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The Travel Tower • BaysVillage Centre • Milner Road • Bloemfontein   -   Tel: +27 51 406 2500  •  Fax: +27 51 436 3793
info@etniquetravel.co.za   •   www.etniquetravel.co.za

Recently I found myself flipping through the restaurant review section of our local newspaper and spotted one I thought I would like to try out for an upcoming future event. I had heard a few good things from friends and felt comfortable in my decision to call and make a reservation for that special night. I began reading the review thinking that it was only going to reinforce my decision. I was wrong - very, very wrong.
Testimonials

The paper changed my thinking 180 degrees. I’m not saying that the review itself was right or wrong; all I am saying is that it changed my mind.
 are a powerful thing

So what was the problem? There was more than one negative reference in the paper regarding the maitre’d, the food and the table service.  This was enough for me to reconsider; even though the food critic apparently loved the location.

For years, we have heard that negative news travels a lot faster and a lot further than good news. And here, in black and white, that theory was proving itself out.

Based on the review, a betting person would likely avoid this place. Granted, the negative review may not be fair, justified or even accurate to any degree whatsoever. But the fact remains that I did read it; and it did affect my eventual decision. I certainly was going to think twice (at least) before investing a bunch of money on an important event, at an unknown “joint.”  Sorry, that’s just how it works!

You can’t afford this negative stuff to effect your future.  You need good words. Good reviews. Good feedback. Good vibes. Seek them out! If you send 50 people a year on a trip, my guess is you have close to 50 good reviews on the horizon. Go get them!

Rest assured, any bad news or bad opinions can and will be shared. Chances are they will be listened to and when that happens, it will affect your future.

Both good and bad, testimonials are powerful things. Work diligently to make sure yours are “good ones.”

- Mike Marchev (American Society of Travel agents)

Beste Nerina

Ek wil graag vir jou vreeslik baie dankie sê vir al die reëlings wat jy vir getref het met my onlangse reis na Kanada toe.  In die besonder baie dankie vir die reëlings wat jy getref het vir die vlug van Toronto na Montreal toe.  Dit was nogal 'n spanningsvolle dag op Frankfurt maar almal se daadwerklike ondersteuning en aanmoediging het my deurgedra. En dit was so wonderlik om 21:00 die aand na die toonbank te stap en daar wag jou kaartjie vir jou.  Baie, baie dankie daarvoor!

Alles was die moeite werd want die werkswinkel was uitstekend en ek het baie geleer wat ek weer aan my maatskappy kan oordra.  Ek het natuurlik die hele tyd in dieselfde klere geloop want my tas het laat op Montreal aangekom a.g.v. die vliegverbod na Montreal toe.  Maar wat - dit was ook maar die minste.  Die tas het ongeskonde 'n dag nadat ek terug in Bloemfontein was by my uitgekom.

Maar ek moet jou werklik uitsonder as dit by die reisreëlings kom.  Alles het vlot verloop.  Baie dankie vir die genoeg tyd wat jy by elke lughawe toegelaat het, want ek was nooit gespanne om van een vliegtuig na 'n ander te gaan nie.  Ek kon dit rustig doen; dit het dus uitstekend gepas.

Ek sal julle hoog aanbeveel by enigiemand wat hulp met reisreëlings verlang.

Nogmaals baie dankie!
Vriendelike groete

Cornelia Casaleggio
Project Quality Lead, PAREXEL

Yolande & Lizelle

BAIE DANKIE vir al jul ekstra moeite met Mnre Gutter en de Bruin se kaartjies gister-middag!

Geniet die dag! 

Corné NEL
Sanyati BLOEMFONTEIN

Dear Tessa

Mr M Louw SMS'd me with the following message to express his thanks:

"Nogmaals bitter baie baie dankie vir jul hulp vandag (yesterday). Veilig in Hong Kong en die hotel. Alles by die hotel verloop glad. Groete."

Thanks also from our side for your efficient, fast and succesfull attendance to our needs, especially when unexpected.  

Have a good evening Tess! 

Regards

Lettie STEYN
Secretary to the President
Seventh Day Adventist Church

BESTE NERINA

Die reëlings wat jy vir ons getref het en veral die spesiale moeite wat jy gedoen het toe daar gerugte was dat ons ook getref sou word deur die vulkaan in Ysland word op prys gestel.  Alles het uitstekend verloop insluitende die vooraf bespreking van die sitplekke, die reisplan wat noukeurig voorberei was en die doel van hierdie brief is om te sê baie dankie.  Nie net alleenlik sal ons weer van jou en Etnique se dienste gebruik maak nie, maar dit ook by ons vriende en kennisse aanbeveel.

Die uittog na Mexiko was ‘n groot sukses.  Mexiko is natuurlik woestyn by die see met baie meer bulte en plantegroei as wat ons in ons woestyne kry. Die hoogtepunt is Cabo  San Lucas.  Daar sien ‘n mens hoe die rykes lewe en hoe die leeglêers aanmekaar vakansie hou in sonskyn wat nooit ophou nie.  Een dag wil mooier wees as die volgende.  Alhoewel dit lente is het dit soms ‘n bietjie warmer begin word, maar daar was altyd ‘n luggie wat getrek het en sonder dat dit werklik wind genoem kan word het dit altyd verligting gebring.  Ons het nooit lugreëlaars in my dogter en haar man se kondo gebruik nie, maar slegs waaiers.

Baie groete.

HANS en INA DE BRUIN
Advokate-kamers Bloemfontein

AMAZING SPECIAL OFFERS
Save up to 62% - Prices from $1,500 per person

Whilst Oceania's Summer 2010 season is almost full we have an exceptional opportunity on two of our late summer itineraries in the Mediterranean, with genuine savings of up to 62% on our standard fares on Insignia's 12 night "Mediterranean Grandeur" cruise, departing 29th October and the 14 night "Footsteps of History" cruise departing 10th November.

With port taxes included in these amazing rates and all cruises now including complimentary soft drink through the ship, there has never been a better time to book.

Demand is expected to be strong with the highest grades likely to sell extremely fast. 

Contact us now to avoid disappointment.

5* Okavango Delta

Package includes:
Return Airfare from Johannesburg to Maun
Return air transfers
All meals, All lodge activities & All non premium Drinks
All Park Fees

Rates all subject to change and availability at the time of booking - Valid for travel until 15 July 2010

This week we bring you some of our amazing new products that'll give your winter holiday a special twist. We have Barging and Motor-home Holidays in France, incredible deals with Citadines Apart Hotels in London and Paris.

For those of you looking for a romantic escape, we introduce Provence and the Cote D'Azur. So escape the winter chill and the vuvuzela madness this year, but be brave enough to try something a little different!

REMARKS:
  •  NET RATES, SUBJECT TO RECONFIRMATION BY THE TIME OF
     BOOKING.
  •  MINIMUM OF 2 PAX TRAVELLING TOGETHER.
  •  INTERNAL FLIGHTS ARE NOT INCLUDED.
  •  SERVICES ON REGULAR BASIS.
  •  PACKAGE VALID ONLY FOR THE HOTELS INDICATED.
  •  RATES VALID UP TO MARCH 31, 2010 (CHECK-OUT DATE).
  •  SERVICES ENDING AT PUNO AIRPORT.

EXCESSIVE COSTS FOR VOYAGER MEMBERS

MEMBERS of Voyager, SAA’s frequent flyer programme, have to pay twice – and sometimes more than three times – as much as members of other airlines’ loyalty programmes in terms of airfares to earn a domestic reward ticket on the JNB/New York routing. TNW compared British Airways, Lufthansa, Virgin Atlantic, Air France and SAA to find out how many frequent flyer miles a passenger needs to earn to get a free return domestic frequent flyer reward ticket in their home market.

We then asked the airlines what the lowest fare would be that would earn passengers that reward ticket.

To try and compare apples with apples, we asked airlines to give us the amount of miles earned on a return flight from Johannesburg to New York in the different booking classes and cabins, and then what the lowest fare would be to earn that reward ticket. We also asked them to provide us with the number of miles earned on a one-way segment in the different booking classes, from JNB to their primary hub in their home markets. In the case of SAA, they used Frankfurt as their European hub in order to provide TNW with the information.

The investigation reveals that to earn a domestic reward ticket on SAA, passengers flying to New York have to buy a business class ticket at R54 340 (ex taxes). The next most expensive is Air France where passengers have to buy a Premium Economy fare for R26 800 (ex taxes). Lufthansa is the cheapest with passengers only having to fork out R17 100 (ex taxes) to earn a domestic reward ticket.

The situation on the UK/Europe routings seems more equitable where passengers flying on SAA can earn a domestic reward ticket by paying similar fares to those of European and UK carriers.

Explaining the significant price difference, Josh Bustos, SAA’s head of Revenue Management said SAA currently is not offering any mileage specials in the market. “The mileage earn rates that the other airlines quoted are tied to bonus mileage specials they are running in their respective frequent flyer programmes. At this point in time SAA does not always match other airlines when they have these types of offerings.

“SAA is considering bonus mileage specials in some markets and you may see those in the not too distant future.”

DIRECT FLIGHTS TO ATHENS

HELLENIC International Airways has confirmed that it will be launching flights to Johannesburg on June 8 and has announced a special inaugural offer from Johannesburg to Athens on June 8 and 11 with return on June 23 or 24 for R5 000, excluding taxes and surcharges.

In light of the new scheduled flights connecting Athens (Greece) directly with many popular destinations all over the world, Hellenic Imperial Airways launches their new state-of-the-art website on Thursday 22/04/2010.

LONDON HEATHROW’S MOBILE PHONE AIRPORT GUIDE

LONDON’S Heathrow airport has launched its latest innovation in the form of an Airport Guide that can be downloaded onto your mobile phone. The application is available in two versions, the premium pro version and the free version and will offer up to the minute information on your flight status, terminal maps, shop locations and the latest duty –free retail offers. The pro version also offers you the ability to track flight progress, six months of scheduled flights from all airlines operating out of Heathrow airport and a five day weather forecast for over 200 countries. The application is available for iPhones, iPods, Vodacom 360 phones and Google Android. Further information can be found at www.heathrow.com/apps

DEMOLITION work has started on Heathrow’s oldest terminal to make way for its new £1 billion replacement – Terminal 2 (T2). The new terminal will be home to the Star Alliance airlines, with an expected 20 million passengers passing through the facility each year. A statement released by UK airport operator, BAA, says the new terminal will reduce connecting times for passengers, providing improved and faster service.

CAPE TOWN'S OWN LONDON EYE

Cape Town will soon be home to its own big wheel much like the London Eye. The giant wheel will be erected at the V&A Waterfront before the start of the World Cup. The 50-metre diameter wheel will have 36 enclosed air-conditioned capsules which can hold eight people each. The wheel will run daily from 10h00 until 22h00 and will light up the evening sky with two million LED lights. Rides will cost about R70 with various pricing packages for families and private cabins. Two of the 36 cabins will be wheelchair accessible and each trip will last 15 to 20 minutes. The wheel is expected to start functioning as early as June.

We have taken hands to offer you the BEST RATES, with FLEXIBILITY

So it’s the year 2010. Life has suddenly become faster, louder and far busier than ever before. While you’re trying to juggle meetings, corporate functions and events, we are constantly working on making your journey as simple and hassle-free as possible. The following two products are unique to mango as we are the only low cost carrier to offer these benefits.

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1. A cat flew across the Atlantic Ocean eight years before Charles Lindbergh. The cat, named Wopsie or Whoopsie, was a stowaway aboard the dirigible R34 when it travelled from Scotland to New York in 1919. The cat wasn't the only creature who beat Lindy to a trans-Atlantic flight. More than 80 people also did. But Lindbergh was the first to fly solo.

2. Qantas, the Australian airline, is a former acronym for Queensland and Northern Territories Air Service. That name is strange, but others may be stranger. Airline pilot Patrick Smith, who writes a column for salon.com, suggested that two of the worst airline names ever were Russia's Kras Air ("always just an H away from infamy," wrote Smith) and Taiwan's U-Land Airlines ("That's right. U-buy, U-fly and U-Land it yourself.").

3. In 1987, American Airlines removed one olive from each first-class salad for a savings of about $40,000 a year. In a more recent cost-cutting move, American announced in 2004 that it would get rid of pillows on its MD-80 planes for an annual windfall of about $300,000. The next year, Northwest Airlines ditched free pretzels in coach class on its domestic flights, saving $2 million a year.

4. Joseph of Cupertino, a 17th century Italian priest, is a Roman Catholic patron saint of pilots and air passengers. Known as the "flying friar" because of his reported ability to levitate, Joseph annoyed his fellow churchmen, who banned him from attending choir or visiting the refectory for 35 years.

5. National Airlines launched an ad campaign in the early 1970s featuring attractive young flight attendants -- then known as stewardesses -- and slogans such as "I'm Margie. Fly me." A group called Stewardesses for Women's Rights picketed the airline's offices and complained to the Federal Trade Commission about the ads. National was forced to tone down the campaign by including other airline workers. But somehow the idea of "flying" someone like, say, Ralph the baggage handler seemed a bit less alluring.

6. The producers of the 1980 comedy film "Airplane!" considered talk show host David Letterman and singer Barry Manilow for the lead role of washed-up pilot Ted Striker before settling on actor Robert Hays. The co-pilot played by basketball great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was originally written for baseball star Pete Rose. According to the Internet Movie Database, Rose was offered $30,000 but lost the part after asking for $35,000, which he wanted to spend on an Oriental rug.

7. Ten soldiers boarded a plane at California's Fort Hunter Liggett in the early 1960s, expecting a routine training mission. Instead, once they were airborne, the crew announced that an engine had stalled, the landing gear was inoperable and the plane would attempt to ditch in the ocean. Then the crew issued an odd demand: The soldiers would have to fill out insurance forms. After they dutifully did so, the plane landed, safely and routinely. The episode was an Army experiment to measure soldiers' performance under stress. Not surprisingly, a control group on the ground filled out the same insurance forms more accurately.

8. Last December, passengers preparing to take off on an Aeroflot jet from Moscow to New York revolted when the pilot appeared to slur his words over the loudspeaker. Officials of the Russian airline tried to calm them. According to the Moscow Times, an airline official said, "It's not such a big deal if the pilot is drunk. Really, all he has to do is press a button and the plane flies itself." But the passengers stood their ground, and the crew was replaced. The incident was another black eye for Aeroflot, remembered for a 1994 flight in which a pilot let his 15-year-old son take the controls. The boy accidentally disabled the autopilot, sending 75 people to their deaths.

9. When Amelia Earhart helped organize the New York, Philadelphia and Washington Airways in the early years of commercial aviation, the in-flight lunch consisted of hard-boiled eggs and saltine crackers, chosen because they seemed unlikely to contribute to airsickness.

10. A passenger boarded a Chicago-bound plane in Washington, D.C., in 2003 and handed a note to a flight attendant, asking her to take it to the pilot. The note read, "Fast. Neat. Average." The pilot had no idea what it meant and alerted authorities, who detained the passenger for questioning. The note was part of a well-known code at the Air Force Academy, based on cadets' answers on a dining-hall survey. If all had gone well, the passenger's note would have been returned with a note reading "Friendly. Good. Good," and the passenger would have been invited to visit the cockpit. But the pilot was not an Air Force grad, and the passenger missed his flight. As an Air Force spokesman noted, "Obviously, the world has changed since 2001."