Stella's been left on her Todd
So the Worldchoice board has recommended marriage with the Travel Trust Association in preference to the proposal from Stella Travel - nee Global Travel Group. This will be a blow to Stella, but not so much of a surprise as may appear despite Worldchoice and Global having been engaged for more than two years and discussing wedding arrangements since June.
Long relationships can end abruptly, but what triggered the separation? Was it the delay in consummation or the prospect of Australian in-laws when Global introduced parent Stella in November? Did the dowry suddenly appear less attractive alongside the counter proposal of TTA director Todd Carpenter?
Stella arrived dripping jewels and her involvement seemed to reassure some Worldchoice shareholders. But alarm bells must have rung, too. Deals involving multinationals do not go through within days, as breathlessly reported in one travel publication - which begs the question: how much did each marriage party know and when?
Did relations sour then? The statement to the Australian stock exchange by Stella's owner at the time portrayed the Worldchoice deal as done. Instead, Worldchoice's attention to the TTA's wooing grew from polite interest to serious consideration and to this week's declaration of marriage.
The TTA has proved a shrewd lover. The problem now, assuming shareholders share the board's desire, will be the pre-nuptial agreement that is the Triton Travel Group. Acrimonious as the ending of relationships can be, an added difficulty here is that the agreement involves a threesome - with rival agency consortium Advantage. What with the commercial arrangements and joint bank accounts, this could take some unravelling.