Agents` pay – feast or famine?

SOUTHERN AFRICA’S TRAVEL NEWS WEEKLY
May 6 2015 I No. 2348
TRAVEL NEWS WEEKLY
INSIDE
TNW7009SD
NEWS
FEATURE
NEWS
SAA VOYAGER
NEW CPT HOTEL
AUSTRALIA
JourneyBlitz Awards launched
Tsogo Sun announces 500-room hotel
Flying down under –
the best options
Page 2
Page 4
Page 11
Agents’ pay –
feast or famine?
Dorine Reinstein
T
RAVEL agents are the
lowest paid sales people
in South Africa, according
to a recent salary index,
compiled by CareerJunction.
And while some industry
leaders believe that low pay
leads to low retention of
valuable people, others say
that effective retail agents’
earnings are unlimited.
The index, which shows the
average salaries in 2015 for
over 100 jobs in 10 sectors
across South Africa, shows
travel agents earn salaries
ranging from R9 700 to
R13 587 for ‘skilled’
employees and from
R14 091 to R16 250 for
‘senior’ employees.
“By and large, the travel
industry is a very poorly
paid industry,” says Rachael
Penaluna, business manager
for Sure Maritime Travel in
Port Elizabeth. “Considering
how much hard work and
responsibility is involved in
being a consultant or agency
boss, it really is not worth
the salary we get paid.” She
says the problem is that the
industry is not regulated either
internally or externally. “There
is no way to have a scale
of remuneration, no control.
Agency bosses can pay what
they think is right in their own
context,” she says, adding
TNW7013SD
that under the current climate,
travel consultants won’t stay in
the industry for more than 20
years any more.
Also younger consultants
tend to get despondent once
they realise they can’t afford
to travel, says Rachael. “Young
consultants enter the industry
and think “It’s okay, we will
get industry rates, so we can
afford to travel”. Rubbish! Very
few suppliers and airlines give
good rates. Consultants end
up despondent because they
are earning a pittance and
don’t travel.”
Jean Rymer, senior specialist
travel recruiter at PCS-SA,
says, currently, young leisure
consultants earn between
R6 000 and R8 000 per
month, with the potential to
make commission, although
the targets are usually quite
high. Corporate travel agents
earn slightly more.
According to Jean, recruits
usually have a fairly good idea
of the salary they can expect.
But after a couple of years,
salary frustrations tend to rear
their head. “Travel consultants
then start to realise that it is
a high-pressure environment
with quick turnaround times.
They tend to get tired of the
combination of little pay and
high pressure,” she says,
adding that another frustration
is the fact that there is only so
To page 16
Cape Town was thirsty!
TNW Thirsty’s set Cape Town abuzz on April 23. Joining in the good times are (from left)
Angie Martin (Pentravel), Chad Le Helloco (Pentravel), Natalie Farnell (Wilderness Safaris),
Theresa Szejwallo (The Travel Corporation), Sean Hough (Pentravel) and Tracy MurraySmith (Tsogo Sun). Photo: Shannon Van Zyl
Nepal a no-go for now
Dorine Reinstein
TOUR operators have advised
travellers to postpone
travel plans to Nepal, after
the country was hit by an
earthquake last week, which
killed upwards of 5 000
people and left thousands of
tourists stranded. Also the
FCO has advised against all
but essential travel to the
country.
Gap Adventures, a tour
operator offering expeditions
to Everest, told TNW it had
cancelled all trips to Nepal
until May 10. At that time,
the operator said it would
reassess the situation and
decide whether or not it would
resume trips.
&Beyond has also cancelled
its upcoming trip to Nepal.
Suhail Gupta, md of &Beyond
South Asia, told TNW the
operator had a group of 12
people who were supposed
to travel to the country next
week. “We have advised them
to cancel their time in Nepal
and travel to the destination
later in the fall.”
Suhail says he recommends
travellers to postpone any
travel from now until October
or November. After that, he
says, it should be safe to
travel once again to Nepal,
especially if travellers are
planning to visit Chitawan
National Park and Annapurna
Circuit, as these two areas
have escaped any major
damage. “Nepal will need all
the support after this terrible
tragedy and one way to
To page 2
Air Botswana drops
direct Cape route
AIR Botswana no longer
operates direct flights
between Maun and Cape
Town, effective May 4.
The service will be routed
through Gaborone.
Consequently, from
NEWS
May 4, flight frequency
between Gaborone and
Cape Town will increase
from twice a week to
four times a week on
Mondays, Wednesdays,
Fridays and Sundays. 
A vision of Egypt
Travel Vision is offering special packages to Egypt for a limited period. The sevennight ‘Cairo and Nile Cruise’ starts from R16 999pps and includes return airfare from
Johannesburg (including taxes); airport transfers; two nights in Cairo at the Mercure
Le Sphinx Hotel with breakfast; a half-day ‘Pyramids & Sphinx’ tour; two nights on the
sleeper train (Cairo-Aswan-Luxor-Cairo) on a half-board basis; and three nights on a
Nile cruise on a full-board basis. The offer is valid until September 30. For more Egypt
specials, see Travelinfo. Penny Mason (Travel Vision supervisor for the UK, Europe and
the Middle East) get up close and personal with the Sphinx. Photo: Shannon Van Zyl.
TNW6154SD
Rubes®
By Leigh Rubin
SAA Voyager launches first
redemption seat sale
S
AA Voyager has
announced the
first redemption
seat sale – SAA Voyager
JourneyBlitz Awards – since
the announcement of its
extensive programme
changes which, for the most
part, came into effect on
February 1.
SAA released an
“unprecedented” number
of seats, exclusive to SAAoperated flights for the
next 365 days, as part of
the redemption seat sale.
Travel is valid until April 23,
2016 but bookings (book,
redeem and ticket) for the
sale will close on April 30
this year.
The JourneyBlitz Awards
mileage thresholds require,
on average, 70% to 85%
fewer Miles than the
Dynamic Awards. The seats
are available on a firstcome, first-served basis
and all levies, taxes and/
or surcharges will be for the
member’s own account.
“We reassured our
members during the
transition period of our
programme changes that
once our first JourneyBlitz
Awards are published,
we will have a different
conversation. These
Awards are indeed in most
instances, lower than our
previous MileageKeeper
Awards,” says Suretha
Cruse, SAA executive
customer loyalty. 
Nepal a no-go for now
Founding Editors:
John H Marsh (1914-1996)
TRAVEL NEWS WEEKLY
www.etnw.co.za
Published by
Travel & Trade Publishing (Pty) Ltd
Printed by Juka Printing (Pty) Ltd
Phone: (011) 327-4062
Fax: (011) 327-4094
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.nowmedia.co.za
Address: Now Media Centre,
32 Fricker Road, Illovo Boulevard,
Illovo, Johannesburg.
PO Box 55251, Northlands,
2116, South Africa.
EDITORIAL
Group Editor: Natasha Schmidt
Contributors:
Debbie Badham
Hilka Birns
Dorine Reinstein
Photographer: Shannon Van Zyl
Production Editor: Ann Braun
Leona Marsh (1923-2003)
[email protected]
Tessa Reed
Max Marx
Caro Malherbe
Darise Foster
PUBLISHER
Kate Nathan
[email protected]
GROUP PUBLISHER
David Marsh
[email protected]
ADVERTISING
Sales:[email protected]
Advertising Co-ordinator: Courtney Canham
[email protected]
PRODUCTION
Design Head:
Dirk Voorneveld
SUBSCRIPTIONS
[email protected]
2 n Wednesday May 6 2015
From page 1
support and assist will be to
continue planning your visit.”
Although most tour
operators will offer travellers
the option to change their
date of travel or receive
a refund, travel insurance
companies will not cover
cancellations in a case like
this. Simmy Micheli, manager
sales and marketing for Travel
Insurance Consultants, says
TIC will only cover cancellation
costs if the flight to get to
the destination has been
cancelled by the airline and
the traveller has incurred
costs as a result.
Simmy says cancellation
cover covers six perils – a
sudden illness or death;
theft of travel documents;
cancellation of your tickets by
the airline; retrenchment; loss
at your home of R100 000
or more; or a traumatic event
before departure. “Therefore,
not wanting to travel due to
the earthquake would not be
covered.”
She says TIC will help
travellers who are currently
in Nepal with full medical
cover as well as medical
repatriation costs after
hospitalisation. “If the
passenger is killed, the
accidental death benefit is
a lump sum compensation
that would be payable to the
family. Further costs for return
of mortal remains would be
included. Luggage losses
or damage would also be
covered.”
The Foreign and
Commonwealth Office has
advised against all but
essential travel to Nepal
while the international
rescue teams are flying into
Kathmandu.
“If you are in a safe place,
you should stay where you are
until it is safe to leave,” the
FCO said. “You should follow
any advice provided by the
local authorities. If you can
leave Nepal safely then we
advise that you should do so.”
It comes as tour operator,
Intrepid Travel, also cancelled
all trips to Nepal up to
and including May 11 and
is offering refunds or the
opportunity to postpone
travel. “We will be continuing
to monitor the situation and
will review our subsequent
trips as appropriate,” the
operator said. 
QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS
TNW6980SD
DreamBoats
NEWS
R680m hotel to open
in Cape Town
T
SOGO Sun will
construct a new R680m
500-bedroom hotel
complex in the Cape Town
city centre after reaching an
agreement with the owners
of the site of the recently
demolished Tulip hotel. It
will be located on the corner
of Buitengracht and Strand
streets.
Construction is expected
to begin this month with
completion by September
2017.
The hotel will consist
of two products in one
complex – a 200-bedroom
latest-design SunSquare
hotel and a 300-bedroom
new-generation StayEasy
hotel. Also in the complex
will be banqueting and
conference facilities, Tsogo
Sun’s casual dining offering,
Vigour & Verve, retail space
and approximately 300
underground parking bays.
The hotel site currently
includes a heritage façade,
which will be retained.
The investment brings the
total number of Tsogo Sun
rooms in the Cape Town city
centre to over 2 000.
Wesgro ceo, Tim Harris,
said: “Because the two
hotels are targeting the
two- to three-star ‘value
tourism’ market they will
help to meet some of the
excess demand for rooms
in this price range and
broaden the hotel product
offering in the city.” 
Fastjet updates JNB schedule
FASTJET has updated
the schedule on its
Johannesburg-Dar es
Salaam route, consistent
with quarterly seasonal
changes. The new
schedule is effective for
bookings between June 1
and July 26.
Flights from OR Tambo
International Airport
will depart for Dar es
Salaam’s Julius Nyerere
International Airport at
23h20 on Tuesdays,
Thursdays and Saturdays;
arriving at 03h45 the
following day. The return
flight departs Dar es
Salaam at 19h45 on the
same days, arriving in
Johannesburg at 22h30.
Dar es Salaam is one hour
ahead of Johannesburg.
Flights up to and
including May 31 will
continue to operate on the
current flight schedule on
Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays. 
Send your cruising news to [email protected]
Crystal adds to shore-side excursions
CRYSTAL Cruises has added ‘You Care, We Care’ shore excursions
to its offering. Crystal Adventures ashore – complimentary for
guests – allows participants to engage in the humanitarian and
conservational activities of organisations throughout the world.
Destinations include New Victoria, Santa Barbara, Dubrovnik,
Barcelona, St. Peter Port and Puerto Limon. The ‘You Care, We
Care’ Crystal Adventures will be offered on more than two dozen of
Crystal’s 2015 worldwide sailings. Complete excursion and sailing
details can be found on Crystal’s Shore Excursion Finder tool.
MSC Cruises increases capacity in eastern Med
MSC Cruises is deploying extra capacity in the eastern
Mediterranean this year due to demand. The 2 550-passenger
MSC Poesia and the 2 518-passenger MSC Magnifica will
homeport in Venice between May and November, calling at Bari or
Brindisi, Katakolon, Izmir, Istanbul and Dubrovnik. They will replace
MSC Preziosa (3 502 passengers), which currently sails these
routes alone, but will switch to a western Mediterranean itinerary
from Genoa.
Round the world cruises from Crystal
CRYSTAL Cruises’ Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity will each
embark on world cruises in 2018, offering travellers four separate
global itineraries. The concurrent world cruise routes for 2018
begin in January, with both ships arriving in Sydney on February 17,
allowing guests the opportunity to combine the itineraries of the two
ships by switching vessels for a new journey. 2018 World
Cruise itineraries include Cape Town to Miami – January 7 to
April 30; Los Angeles to Rome – January 23 to May 16; Cape
Town to Rome – January 7 to May 16; and Los Angeles to Miami –
January 23 to April 30.
TNW6998SD
4 n Wednesday May 6 2015
QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS
TNW7014SD
T
HIRSTY’S returned to the Mother City in April for another
evening of fun and networking. The newly revamped
SunSquare Cape Town was the perfect meeting spot on a
warm and breezy autumn day and the who’s who of travel made
the most of a fantastic evening. Next month’s Thirsty’s will be held
at Faircity Quatermain Hotel in Sandton. To find out more about
this event, email Kate Nathan at [email protected] 
Tsogo Sun’s Honest Ngubethole enjoys the last of the sunset with Atlantis Corporate
Travel’s Thandiwe Maseko (left) and Travel Counsellors’ Nomataru Mbira (right).
Sharing a joke or
two are Liesl Venter
(Now Media), Morné
Schuin (Lee Botti)
and Shirley Arrow
(Now Media).
Taking the opportunity to network are
Harold Cox from Kenilworth Travel and
Lorette Garnett from Singapore Airlines.
Beachcomber’s
Ettienne Walters
caught on both sides
of the camera.
‘What's the joke?’ ask Nothando Khuzwayo (BCD Travel)
and Marco Holloway (Student Flights).
Enjoying a drink
together are (from
left) Shelley Daniels
(Beachcomber
Tours), Jayne Morkel
(Achievement
Awards Group) and
Natasha Schmidt
(TNW).
Photos: Shannon Van Zyl
TNW7008SD
6 n Wednesday May 6 2015
QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS
TNW7015SD
AirHeads
NEWS
Radisson Red enters SA
C
ARLSON Rezidor will bring
its Radisson Red brand
to Cape Town late next
year.
It will mark the first Radisson
Red property in Africa, Europe
and the Middle East and will
be operated by the Rezidor
Hotel Group.
The Radisson Red V&A
Waterfront will feature 235
guest rooms, a 24/7 deli and
bar, five meeting event studios,
a fitness studio, rooftop
swimming pool, a rooftop
garden terrace and bar. It will
be within walking distance of
the Cape Town Convention
Centre and 20km from Cape
Town International Airport.
“Following the recent
Carlson Rezidor signing of
the Radisson Red Shenyang
Hunan in China, we are now
delighted to announce the
first Radisson Red in EMEA
in a location as prominent as
the V&A Waterfront – giving
our new brand both local and
global visibility in a world-class
destination,” said Wolfgang
Neumann, president and ceo
of Rezidor. 
Travelport adds 70 000 hotels
to system
TRAVELPORT and HRS,
a global hotel solutions
provider, have entered
into a multi-year global
distribution agreement that
will see 70 000 hotels
from HRS’s properties –
the majority of which are
independent hotels – added
to Travelport’s commerce
platform.
The HRS inventory will be
fully integrated later in the
year. “It gives travel agencies
and companies access to
new hotel properties and
enables them to find the
right content, all within an
efficient booking process,”
said HRS ceo, Tobias Ragge.
The agreement also gives
Travelport-connected agents
access to the HRS Business
Tariff programme, which
provides special corporate
rates for more than 35 000
hotels globally. 
A snapshot of the week's airline news
Etihad deploys new aircraft to Washington
ETIHAD Airways has deployed a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on its daily
Washington, D.C. service. The aircraft is configured with eight first
suites, 28 business studios and 199 economy smart seats. James
Hogan, president and ceo of Etihad, says: “We have customised
the aircraft with the world’s most innovative and sophisticated first-,
business- and economy-class cabins, providing our guests with
superior levels of comfort and attention to detail not previously
enjoyed by the modern air traveller.”
US Airways and American to operate as one
AMERICAN Airlines and US Airways will both operate under
‘American’, after the Federal Aviation Administration awarded the
airlines a single operating certificate, a major milestone since
they announced their intention to merge 18 months ago. Effective
immediately, most flight operations, maintenance and dispatch
procedures will be identical for all flights. Customers will continue to
check in for their flights on aa.com, usairways.com, or at American or
US Airways ticket counters until later this year when American moves
to a single reservations system.
Emirates ups capacity to Gatwick
EMIRATES has launched a second daily A380 service to London
Gatwick, effective immediately. It replaces the B777 that previously
operated flights EK15/16. The A380 will add a total of 318 seats
per day.
Delta expands South American network
UK implements ‘health surcharge’
for travellers
TRAVELLERS staying in the
UK for longer than six months
are required to pay a ‘health
surcharge’ when they make
their visa application. The
surcharge must be paid
online before attending the
Visa Application Centre.
They will then be able to
use the National Health
Service (NHS) but will still
need to pay for certain
types of services, including
prescriptions, dental
treatment and eye tests.
Biometric residence permits
should also be presented
when accessing healthcare in
the UK.
Travellers on a visitor
visa do not have to pay the
healthcare surcharge and will
instead pay for any healthcare
received through the NHS. 
Robben Island launches off-peak schedule
ROBBEN Island Museum will
change the frequency of its
daily tours and increase fares
as it commences its off-peak
tour schedule. The peak
season will recommence in
September.
From mid-April, tours will
drop from the usual four
during peak season to three.
They will run at 09h00 and
11h00, with the last ferry
leaving the Nelson Mandela
Gateway at 13h00.
The 15h00 tour will return in
peak season.
From June 1, the museum
will increase tariffs from the
current R280 for adults to
R300, while children under 18
will pay R160.
The fee for tickets cancelled
14 days prior to a tour
remains R50 per ticket, and
the Nelson Mandela Gateway
will operate from 07h30 to
18h00 as normal. 
DELTA will launch services from Atlanta to Medellin and Cartagena
in Colombia on December 19, subject to government approval. The
airline already offers services from Atlanta and New York to the
Colombian capital, Bogota. Meanwhile, in its bid to further increase
its Latin American network, Delta and fellow SkyTeam member,
Grupo Aeromexico, have filed an application with the US Department
of Transportation seeking antitrust immunity for a new US$1,5bn
(R18bn) joint venture on flights between the US and Mexico.
New terminal coming to Frankfurt
A NEW Terminal 3 will be constructed at Frankfurt Airport this year.
Construction of the terminal is scheduled to take place over a period
of seven years with it expected to become operational in 2022.
Singapore to upgrade airport facilities
CHANGI Airport in Singapore will revamp its Terminal 1 check-in hall,
baggage-handling system and arrival immigration hall. Renovations
began last month and are expected to be completed by 2019. The
check-in counters in the departure hall will see two new check-in
rows installed to increase passenger handling capacity. The baggagehandling system will be upgraded from a semi-automated to fully
automated system, as in the other terminals, to better support the
implementation of self-check-in and self-bag-drop functions at T1
and early check-in facilities.
TNW6913SD
8 n Wednesday May 6 2015
QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS
WIN 2 return tickets
all inclusive to any
Airlink destination!
Learn about our hotels in
Zimbabwe, Nigeria & Ghana
Airlink flies to 35 destinations
in 9 African countries
Complete the online workshop to
enter the prize draw
in our online workshop and you could...
WIN a R2 000
Woolworths shopping voucher!
Why Travelinfo
FASTER AND EASIER
 Be empowered to sell successfully
Find out more in this online workshop
and you could…
Workshops?
 Self-paced learning
 Single product focus for higher
information retention
 Easily accessible through TI
 Instant results and online certification
 Fantastic prizes to be won
 At your convenience - hosted for
two months
Visit: www.travelinfo.co.za
TNW7242
hotel and car reservations
with Travelport
a R5 000
N
I
W shopping
voucher!
For the record
NEWS
In the Gulf Tourism feature (TNW April 29) we reported that Dubai
was expecting two million visitors by 2020. The figure should have
been 20 million visitors. TNW apologises for the error.
Amazing Africa
TNW7006SD
AfricaStay is offering special Victoria Falls and Chobe rates, starting from R4 190pps
for two-night stays at various properties, including flights, hotel transfers, breakfast
and a sunset cruise. Three-night stays are also available. Agents earn 10% commission
on accommodation. For more information, see Travelinfo. Cruising down the river are
(from left) AfricaStay’s Gail Gilbert (sales and marketing manager) and Carol Mhazo
(reservation consultant for Victoria Falls). Photo: Shannon Van Zyl.
SAA – bid for business class
S
AA has introduced
Step-Up, an online
bidding system
that gives customers the
opportunity to upgrade
their seat from economy to
business class.
The success of the
client’s offer depended on
a combination of factors,
including the amount
offered for the upgrade, the
original economy-class fare
purchased, the passenger’s
SAA Voyager status, and the
number of seats available
for upgrade, SAA said in a
statement.
Customers will receive an
email seven days before
their scheduled departure,
informing them of available
seats in business class.
The email contains a link
to the Step-Up tool, where
the customer will be able to
place their bid. If the email
address in the booking is
that of the travel agent, the
agent can follow the link
and bid on behalf of the
customer. Alternatively, the
travel agent may pass the
email on to their customer
to action.
All bids close 72 hours
before departure.
Customers can view, modify
and cancel their bid before
this cut-off. They are then
notified 24 hours before
departure of the outcome
of their bid. Successful
customers’ credit cards will
be charged with the amount
they have bid. Unsuccessful
passengers retain their
original itinerary and pay
nothing.
The programme has been
launched on selected routes
and will be extended to
more routes in the near
future. 
Helen Johnston selects the top specials from Travelinfo
Bantry Bay Suite Hotel. Winter leisure special: rates are from R622,50pp sharing in a deluxe suite. Kids
under12 stay and have breakfast free. Rate includes free breakfast and free parking. Offer valid until July 31.
Booking code: PROMO (TI). Luxury suite rates are also available.
Air Holidays. Victoria Falls – ‘Bonus package’. Four nights at Elephant Hills from R6 630 plus approximate
taxes of R3 720pp. Package includes return flights ex-JNB, airport transfers, accommodation with breakfast,
one dinner, guided tour of the Falls (entry fee paid direct), lunch at Rainforest Café, historical bridge tour,
sunset cruise ($10 park fee paid direct), dinner cruise, including three-course meal and open bar. Offer expires
June 30.
United Airlines. Fares from JNB to the USA via UK/Europe. Fares are from R12 617 to Washington, R12 917
to Orlando, R14 400 to New York, R13 917 to Los Angeles/San Francisco and R14 700 to Chicago. Fares
include taxes. Valid for travel until November 30. SA domestic add-on fares available.
Origin Tours. Seven-night packages to Madagascar are from R15 809pp
sharing. Offer includes return flights ex-JNB, return airport-hotel transfers, one
night’s accommodation sharing in Antananarivo with breakfast, six nights’
accommodation sharing at Nosy Iranja in a bungalow with breakfast,
lunch and dinner daily. Offer excludes taxes and is available for Saturday
departures until June 30.
Rove Africa. Seven-night wildebeest migration packages in Tanzania are
from R23 610pp sharing. Rate includes return flights ex-JNB, airport
taxes, private 4x4 safari vehicle, accommodation, all meals, full-day
or two half-day game drives per day, all park/conservancy fees. Pricing
based on four passengers travelling together until August 31.
Spec
Spoitals
TNW7011SD
To receive TNW contact Gladys on [email protected]
10 n Wednesday May 6 2015
QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS
Australia
A number of airlines have stepped in to fill the gap left when SAA and Qantas
axed their codeshare alliance last year. Hilka Birns reports.
Flying down under – what are the best options?
F
LYING time and value
for money are critical
considerations when it
comes to selling flights to
Australia.
With the Qantas-SAA
codeshare no longer in
operation, a number of
passengers have been
significantly inconvenienced,
notably those who previously
had enjoyed Qantas’s free
stopover in Perth en route to
Sydney. Voyager members and
Star Alliance Round-the-World
ticket holders have also been
negatively affected. Since SAA
operates only one flight a week
to Perth, they now have limited
departure options.
The fastest and most direct
schedules to Australia from
Johannesburg remain Qantas’s
daily flights to Sydney and
SAA’s once-weekly service to
Perth (with onward connections
on Virgin Australia).
However, travel agents are
looking at alternatives with
lower prices and offering
shorter transit times. These
include Qatar Airways via
Doha, Etihad Airways via Abu
Dhabi and Cathay Pacific via
Hong Kong. Although these
flights offer lower fares from
Johannesburg, travelling time
is longer in each case. Then
again, some routes offer other
benefits: for example, Etihad
codeshares with SAA, so
Voyager members can earn
miles on this route. Emirates
is a popular alternative
because, in addition to daily
flights from Johannesburg, the
airline also flies directly from
Cape Town and Durban, and
offers attractive fares.
Singapore Airlines is
another favoured option
because it operates daily
from Johannesburg and four
times a week from Cape Town
via Johannesburg. Market
development manager, Sally
George, says SQ offers
more than 110 flights via
Singapore to Australia. SQ
and SilkAir operate flights to
seven Australian destinations
including Sydney, Melbourne,
Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide,
Darwin and Cairns (starting
this month). In addition, SQ
offers a stopover package
in Singapore that includes
accommodation and
with Virgin Australia from
Perth, says Air Mauritius
regional manager, Carla da
Silva.
Getting there
Carla da Silva
sightseeing. This package
is easily accessed by South
Africans, as no visa is required
for visiting Singapore.
Air Mauritius flies from
Johannesburg to Perth via
Mauritius, offering an overnight
stopover package. Again, no
visa is required for Mauritius
and the stopover package
may be extended if desired.
The flight is a value-for-money
alternative but is about four
hours longer, although only
seven hours from Mauritius.
Air Mauritius also codeshares
SAA flies once a week nonstop from Johannesburg
to Perth with onward
connections on Virgin
Australia. Flight time to
Perth: 9h30m.
Qantas flies daily non-stop
from Johannesburg to
Sydney. Flight time: 11h50m.
Emirates, Singapore Airlines,
Etihad Airways and Cathay
Pacific Airways all fly to
Sydney, Melbourne, Perth
and Brisbane via their home
hubs.
Singapore Airlines flies
to various destinations in
Australia, with a stopover
in Singapore. Flight time
from Johannesburg including
transit at Singapore:
Sydney (18h50m), Brisbane
(21h40m), Melbourne
(19h15m) and Perth (17h).
Qatar Airways flies via Doha
to Perth (21h10m) and
Melbourne (22h10m).
Air Mauritius flies to Perth
via Mauritius. Flight time:
13h35m.
Getting around
Given Australia’s size, flying
remains the best option,
unless your clients have time
to spare. Most passengers
make use of add-on fares,
e.g. Singapore Airlines
offers through fares from
South Africa via Singapore
in conjunction with Virgin
Australia, to more than 30
destinations in Australia.
Low-cost airlines like Jet Star
and Virgin Australia also offer
regular flights, good fares and
easy connections between
cities.
Petrol is expensive compared
with South Africa and people
often underestimate the vast
distances between cities.
However, some travellers
enjoy hiring a camper van and
purchasing a stay-as-you-go
voucher for accommodation
(Thompsons Holidays offers
this package). Popular selfdrive scenic tours include the
Great Ocean Road west of
Melbourne; and from Brisbane
down the Gold Coast.
TNW7007SD
QUICK READ FOR BUSIEST PEOPLE
Wednesday May 6 2015 n 11
Australia
Tourism to Western Australia grows
TOURISM from South Africa to
Western Australia has grown
by 10,9% for the year ending
September 2014. Although
South African travellers
totalled only 19 300,
they nevertheless spent
R418,5m (AUD46m),
according to Perth-based
Tourism Western Australia
spokesperson, Marta
Alexander. She says Western
Australia received 34,3% of
all South African visitors to
Australia in the year ending
December 2013, most having
visited for leisure.
This ties in with Thompsons
Holidays reporting growing
interest in adventure
destinations in Western
Australia, and tour operators,
travel agents and airlines
listing Perth as the top-selling
destination from South Africa,
followed by Sydney/New South
Wales, Melbourne, Brisbane
and the Gold Coast. Travel
Vision, Thompsons Holidays
and Trafalgar Tours also
feature Cairns and the Great
Barrier Reef in their brochures.
However, lack of promotion
in South Africa, expensive
airfares, distance of travel and
an unfavourable exchange rate
mean Australia as a whole
remains largely a destination
for dwindling numbers of VFRs
from South Africa.
Tourism Australia has not
been represented locally for
years. Sydney-based Tourism
Australia spokesman, Leo
Seaton, admits that South
Africa is not a priority, based
on its tourism performance
and potential in terms of
arrival numbers and spending.
“Based on the latest arrivals
figures, we received 53 600
South African visitors in the
year ending September 2014,
a drop of 1,5% on the same
period the previous year. To
put that into context, the total
number of international visitors
we received in that same
period was 6,6m. I’m afraid
South Africa isn’t currently
on our list of 17 priority
international markets, so we
don’t do much in-market. Nor
do we have any commercial
partnerships with either
Qantas or SAA,” he says.
“We battle to get brochures
from tour operators,” adds a
Perth is the top-selling destination in Western Australia from South Africa.
Johannesburg-based travel
agent who asked not to be
named. “There is a lack of
promotion and knowledge, with
many South Africans assuming
that Australia is a lot like
South Africa and therefore not
an interesting holiday option.
It’s an expensive destination
because the airfares aren’t
cheap and costs in Australia
have gone up.”
The VFR nature of the market
makes selling package tours
and add-ons a challenge. “We
seldom sell package tours
to Australia,” the agent says.
“Our clients are mainly aged
50-plus, often parents or
grandparents of children living
in Australia, and want to travel
there by the most direct and
best value route.
“Accommodation and
sightseeing are mostly
organised by family members
in Australia,” she says.
TNW6880SD
12 n Wednesday May 6 2015
QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS
Australia
Singapore Airlines will fly three times a week to Cairns.
Singapore adds Cairns service
SINGAPORE Airlines has
launched a new thrice-weekly
service to Cairns, the first
flight taking off on May 30.
It also offers a one-night
hotel stay-over in Singapore
for SGD1pp (R9) in a twin
room in a category A hotel,
valid for travel from May 1 until
November 30 and for sale until
June 19.
The airline has also extended
its promotion entitling transit
passengers to Changi Dollar
Vouchers worth SGD40
(R360), which can be used
to access the Ambassador
transit lounge or for purchases
at restaurants and duty-free
shops. The promotion now
runs until March 31, 2016.
TNW7012SD
Find your adventure...
FLY-DRIVE:
MELBOURNE TO SYDNEY
COASTAL DRIVE – 7 x days
The Great Barrier Reef – book your clients’ day trips in advance.
Tips of the trade
AGENTS should book
clients’ day trips or
overnight cruises to
the Great Barrier Reef
in advance as limited
numbers of vessels are
allowed at the World
Heritage-listed area at
any given time, advises
Travel Vision sales and
marketing manager,
Annemarie Lexow.
Options include:
Coral Princes Cruises:
Three-, four- and sevennight cruises from
Cairns to Pelarus Island
and Lizard Island.
Sunlover Reef Cruises:
Daily departures from
Cairns. Activities include
snorkelling, semisubmersible and glassbottom boat tours, fish
feeding, an underwater
observatory and a
marine life touch tank.
Sailaway Reef and
Island Tours: Fullday, afternoon and
sunset cruises from
Port Douglas to the
Low Isles. Swimming
with turtles is the tour
highlight.
Quicksilver Cruises:
Day trips from Cairns
and Port Douglas to the
Outer Reef and the Low
Isles. Highlights include
hot air ballooning and
helicopter flights.
Visit Phillip Island to view the “Penguin Parade” of
Australia’s famous little penguins. Enjoying a walk
through a eucalypt forest and wildflowers at Wilsons
Promontory. Drive to the Lakes Entrance by following
the Prince Highway via Baimsdale and visit the Gippsland
timber village near Snowy River. Continue on Prince
Highway to reach the picturesque Gipsy Point where
you can join a morning boat trip. Travel further north
and visit the Eden Killer Whale Museum. Find you way
back on Prince Highway an look out for the turn-off
to Huskisson & Jervis Bay, known for the whitest sand
beaches in the world and resident a dolphin population.
The last stretch of your journey takes you along the
Grand Pacific Drive and the highlight is crossing the
impressive Sea Cliff Bridge, near Coalcliff and Clifton.
From R10 125 per person sharing
Including: 6 nights accommodation only, car hire with
unlimited kms, GPS, VRF (Vehicle Registration fee), CRF
(Concession Recovery Fee), PLS (Premium Location
Surcharge), LDW (Loss Damage Waiver), Super Excess
Reduction (NIL Excess), one way fee, admin fees and
GST @ 10%.
Validity: 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016
TRAVEL VISION TERMS & CONDITIONS APPLY
Tel: (011) 408-8000
Fax: (011) 782-7624
email: [email protected]
TNW7354
QUICK READ FOR BUSIEST PEOPLE
Wednesday May 6 2015 n 13
Australia
Take the train!
AUSTRALIA boasts some of
the most spectacular rail
journeys in the world – an
attractive holiday option for
clients with time to spare.
NSW TrainLink: Operates
long-distance passenger
rail services and an
extensive coach network
to more than 366
destinations throughout
New South Wales and to
interstate destinations
including Brisbane,
Canberra and Melbourne.
Its Discovery Pass allows
unlimited travel for 14
days or one, three or six
months.
Great Southern Rail
operates tourist trains
such as:
 The Indian Pacific: One of
the world's longest train
journeys, covering
4 352km between Sydney
and Perth.
 The Ghan: Runs between
Adelaide, Alice Springs
and Darwin and back,
covering 2 979km
in three days.
 The Overlander: A
daylight service in both
directions between
Adelaide and Melbourne,
covering 828km.
 The Southern Spirit:
Runs between Adelaide,
Melbourne and Brisbane,
including whistle-stop
tours of the Grampians
National Park, AlburyWodonga, the Taronga
Western Plains Zoo,
Hunter Valley, Port
Macquarie and Byron
Bay.
Transwa operates trains
and coaches to more than
275 destinations in the
southern half of Western
Australia, including the
high-speed Prospector
train, the new high-speed
AvonLink/MerredinLink
and the Australind train.
Queensland Rail Travel
operates:
 The Sunlander, which
weaves its way along
Queensland’s coastline
The Ghan runs between Adelaide, Alice Springs and Darwin. Photo: Great Southern Rail
between Brisbane and
Cairns.
 The Tilt Train: A
business-class service
between Brisbane and
Cairns; Brisbane and
Rockhampton; and
Brisbane and Bundaberg,
reaching Hervey Bay for
whale watching, the World
Heritage-listed Fraser
Island, the Great Barrier
Reef and Whitsundays.
 Other services include
the Spirit of the Outback,
The Westlander, The
Inlander, The Gulflander,
The Savannahlander
and The Kuranda Scenic
Railway.
Did you know?
South African corporates
connected with mining
companies around Perth will
be pleased to hear that Air
Mauritius offers a R24 000
business-class fare to Perth all
year round. 
TNW7010SD
14 n Wednesday May 6 2015
QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS
COMMUNITYNEWS
JOBS
Births, deaths, marriages, promotions – we want to know! Please fax or e-mail TNW’s Natasha Schmidt, at [email protected] or (011) 327 4094.
Pick of the week
brought to you by
Sure Travel consultants from around the country jetted in to Johannesburg on April 18
for the annual Sure Travel Consultants Forum at the Birchwood Hotel, and zoned in on
how to give their clients an even more memorable customer experience. Twenty-eight
teams of consultants and preferred partners came together to show off their moves
as they starred in their very own Happy and Gangnam Style music videos. Errol van
der Merwe gave some great tips on improving sales and the ‘customer xperience’
while Gerry and the Dream Team ensured all had a ‘Sure-tastic’ day of teambuilding.
SWISS to the core
SWISS International Air Lines
implemented a local SWISS Core
Team in South Africa on April 1.
Danica Helfrich, the new
country manager, will oversee
the team of four. She will
lead the team, who will focus
on functions like marketing,
pricing, servicing and customer
relations. The SWISS sales team
will be led by Lufthansa. “In my
new position I’ll be overseeing
the overall SWISS South Africa
sales and will be responsible for
achieving our revenue targets
by marketing SWISS in South
Africa and filling our daily
flights from Johannesburg to
Zurich,” said Danica. Pictured
here (from left) are: Shirley
Wright, Vera Matic, Andrea
Carlyle, Danica and Suzelle
Bouwer (middle seated).
Top Corporate Senior Johannesburg – Sandton
Infusion Consulting
5+ years’ senior consulting.
Multi sector/RTW bookings.
Strong fares & ticketing.
Galileo: salary R28K CTC +
commission. Email:
[email protected]
Top jobs in Gauteng this week:
Marketing Manager
Sandton. Est co seeks strong marketing & mngm skills and the ability to travel.
Sal R30 000 neg.
Incentives Consultant
Sandton. East & Southern Africa fundi with min 3 yrs
exp sought by exciting brand. Sal R25 000 neg.
Snr In-house Cons
CBD. Client focused indiv sought. Working knowl of
Galileo req to work in a dynamic team environ!
Sal R22 000 neg.
Senior Corp Cons
Sandton. Well est co req your stable work b/g &
Amadeus skills! Sal R22 000 neg.
To advertise
on this page email
[email protected]
Tel: Cornelia / Kim 011 452 0204
[email protected]
TNW7365
QUICK READ FOR BUSIEST PEOPLE
MICE Manager - JHB North
Professional Career Services
Oversee the running meetings,
events, conferencing and
incentives. Budgets, costings.
Min 5 years exp. In similar
position in travel industry.
Email: [email protected]
Client Operations Manager –
Western Cape
Equity Connections cc
Suit `business savvy’, highly
experienced travel expert.
Maintain, grow client portfolio,
manage staff, supplier
negotiations. Relevant
experience essential. Email:
[email protected]
Appointments
 The Dragonfly Africa
Group has appointed Clinton
Els to the board of directors,
in the role of director of
incentives and travel. Over
the years Clinton has
strategically developed and
overseen Dragonfly’s existing
and new business. Debbie
Holmes has been promoted
to manager of incentives.
She has been almost seven
years with the group.
Sales Executive – Durban
Lee Botti & Associates
International leader in travel
needs your passion and focus
on new corporate business as
well as servicing of existing
client base. Email:
[email protected]
BSP Refunds Clerk – CPT
CBD
Club Travel
Team player. Assist with
refunds and provide
administrative support. Be
proficient in at least one GDS.
Minimum 1-3 years’ BSP
experience. Email:
[email protected]
Girl Friday/PA – Fourways
Wendy’s Travel Personnel
Excel essential for varied
position handling overflow of
admin work and also assisting
MD!! *Excel – formulas,
spreadsheets *Must enjoy
figure work.
Email: [email protected]
HR Manager Milnerton, CPT
Quantex Recruitment Group
Tour Operator seeks the
services of a confident &
knowledgeable leader. Prior
tourism, hospitality or service
industry experience required.
Email: [email protected]
Home based FIT Consultant
– Cape Town
Lee Botti & Associates
Luxury brand seeks East
Africa fundi to work directly
with US clients. Salary
R 22 000 + comm! Email:
[email protected]
Travel Consultant –
Lodge Wholesale – Sandton
Professional Career Services
Min 3 yrs+ consulting
experience & work
experience in South,
Southern and East Africa.
Designing of leisure FIT
tailor-made itineraries.
R12000-R16000. Email:
[email protected]
Senior FIT Consultant –
North
Equity Connections cc
Plan, design highly creative
itineraries into South/
Southern Africa. Handle
costings, liaise with direct
clients/agents. FIT experience
a must. Email:
[email protected]
Training Facilitator Johannesburg –
Sandton
Infusion Consulting
Experienced ACCREDITED
trainer, responsible for
material/programme design,
technical, soft skills training,
learnerships. Adv. able to
train - Amadeus/Galileo.
CTC: R25-30KPM neg. Email:
[email protected]
Sales Executive –
Cape Town, Tygervalley
Club Travel
Do you possess the drive
to analyse the market &
offer feedback on market
trends? Dynamic sales
executive required to join our
team. Email:
[email protected]
TNW7366
Gangnam Style for Sure!
E-Commerce Specialist - N/
Suburbs, CPT
Quantex Recruitment Group
Take control of this Destination
Management Company’s
web presence. Prior tourism
industry experience and
outstanding Southern Africa
destination knowledge
essential.
Email: [email protected]
These adverts were selected from the vacancy
section of www.travelinfo.co.za
For more details contact [email protected]
Wednesday May 6 2015 n 15
TNW NEWS
New system won’t
process passports – DHA
THE eChannel system,
to be trialled in selected
banks from next
month, will not process
passport applications,
Department of Home
Affairs spokesperson,
Mayihlome Tshwete,
told TNW.
Earlier, the South
African government news
portal reported that
applications for smart
ID cards and passports
would be processed at
banks and the South
African Post Office as
part of the eChannel
system. However,
Mayihlome has since
clarified that, for now, the
pilot would only be for
the application of smart
ID cards.
Mayihlome was quoted
in Traveller24 saying that
“while the Department’s
new Smart ID card pilot
project does not allow for
the application process
of passports as yet, that
is the end goal”. 
Ethiopian enters Japan
ETHIOPIAN Airlines has
started new services to
Japan, in a codeshare
with fellow Star Alliance
member, All Nippon Airways.
As of April 21, the thriceweekly flight ET672 departs
Addis Ababa at 22h15 on
Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays and arrives at Tokyo
brought to you by
Narita International Airport
at 19h30 the following day.
Return flight ET673 departs
Tokyo Narita at 20h45 on
Tuesdays, Thursdays and
Saturdays to arrive in Addis
Ababa at 06h00 the next
morning. The flight will be
operated with the Boeing
787 Dreamliner. 
eTNW and TRAVELINFO
We’ll go anyway!
Following reports of possible reprisal attacks against South
Africans after the recent xenophobic violence, have your
clients expressed concerns about travelling into Africa?
 Clients are
showing concern,
but travelling
anyway.
 Yes. Clients are
postponing trips
into Africa because
of their concerns.
 No. Travel
into Africa is
proceeding as
normal.
50
40
30
20
44%
34%
22%
10
0
eTravel is the ITC market leader in South Africa and assists senior Travel
Consultants and Travel business owners to realise their dreams. If you have
ever dreamt of owning your own travel business or would like to cut costs
by doing away with your IATA license and improve your current business
efficiencies then you should call eTravel. We run the back office for over
200 Independent Travel Companies and specialise
in making your travel business a success by offering
the best commissions, overrides & a comprehensive
support structure. If you have a client base, 5 years
travel consultant experience or already own your
own business but want to make more, then contact
us! You’ll be amazed at how easy it is!
Contact Tammy on 0861eTrave1
or [email protected]
SAA seeks new ceo
Dorine Reinstein
S
AA will soon start the
process of appointing
a new chief executive
to take over the reins of the
embattled national airline.
Spokesperson for SAA, Tlali
Tlali, told TNW that following
the announcement last week
that Monwabisi Kalawe had
resigned with immediate
effect, the position of the chief
executive was vacant and
would be filled in accordance
with SAA’s recruitment and
selection policy.
The suspended ceo decided
to accept a payout of nearly
R2,7m to resign from his
position at the national carrier.
Monwabisi, who was appointed
in June 2013, was suspended
at the end of October 2014 by
SAA board chairperson, Dudu
Myeni. The exact reasons for
the suspension remain unclear,
but included allegations of
‘serious misconduct’ relating
to non-compliance.
Monwabisi launched
an urgent application to
the Labour Court at the
beginning of April to have
his suspension lifted. He
later withdrew his application
and during the arbitration
process, it was decided that
“the employment relationship
between Monwabisi and SAA
had irretrievably broken down
and that he would not seek to
continue employment at the
national carrier”.
Whether current acting ceo,
Nico Bezuidenhout, will apply
for the post at the helm of
SAA remains unclear. Tlali
said: “Once the post has
been advertised publicly, it
will be open to all interested
parties to apply. Bezuidenhout
remains the acting SAA ceo
until further notice. He will
make a personal decision on
whether or not to apply for the
position.” 
Vic Falls airport upgrades on track
THE upgrades at Victoria
Falls International Airport are
scheduled to be completed
by the end of September.
The total cost of the project
is US$150m (R1,7bn).
“This airport upgrading
project is set to provide the
perfect backdrop for inbound
tourism to the region, as
well as become the region’s
top meetings, incentives,
conferences and exhibitions
centre,” the Civil Aviation
Authority of Zimbabwe said in
a statement.
The new runway will cater
for category-E-type aircraft
such as the Boeing 747-400,
B777 and A340. The current
runway will be extended into
a parallel taxiway, and a
new international passenger
terminal with a handling
capacity of 1,5 million
passengers per annum will
be introduced. The existing
terminal building will be
converted into a fully fledged
domestic terminal. The
upgrades also include the
construction of a new control
tower and fire station.
Facilities include:
Check-in counters with
modern technology.
Airside shuttle bus service.
Ten immigration counters
and three baggage
carousels in the
International Arrivals Hall.
Increased duty-free and
retail space.
First-, business-class and
smoking lounges.
Landside restaurants and
coffee shops.
Banking facilities that
facilitate Visa and
MasterCard transactions.
Free WiFi.
Bureau de change, car hire
and taxis services.
The Zimbabwean CAA said
there were future plans to
build an airport hotel in the
medium term. 
Agents’ pay – feast or famine?
From page 1
far you can climb the ladder in
the travel industry.
Nick Paul, social media
manager for Travelstart, says
agents often have the potential
to earn reasonable salaries
when taking into account
their commission structures.
However, Nick also points
out that travel agencies tend
to work on extremely small
margins, which are often less
than 10% of the total turnover.
“In order for regular travel
agents to compete with online
travel booking engines, which
have very small margins, they
have to drop their service fees
even further.”
However, TMCs say the
CareerJunction survey should
be taken with a pinch of
salt and is not necessarily
representative of remuneration
in the industry. “In our
business, the average salary
in our retail stores is R17 000
per month and in corporate
R32 000 per month, so we
don't classify agents as badly
paid,” says Andrew Stark,
md of Flight Centre, adding
that the position allows for
uncapped earning potential.
He agrees that retention of
talent remains an issue in the
industry. “We recruit 30 and
lose 25 per month but that is
the hard reality of sales. It’s
either for you or it’s not.”
Jonathan Gerber, director at
TAG, says all TAG consultants
are fairly remunerated, can
earn extra commission and do
have decent earning potential.
“Salaries are not this low
and I would not believe the
study! Good people will always
earn well. Salary depends on
experience, billings, customer
service, professionalism and
what value you can bring to
your organisation.”
Sean Hough, ceo of
Pentravel, also doesn’t
agree with the survey. He
says Pentravel’s highest
earner recently took home
R145 000 over and above her
basic salary. “Where else can
you earn salaries like that?”
he asks, adding that Pentravel
people don’t work just for the
money. “We employ people
who feel their purpose is to
make customers happy and
who love travel. But they are
richly rewarded for their work.”
For a travel agency to
become a lucrative business,
it is important that travel
agents start moving away
from the mindset that they
are merely ticket sellers or the
intermediaries of suppliers
such as airlines. Otto de
Vries, ceo of Asata, believes
this transformation has proved
challenging for an industry
that has historically relied on
generating its income through
the supply chain only.
Says Otto: “Those travel
retailers who have truly
understood their customers’
needs and who have
effectively communicated
how they meet these needs,
and how much value they
thus provide, are benefiting
from this and are able to
command fees (salaries) that
are commensurate with their
expertise, knowledge and
efforts.” 
TNW7136
16 n Wednesday May 6 2015
QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS