Travel Agency

Travel agents dispute Michael O’Leary’s claim on Ryanair refunds

By Steven I. Green 3 weeks ago

TRAVEL agents have taken issue with claims by Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary that every customer who has requested a refund has received it.

Mr O’Leary denied there were still delays with refunds for cancelled flights.

Last year there was a storm of protest by the airline’s customers over long delays and difficulties getting money back for flights they did not take.

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Mr O’Leary told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland: “Every customer who has requested a refund has received it.

“There are some with vouchers who have the option of a cash refund if they want it – they will receive it within five days. There is no backlog in refunds – all have now been issued.”

But the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) contradicted this, saying travel agents continue to have problems accessing flight refunds from Ryanair.

It said the issue continues to affect bricks and mortar travel agents

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Global View: Hospitality, Travel Cautiously Optimistic for 2021

By Steven I. Green 3 weeks ago

The New Year has seemingly brought a new wave of optimism for the hospitality and travel industries.

In the United States, the optimism seems to be especially renewed as it swore in Joseph R. Biden Jr. as its 46 president on Wednesday, along with Kamala Harris as vice president. Recently, as reported by Luxury Travel Advisor, Biden proposed a $1.9 trillion relief package targeted at combating the COVID-19 virus directly and economic relief in the form of new grant programs, enhanced unemployment benefits and direct checks to Americans. “We welcome and wholeheartedly support the provisions of [President Biden]’s COVID-19 relief proposal that will help spur the travel industry’s recovery and provide support to ASTA members, employees and independent contractors,” said Eben Peck, EVP, advocacy for the American Society of Travel Advisors.

It was a sentiment echoed by U.S. Travel Association president and CEO Roger Dow,

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Trip.com is ‘more confident than ever’ in China’s travel recovery

By Steven I. Green 3 weeks ago

SINGAPORE — Online travel agency Trip.com is “more confident than ever” that China’s domestic tourism will recover in the long run, chief executive Jane Sun said on Thursday.

That’s despite fresh lockdowns in the country as new coronavirus cases emerge.

“In the long run, we are very optimistic about the recovery,” Sun told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia.” Trip.com is one of China’s largest online travel sites.

She said China saw “very strong recovery” during the country’s last holiday season in October and that it’s taking steps to administer vaccines in high risk areas.

Communities are also more experienced in identifying and isolating cases in order to control the virus, she said.

“With all these factors, we’re more confident than ever that in the long run, the domestic travel business will be recovering,” said Sun.

Local tourism in China bounced back when the virus situation stabilized, and September’s domestic flights grew

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Travel agents join growing calls for greater financial support amid new restrictions

By Steven I. Green 3 weeks ago

The travel industry remains one of the Canadian economy’s hardest-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, but over a year after the country’s first cases began appearing, most of its major sectors have received no specialized government support.



a large air plane on a runway: An Air Canada Airbus A320 jet (C-FPDN) takes off from Vancouver International Airport, Richmond, B.C. on Thursday, September 24, 2020.

© THE CANADIAN PRESS IMAGES/Bayne Stanley
An Air Canada Airbus A320 jet (C-FPDN) takes off from Vancouver International Airport, Richmond, B.C. on Thursday, September 24, 2020.

“This is the worst time in airline history, and they’ve laid off over twenty-five, thirty thousand people in Canada — Porter has not flown since last March,” Karl Moore, a professor at McGill University and travel-industry analyst, told Global News.

Moore suggested the major reason Air Canada, WestJet, Sunwing and Air Transat agreed to suspend their flights to many vacation spots was likely to finally win a financial support package from Ottawa.

“For them to do this shows that they are negotiating with the government,” he said.

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