Successful people make the major decisions in their life early and manage them daily

Newsletter 47  |  August 2005

P.O. Box 13600, NOORDSTAD, 9302          E-mail: info@etniquetravel.co.za
Tel: (051) 406 2500                    Fax: (051) 436 3793

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AFTER HOURS EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBER:  083 461 2561

It is a pity that the country’s national carrier is almost forced to its knees, and still has the arrogant attitude towards its employees, its customers and the retail travel trade. What seems to be a victory for SAA around the negotiating table, by settling on 6% salary increases towards the trade unions, is in real terms a huge defeat in so far as to public relations and the general opinion of the public.

On the domestic front, Comair, Nationwide, Kulula.com and Time 1 reap the benefits of the crippling strike, both on the short and long term and see their daily turnover thrive with aircraft filled to capacity; not even to mention the huge unnecessary expenses occurred for accommodation and ticket transferrals for international travellers. If this is not enough, the Competition Tribunal has also fined strike battered SAA R45 million for operating an illegal incentive scheme for certain travel agents. 

The past 3 months’ events serve as an example of SAA’s lack of understanding the most basic attitudes towards both your customer and your employee:

• Their suggested 90 day communication period, prior to 1 May for zero commission negotiations with the travel industry, eventually ended up on D-day without the necessary finalisation of transaction methods. For almost two weeks the industry suffered, due to a lack of direction, service and response.

• For 3 days the trade unions threatened to go on strike, due to a dismal 5% proposed increase after a R1 billion profit was announced; eventually the strike started on Thursday afternoon. It was only late Monday afternoon that SAA felt it necessary to communicate with the travel industry through ASATA on the status quo of the strike, in order to inform our clients. If they had only communicated and given the industry guidelines we would have:
  • Been able to give the airline immense assistance in communicating contingency arrangements to clients.
  • Been able to assist with onward arrangements that many clients had and were not able to manage themselves.
  • Been able to assist with alternative flights on other airlines.
  • Been able to field many of the calls that the airline was unable to
  • Been able to alleviate the frustrations of passengers not being able to get through to the airline

During this crucial time of negotiation, SAA’s CEO deemed it necessary to be on a break in the Lowveld!

However, we, as the travel industry, would like to thank all the SA Express staff on their forward planning to alleviate the problem and to assist our mutual clients, by sending ground staff from Bloemfontein, Kimberley and Richard's Bay to assist with check-in at Johannesburg International.

The SAA Pilots’ Association says relations with management are at their lowest levels ever and that nothing will stand in their way of eradicating bad management. Their ire, which is not about pay, is aimed at the hierarchy which in nine months has emerged as the worst in the airline’s history.

A leader should never lose its followers along the road in becoming a successful business, especially when your business is based and built on service excellence, customer care and human relationships. Without hope there can be no courage. In South Africa now is the time and place for good communication, optimism, imagination and enthusiasm. Hope enables people to find the will and the way to unleash greatness among our people.

- Johann Beukes
Director Sure Etnique Travel
National Retail Council Member: ASATA

Travel Stories:

Two Citadels in Southern France:  Carcassonne & Collioure

When travelling through the less explored regions of Languedoc and Roussollin in the south of France, two gemlike towns are not to be missed: the fortified medieval town of Carcassonne and the fishing village on the Costa Brava border with Spain, Collioure. Although totally different in appearance and appeal, a resemblance exists due to the almost eerie presence of a rich cultural and political history of days gone by.

To the one side of the town, the fortified castle, with its ten watch towers, guard the gate entrance, and to the far other end of the meandering alleys, lies the beautiful cathedral with Gothic buttresses and bell tower. En route, whenever your feet become tired, you can stop at various small town squares, and sip a glass of cold Chablis white wine under age old oak trees. These little bistros, like the Auberge Dame Carcas on Place du Chateau, are without any pretension, and share their generous hospitality through their traditional fine cuisine and popular wines. To purchase some of the region’s local Corbieres wines, the Caveau des Vins in the vaulted Tour du Treseau has an excellent selection.

If you are looking for interesting small shops, the Ville Basse, across the River Aude, is the so-called new town that was rebuilt in 1240 after total destruction during a crusade. For patisserie and chocolate, such as the famous Paves de la Cite, head for the Gau Shoppe. A daily market can be found in the Halle aux Grains, providing smoked meat delicatessen and fish dishes, as well as clothes and bric-a-brac on the square outside.

It is so fascinating to explore every single little shop in the Vieux Quartier du Moure pedestrianised old town, where the owner will relate through stories and impressions of the past, or by sharing some personal experiences of people and events. Our personal treat is always looking for local young artists who start to explore their own artistic personalities through their talented and original ideas. Back at home we have a personal gallery of many such sketches and watercolours, as reminder of wonderful memories abroad.

- Johann Beukes

CONNECTING FLIGHTS:

It is of the utmost importance to check from which airport or terminal your connecting flight will be departing.

A few examples follow:

NEW YORK (3 Major Airports)

• John F Kennedy
• La Guardia
• Newark

WASHINGTON (2 Major Airports)

• Dulles International
• Ronald Reagan National Airport

LONDON (5 Major Airports)

• Heathrow

• Gatwick

• Stansted

• Luton

• London City

PARIS (3 Major Airports)

• Charles de Gaulle
• Orly
• Le Bourget

MILAN (2 Major Airports)

• Malpensa
• Linate

When travelling via these cities, it may sometimes be necessary to change terminals within the same airport or even change airports. It is always important to allow sufficient transfer time. It is as important that if a change of airport is required because of a transit situation for eg. Johannesburg, Paris, New York, that you are in possession of correct visa documentation for the country that you will briefly be travelling through.

TRANSPORT BETWEEN CITIES AND AIRPORTS AND BETWEEN AIRPORTS:

• Taxis can be very expensive

• Inter airport bus services are usually available as well as bus transport to the downtown airport terminal.

• Some cities have an underground for transport between the airport and the city eg. London Heathrow Airport.

INFO DESKS:

All major airports have information desks in their arrival area. There are also car hire, hotel and tour desks. Enquiry for the airport buses and underground transfers can normally be made at the transport desk.

Check whether airport tax is payable beforehand in South Africa.

E-TICKETING STRONGHOLD
IATA HAS SELECTED AMADEUS AS A PREFERRED E-TICKETING PARTNER IN ITS INDEAVOUR TO ACHIEVE TICKETLESS TRAVEL BY 2007. THIS FOLLOWS THE DEPLOYMENT OF AMADEUS ELECTRONIC TICKETING TO A TRAVEL AGENCY BASE IN 112 COUNTRIES - SO THEY CAN PROVIDE CUSTOMERS WITH AN E-TICKETING SERVICE SPANNING 85 CARRIERS WORLDWIDE. AMADEUS ELECTRONIC TICKETING IS A FLEXIBLE, SECURE AND COST-EFFECTIVE TOOL THAT BENEFITS TRAVEL AGENTS, AIRLINES AND TRAVELLERS. AMADEUS ALSO OFFERS A FULL RANGE OF E-TICKETING SOLUTIONS FOR AIRLINES THAT INCLUDE THE AMADEUS ELECTRONIC TICKET SERVER, A SOLUTION ENABLING CARRIERS TO ISSUE E-TICKETS FOR ALL THEIR FLIGHTS THROUGH DIFFERENT SALES CHANNELS, AND AN INTERLINING SOLUTION FACILITATING SEAMLESS E-TICKETING BETWEEN AIRLINE PARTNERS.

YOUR FLIGHT DETAILS @ YOUR FINGERTIPS 
FORGOTTEN YOUR FLIGHT DETAILS AND DON’T HAVE TIME TO MAKE A PHONECALL? OR THE PERSON PICKING YOU UP AT YOUR ARRIVAL DESTINATION NEEDS TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT TIME YOU’LL BE LANDING? SIMPLY SMS YOUR FLIGHT NUMER TO 35007, AND YOUR FLIGHT’S DEPARTURE AND ARRIVAL TIMES WILL BE SMS’ED BACK TO YOU IN AN INSTANT! THIS INITIATIVE FROM AVIS, ACSA (AIRPORTS COMPANY OF SOUTH AFRICA) AND DIGILINK WILL HELP YOU TO MAKE YOUR TRAVELS MORE CONCENIENT, AND HELP YOU STAY ON SCHEDULE, INSTANTLY. EACH SMS WILL COST YOU R3.00.

WORLD AIRLINE AWARDS
IN THE WORLD AIRLINE AWARDS, WHICH ORGANISER SKYTRAX CLAIMS ARE BASED ON THE WORLD’S LARGEST SURVEY OF PASSENGERS, ONEWORLD’S EIGHT CARRIERS TOOK NINE AWARDS, WITH THREE RUNNERS-UP PLACINGS. STAR’S 16 MEMBERS TOOK JUST ONE AWARD AND FIVE RUNNERS-UP POSITIONS. SKYTEAM’S NINE PARTNERS ALSO RECEIVED ONLY ONE TOP PLACE, WITH THREE SHORTLISTINGS. CATHAY PACIFIC WAS NAMED AIRLINE OF THE YEAR AND PICKED UP TOP PLACES AS BEST AIRLINE IN ASIA AND BEST FIRST CLASS. BRITISH AIRWAYS, IN FIFTH POSITION IN THE OVERALL AIRLINE OF THE YEAR LISTING, ALSO COLLECTED THREE TROPHIES - FOR BEST BUSINESS CLASS, BEST TRANSATLANTIC AND BEST IN EUROPE. QANTAS, WHICH TOOK SECOND PLACE AS AIRLINE OF THE YEAR, TOOK TWO TOP PRIZES - AS BEST TRANSPACIFIC AND BEST IN AUSTRALASIA. LAN WAS NAMED BEST IN SOUTH AMERICA. FINNAIR WAS JUDGED THIRD BEST IN EUROPE (WITH UNALIGNED PGA PORTUGALIA BETWEEN IT AND FIRST PLACE BA).

• “Mariè, duisend dankies vir al jou moeite en die hulp wat jy ons verleen het. Dit is baie lekker om met iemand so vriendelik en behulpsaam soos jy te werk. Mag jy 'n baie lekker dag hê.”
  Erna Geldenhuys - Ass Accountant - Nashua 
   

• “Tessa, made it back on the scheduled flight - which apparently was also the first one out of JFK following the strike. The greatest inconvenience was wasting several hours on the phone to SAA in New York (instead of attending the congress) to find out if / when flights would resume”.
  Prof. James C. du Preez (chairperson) - Dept. of Microbial, Biochemical & Food Biotechnology, UFS 

• “Maquida, eerstens wil ek vir julle baie dankie sê vir die vinnige en deeglike diens wat julle verskaf. Dit was vir my net ‘n plesier om met julle agentskap te werk en sal julle vir enige iemand aanbeveel. Ek het ook die beste prys van julle ontvang asook al die nodige inligting. Baie dankie, dit was regtig lekker om te weet dat mens nog mense kry wat regtig diens kan lewer. Maquida en Marié is regtig twee baie spontane meisies wat altyd bereid is om te help. Dankie daarvoor.”
  Lindie Aldrich - Bloemfontein