demo of an application that has been developed by BA.com - based on pictures, maps etc. No transaction elelment until the end of the process - very good-looking but still in development. Could be live some time this year.
Intriguingly BA.com general manager Carsten Willert said BA is working on a blog for senior execs to communicate with consumers...
Martin Couzins, online editor
Travel trade association ABTA has unveiled a new website, and it's a vast improvement - though the old one hardly had it goin' on, as I'm sure even ABTA would admit.
It's a more consumer-focused affair, with centre stage taken by a member directory. Users can search the database by destination and activity, giving them a pretty good way of tracking down reliable travel specialists.
I, for example, found a list of agencies that could do me a cricket holiday in Belgium. (I was just testing it.)
Specialist business is likely to be important to agents as straightforward bookings migrate to online retailers, so this is a good move from ABTA. The question is whether the association can raise its consumer profile sufficiently to drive traffic to the resource.
There's also some iffy usability under the 'Find a Holiday' menu item - this ought to take you directly to a search form, but brings up two lines of text that direct you elsewhere.
The new site also features prominent offers on the homepage, and a nice events page with a calendar widget.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
That's right folks, from 2012 we will be able to get up close and friendly with our favourite super heroes such as Spider-Man, The X-Men, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four and The Incredible Hulk at the world's first Super Heroes theme park to be based within Dubailand.
Martin Couzins, online editor
I suppose it's surprising nobody has done this before - after all, the likes of Longleat and Woburn have been doing high-profile UK approximations of the safari for years.
So why not a UK approximation of the safari lodge? Port Lympne Wild Animal Park in Kent is to open Livingstone Safari Lodge, 10 luxury safari tents set in 100 acres of grounds containing black rhino, giraffes, ostrich, wildebeest, blackbuck and antelope.
Careful you don't confuse it with the other Livingstone Safari Lodge, which has a more exotic location (near Victoria Falls in Zambia) and a rather heftier price tag.
Back in Kent, guests get a 90-minute safari, a six-course dinner with a 'bona fide' Zimbabwean ranger and a second drive out the following morning. It's £150 per person based on two sharing.
When I contacted Port Lympne about opportunities for travel agents they said they were 'happy to talk about commission' - so if you specialise in UK holidays get in there quick-smart, because this looks like a desirable little weekend break. Totallywild.net or 01303 23419.
(Watch out for it on TV, too - apparently BBC News is filming there on Thursday and Friday.)
Nathan Midgley, web producer
What's that occupying the top slot? It isn't Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's official Independence of the Seas site...
Some enterprising so-and-so called Jesmond Travel has registered independenceoftheseas.org and built a page that pushes RCCL into second place on Google - though Jesmond is nowhere to be seen when you run the same search on Yahoo.
This isn't the end of the world - second place is still very prominent - but it's unfortunate considering the sheer volume of search traffic that coverage of IotS is bound to generate (the mainstream media love the 'biggest passenger ship' angle, despite the fact Liberty and Freedom are the same size).
Google searches for 'Ventura' and 'Poesia' return P&O and MSC pages in first place, by the way.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
We're not afraid of a bit of highbrow at TW Blog, and I recently spotted a good feature on airport design in the New Yorker. Enjoy.
While we're at it, did you know they have Playstation 3 booths at Paris Charles de Gaulle? Well they do:
I can't tell you exactly where, though, because the even the most up-to-date maps of CDG still have blank areas marked 'here be dragons'.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Here is a list of today's headlines from the conference.
Colin Heal to step down as Triton chairman
Portillo advises agents to 'embrace change'
Keith Wilson 'will add value' in consultant role
TTA speaks out over Worlchoice merger
Gold Medal introduces 0800 numbers
Agents told to promote themselves locally
Tour operators defend direct sell strategies
Cruise passengers could trable in five years, says ACE
Agents told to add value in economic downturn
McEwan confident Advantage agents will attend 2009 Triton conference
Martin Couzins, online editor
Triton - which is made up of the Global Travel Group, Worldchoice UK and Advantage Travel Centres - is having its annual conference in Palma, Majorca, this weekend and TW has three members of the news team reporting. Here are the headlines from day one.
Triton will no longer operate as a joint buying group
Agents to pay £18 a booking for ATOL scheme
Agents told to link financial and marketing strategies
Independent sector held back by 'poor standards'
Triton calls for stronger links with ABTA
Agents call for more focus on members
Group considering dynamic packaging cruise offering
Martin Couzins, online editor
Santa Monica amusements are selling a ferris wheel on ebay - bids currently at $50,000. Be warned, it's pick up only
Martin Couzins, online editor
There is no such thing as bad publicity. Certainly not for Ryanair.
Brand Republic reports that the low-cost airline has generated £1m of 'incremental media value' from coverage of its Advertising Standards Authority ad bans.
That's all the content generated around the bans, so I think TW Blog deserves a thankyou for inadvertently helping line Mr O'Leary's pockets. We'll try and work out how much . . .
Here is a list of some of the many ASA adjudications against Ryanair.
I suppose I should post this comic song about Terminal 5, since it just appeared on BBC's Six O'Clock News and will probably blow up in the next 24 hours.
Frankly I don't think it's very good, but I'm a blogger, this is viral, and... look, it's just a law of nature.
Come back, Flight of the Conchords: all is forgiven.
Nathan Midgley, web producerOnly a few days ago I was telling some press trip companions about the rumours that fat riders had damaged Disneyland's It's a Small World ride.
Those have died down, but a new debate has erupted over the proposed addition of Disney stalwarts such as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Simba and Lilo to the insufferable venerable ride. (Update: there are also plans to change the Papua New Guinea rainforest section into one on the USA.)
A letter from the family of ride creator Mary Blair called the plans a "gross desecration", while unofficial Disney Imagineer blog ReImagineering upped the ante with “egregious and downright disgusting”, under the headline "A World of Tears".
Nothing like a hangar full of singing automata to stir the blood.
Seriously, this is a kids' ride in a theme park. It's not like they're trying to write Goofy into The Happy Prince. If recognisable characters will make SW more enjoyable to its riders, I say go crazy.
Any strong feelings among TW Blog readers?
(Via Jaunted.)
Nathan Midgley, web prodcuer
Air transport technology provider SITA has released its fourth annual report on baggage handling, and the picture is about as pretty as you'd expect:
But take heart:
For all the lost and mishandled luggage there are literally billions of bags a year which make a perfect journey. In fact, barely one in a hundred passenger’s bags are ever mishandled (and most of those are reunited with their owners within 48 hours)
As for improving the situation, SITA is pushing Radio Frequency Identification, which has apparently improved bag identification rates by 85-90% at Hong Kong International (in association with one of SITA's baggage systems, natch).
Sounds good. A word of advice, though: the most advanced system will still fail if you don't train your staff to use it...
Download SITA's report here - you need to register some details, but it's free.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Travel Weekly reporter Ed Robertson on his experience of flying from Terminal 5
Coverage of Heathrow’s Terminal 5 opening has dominated the newspapers and none of it has been good.
Since the new BA terminal went into melt down on its first day of opening in March, the ensuing debacle has been blamed for the cancellation of 500 flights and the loss of 28,000 bags.
Two BA directors have this week fallen on their swords while the second stage of the move, which would have seen the airline’s remaining short haul flights and its long haul programme move across, has been postponed.
So it was with some trepidation that I approached the terminal this week to fly up to Glasgow for a Scottish Passenger Agents Association lunch.
However, I am happy to report the experience was brilliant. The building itself is wonderfully light and spacious - a far cry from the rest of the airport - and is a sight to see.
Travel Weekly's Chloe Berman and Michelle Perrett spent some time on the Ventura with travel agents on the VIP agent day. This is what they had to say . . . like Nigel's 'relaxed' bed pose.
Martin Couzins, online editor
This is Tour Saint-Jean in Avignon, where I spent the last night of a Peter Deilmann river cruise down the Rhone (though the Rhone did its best to stop us).
Is that what taxi offices look like where you come from? Because TW Blog is based in Sutton, and my experiences are a little different.
It's in keeping with the rest of Avignon, which is quit-your-job beautiful. Below are Notre-Dame des Doms, which dominates the town, and the indoor market, which is covered in living (I think) flowers and shrubs.
And you can find the rest in a Travel Weekly flickr gallery...
Nathan Midgley, web producer