January 2004

Welcome to 2004! From all of us at World Club Travel we would like to wish you a happy and prosperous New Year. We have listened to your feedback and are proud to provide you with a monthly news letter. The purpose of the news letter is to give you the latest travel news, offers, how we can make your life easier any other items that may be of interest to you. For this news letter to be effective, your feedback on what you would like to hear is equally important. Any ideas you may have or articles that you would like to discuss further, please do not hesitate to contact Craig Baker our Marketing & Business Development Manager. craig.baker@worldclubtravel.com

The web site will also be the tool for the latest offers; these may be for business travel or of course for your own personal travel plans. In the past we have highlighted a ‘Destination of the Month’. Knowing the destinations that you and your colleagues travel to, we will continue to do this, however if any of you have a particular destination that you would like covered, do not hesitate to contact us. We plan to hold competitions via the web site so don’t forget to check regularly!

Craig Baker joins World Club Travel Crain Baker has joined the team as Marketing & Business Development Manager. Craig has a strong travel background, having worked as an Account Manager for a supplier to airlines such as British Airways, KLM, Emirates before joining Swissair as in 1999 as their Global Call Centre Account Manager. Craig recently worked in the conference and incentive marketing, managing a logistic team. Welcome Craig! Steve Courtney due to leave World Club Travel Steve Courtney will be leaving World Club in January to move to Italy and focus on a career in the media business. Our best wishes go to Steve! World Club Travel Web Site The World Club Travel Web site www.worldclubtravel.com is a tool that works with you as a partner. Any real time updates that are made to your reservations will be updated through the web site so that you have access to the latest information online. As well as your reservations other key information is available, including; Airport Details British Passport Information Currency Converter City & Destination guides Health & Visa Information What is an E – Ticket? It is becoming more and more the norm is to issue electronic tickets (e – tickets) for air travel. Here are some frequently asked questions: What is an e - ticket? An e - ticket is an electronically stored ticket, held in the reservation system, compared to being printed. What are the advantages? Increased piece of mind as an e - ticket cannot be lost or stolen. To travel you need to have a form of identification, normally a passport or credit card. As the ticket information is held electronically if any changes are needed to be made they can be made without having to present the ticket to World Club Travel. A receipt of your ticket can be sent to you, no matter where you are in the world via an email. Airlines are increasingly offering their lower fares, if the option of an e - ticket is taken. Where can e - tickets be used? Airlines are investing in their destinations in order to be equipped to take electronic tickets. Each airline will have a different policy. Is there a penalty if part of the route is not eligible? No, if part or your entire itinerary is not eligible for an e - ticket then a paper alternative will have to be issued. Airlines recognise this and do not charge you for this. However if a ticket on departure has to be issued, it is normal that the carrier applies a handling fee for this no matter whether the route is eligible or not. As the electronic ticket becomes more and more popular, airlines are starting to make it mandatory for a travel agent to issue them. If a paper ticket or a ticket on departure is issued then the airline will normally apply a handling fee.

New rail link at JFK The new rail link at JFK airoport will start from December 17, linking downtown New York with JFK airport. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s AirTran JFK rail system will link the airport to Howard Beach and Jamaica AirTran terminals where passengers can transfer to the subway, Long Island Rail Road express and buses to central New York. Virgin Atlantic new Upper Class Suite Virgin Atlantic recently launched their new Upper Class Suite product. The new seats are the biggest business class flat beds at 6’ 7.5” (202cm) long and 33” (84cm) wide, which is over a foot wider than both British Airway’s Club World and First Class products. Currently the new suite is available on certain London, Heathrow routes to New York, JFK however during 2004 they will be rolled out throughout the network. http://www.upperclasssuite.com/ Don’t forget at World Club we have access to various discounted fares with Virgin Atlantic allowing you to experience the new product at an affordable price. Emirates Airlines announce increase in content Emirates Airlines just announced an increase in their network. From next year, Emirates plan to fly to New York, Glasgow, Vienna, Lagos and Accra from Dubai. At the same time Emirates are upgrading their fleet and their onboard cabins. Their new Airbus aircraft are state of the art with the launch route being Dubai to Sydney. Flights will leave Dubai at 10:15 and arrive in Sydney at 07:10 the next day, a total flying time of 14 hours. Due to the length of the flying time, there will be two sets of flight and cabin crew to comply with regulations. http://www.emirates.com/ World Club Travel is a preferred agent of Emirates Airline and we are able to offer you significant savings on their entire network. Deutsche BA now called DBA DBAis the new name for Deutsche BA and offers up to three daily services from London, Gatwick to Berlin, Tegal. Fares range from £39 one way (plus taxes), with a full fare, one way ticket of £122 (plus taxes) allowing the business traveler full flexibility and a full refund. The DBA network within Germany is extensive for onward travel. Swiss International Airlines winter service Swiss International Airlines starts their direct winter service from London, Heathrow to Sion from 20 December 2003 through to 17 April 2004. Sion is situated in the Swiss Valais Region and is conveniently located to the resorts of Crans Montana, Verbier, Zermatt and Saas Fee. Fares start from £158, including taxes. Swiss also fly to Zurich from London Heathrow/City starting from £77 including tax as well as Geneva starting from £91 including tax. World Club Negotiates New Hotel Rates We regonise that getting the best rate at hotels is key. We already have access to negotiated global rates through one supplier. From 2004 we will also become a member of THOR24, an organisation that can provide negotiated rates in over 12,000 hotels worldwide. THOR24 rate’s in certain hotels offer room upgrades for free, as well as recognising regular guests that are booked using their rates.

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World Club Travel 2004 Issue 1