Contiki Holidays has announced a partnership with environmentalist, adventurer and world explorer Céline Cousteau, granddaughter of the world renowned Jacques Cousteau and daughter of ocean explorer and filmmaker Jean-Michel Cousteau.
Contiki joined with Cousteau to help further educate their travellers and team about environmental issues, particularly marine ecosystems. United through their common goals for sustainable conservation and ocean advocacy, Contiki will work under her guidance to continue building on the achievements of their current Conservation Foundation projects.
Cousteau said: “The health of our fragile oceans is key to the wellbeing of our planet as a whole and Contiki’s choice to help protect the marine environment is a cause which deeply resonates with me.”
For the next three years, Cousteau will interact with Contiki’s young travellers and team, spreading the word through social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter, and communicate with them via video updates on Contiki’s website and their YouTube channel.
(To see Cousteau’s video message, see: www.contiki.com/responsibletravel)
l Thompson Africa has decided to do what it can to save the rhino.
For everyone booked on its special Cape Town and Safari Rhino Conservation Package, the operator will donate R450 to the Endangered Wildlife Trust for its Rhino Security Project, said the Durban-based chief executive, Linda Pampallis, who added that, having rescued them from extinction, people should intensify efforts to save the rhino.
l The merger between British Airways and Iberia to form the International Airlines Group is already starting to deliver benefits for the airlines’ South African clients.
Together, the two carriers fly to over 200 destinations and operate more than 400 aircraft from two of the biggest hubs in Europe. Added to this is the considerable network of joint-business partner, American Airlines.
Practically this means more routes, better schedules and more convenience and flexibility.
The airlines are integrating their sales forces in some shared markets around the world.
South Africa is one of these and from June 1 will be served by a joint sales team.
Clients will be able to speak to local market specialists who are equipped to offer them the most competitive rates and provide access to an array of flight options that encompass both British Airways and Iberia routes and aircraft.
“Our priority is to preserve and leverage the combined market knowledge and skills of both sales teams.
“The changes mean the travel trade and customers will get the best of both worlds with access to combined experience, expertise, fares and schedules,” says Sue Botes, British Airways’ commercial manager in South Africa.
In South Africa, British Airways and Iberia have aligned their fares, making it simpler and easier to plan routing and make bookings on either airline. The fare alignment has resulted in savings on some flights.
l The latest addition to SAA’s fleet, the A330-200, recently began operating to Mumbai, India. This highlights SAA’s commitment to this route by offering an enhanced product to its valued customers.
The A340-200s previously serviced this route and will be replaced by the efficient A330-200 aircraft. SAA received its first A330-200 in February and its second in March. The first aircraft is already operating commercially to London.
SAA will receive an additional four Airbus A330-200 aircraft every second month from July, with the final A330-200 delivered at the end of December.
These modern aircraft offer supreme ergonomics, an airy open cabin, and sophisticated, personal touch screen entertainment systems featuring Bollywood films. For the comfort of the passengers, lie-flat beds are offered in Business class, while Economy class features a more spacious cabin.
l The XL Travel Group has been appointed as the sole global alliance partner in Africa for Egencia, the travel management arm of Expedia, the world’s largest online travel company with annual sales exceeding $44 billion.
This global strategic partnership with Egencia exposes the XL Group to a global array of business travel clients and opportunities, as well as access to advance online travel management technology and Expedia hotel and product inventory. – Saturday Star