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QBT - Business Travel Specialists

Newsletter Edition 005 :: 24/09/09

Airline News

Fantastic Air Fares!

Fly to New Zealand from £572
Hong Kong from £175
Sydney & Melbourne from £335

Premium Economy!

Special packages with Virgin Atlantic flying in premium economy including 3nts accommodation, NO Saturday night required !

Shanghai from £1395
Hong Kong from £1559

Price includes premium economy class flights and airport taxes, hotel accommodation in a single room(higher grade hotels available at a supplement).

Prices based on November 2009 departures.

Business Class

New York from £738
Shanghai from £1599
Mumbai from £1174

All Economy and Business class fares are exclusive of tax and subject to availability

Don’t forget that by including accommodation to create a package, you can sometimes get a better deal than on a flight only itinerary!

All offers are subject to availability

Its all about ‘US’

BRAND NEW WEBSITE

Since our takeover by Meon Valley Travel we have been working closely to improve our systems and technology and as part of our continued working relationship we extremely proud to announce the launch of our brand new website www.quornbusinesstravel.co.uk

On here you will find more information on QBT and the services that we provide, access to Online Check-in to many scheduled and low cost carriers you also have the ability to have instant access to your bookings that you have made with us

We will be constantly updating the website with all sorts of news and information , competitions, and a ‘Rogues Gallery’ so you can see all the members of our team (not sure that’s a good thing or not) but you can then put a face to the voice.

Any feedback that you have regarding our new website will be greatly appreciated to info@qbtltd.co.uk

Wedding Service

We know how much time and special attention your Wedding day needs and we would like to help. ! At QBT not only do we book bespoke holidays but we can also find the perfect honeymoon for you and your loved ones, you will receive impartial advice on the best destinations and as we are independently owned we are not biased to any tour operators so we can give you the choices and options which best suit your exact requirements. Along with that we also offer a Gift list service which means your friends and family can help contribute towards the cost of your honeymoon, which could potentially save you hundreds if not thousands of pounds. Please contact our Retail department for further details or email your enquiry to qbt@qbtltd.co.uk.

QBT PRICE BUSTER

Looking to book your holiday? Have you already found what you want? Why not contact the new QBT Price Buster Line on 0844 736 3663 for reassurance that you have the best deal!

We will quickly check your offer and, if we can beat it you have some extra holiday spending money if not you have the peace of mind you have the best deal in the market.

Call us on 0844 736 3663 (option 3) for your free quote

New Routes

Jet2

Are to start five new routes from its Newcastle base, to Dalaman, Crete, Gran Canaria, Paphos and Sharm el Sheikh, from next May. Jet2 will also continue its summer routes to Corfu, Cork, Pisa, Rhodes and Split next year, and increase its summer Tenerife and Lazarote services.

BmiBaby

Have announced Eight new European routes from East Midlands Airport to the following;

  • Cork between 18 December 09 until 30 October 10
  • Venice between 12 February 10 until 30 October 10
  • Barcelona between 28 March 10 until 30 October 10
  • Malta between 29 May 10 until 30 October 10
  • Dubrovnik between 30 May 10 until 26 September 10
  • Newquay between 20 May 10 until 12 September 10
  • Alghero (Sardina) between 29 May 10 until 25 September 10
  • Bastia (Corsica) between 30 May 10 until 26 September 10

Cancelled Routes

BMI

Have announced that they will be cancelling their services Heathrow to Venice and Palma from 15th November and 3rd November respectively and East Midlands to Cologne and Manchester to Glasgow from 18th September 2009.

JFK

Delta Airlines has confirmed that it will be withdrawing its flight from Manchester to JFK, Its last flight will be on the 8th January 2010.

Skyeurope

The Slovakian based no-frills airline Sky Europe has suspended all of its operations because of what is described as a “lack of sufficient interim funding” Skyeurope flew mainly within eastern Europe but operated five routes from Luton, Including Vienna and Prague.

Important QBTips

Air France / Delta Airlines Launches Flat Bed

Air France Delta Airlines have launched a new fully-flat seat that will become the standard in its BusinessElite class on international flights served with Boeing 767- 400 aircraft. These seats are now available on all flights between Heathrow and Atlanta, New York JFK and Detroit, and will be introduced on flights between Heathrow and Minneapolis next month.

The 72-82 inch, 180-degree full-flat beds are set out in a one-two-one configuration, giving every customer direct aisle access and a choice of single seats for privacy.

Economy class seats on Delta’s B767-400 will have on-demand digital entertainment, printed menus and complimentary beer and wine.

Starting 23 November, Air France will operate an Airbus A380 on the Paris to New York route on selected flights. Air France is the first European airline to operate the A380 on a transatlantic route.

US Airways and ESTA

The majority of passengers travelling to America should already be aware of ESTA requirements. ESTA can be processed by passengers online.

After 08th September 2009, US Airways passengers arranging at Manchester Airport without a valid ESTA will be directed to the airport internet kiosks to process their application. US Airways will not be held responsible for passengers who are denied boarding at Manchester Airport if they are not in possession of a valid ESTA

The official free of charge ESTA website

Emirates Open Birmingham Premium Lounge

Emirates is to open a new £1.3 million lounge for premium passengers at Birmingham airport this winter. The 7,000sq ft facility will be situated near the airline’s departure gate in Terminal 1.

It will be available to Emirates first and Business class passengers, as well as Gold members of its skywards frequent flyer programme. The lounge offers Shower facilities and has seating for up to 107 passengers.

Etihad unveils Heathrow Lounge

Etihad Airways is to open a new premium lounge at London Heathrow airport. The new lounge is part of the airline’s flights moving from Terminal 3 to Terminal 4 on September 30. First and business customers and Etihad Guest Gold and Silver card holders will have access to the new lounge, located opposite the gates most commonly used by Etihad for flight departures. It will have individual treatment rooms where therapists from Six Senses Spa will offer facials, foot and leg massages, plus five-star dining facilities.

Ryanair Hikes Fees Again

The cost of checking in a bag on Ryanair flights is being hiked from October 1.

Checking in a bag at the airport will cost £30, up from £20. Doing so online in advance will cost £15, up from £10. It will cost passengers £70 to check a second bag in at the airport or £35 by the internet.

Each bag will have a separate 15KG allowance to allow passengers to travel with up to 30KG of checked in baggage – double the current allowance of 15KG.

United Introduce Second Bag Charge

United Airlines have introduced a second bag fee for travellers flying between Europe and the U.S., matching the other four U.S. carriers that operate transatlantic services. Beginning with tickets purchased on or after 30 September 2009 for travel on or after 15 December 2009. the cost of checking a second bag will be £31 when the fee is paid at the airport. For customers who check in online at unitedairlines.co.uk, the cost to check a second bag will be £28.

Hassle Free Luggage Service

A new luggage delivery service has launched which provides you with door to door collection and delivery service for your suitcases, trunks , holdalls and sports equipment throughout the UK,EU,USA,UAE and other destinations worldwide. So you no longer have to carry your own luggage , this can be cheaper than paying the baggage charges direct with the airlines. Please contact the office for further details.

Rail News

Sheffield Station

All passengers travelling from Sheffield station who are in possession of an East Midlands Train ticket, which includes a car parking, must collect a voucher from the station’s booking office before they depart the car park in order to avoid them having any confusion on exit of the car park.

**New Catering Voucher Available**

East Midlands Trains are pleased to announce the introduction of a new catering voucher specifically designed for corporate customers to use on board their services, If you spend £3 on food/drink they will receive a free tea/coffee or water worth up to £1.50. For more information and details on how to obtain a voucher please contact the office.

Ticket Barriers

Brand new automatic ticket gates have opened at London St Pancras, Derby and Nottingham and are now operational. These have been introduced to reduce the number of people travelling without a valid ticket. Please ensure that you keep your tickets with you at all times.

**Chauffeur Drive service at London St Pancras**

East Midlands Trains also offer a convenient, professional chauffeur service that passengers can rely on. Whether it be a VIP or simply a tube strike, by pre-booking a car for onward travel from London St Pancras, you can guarantee your passengers a direct onward journey in comfort and style. At St Pancras a pre-booked car will be waiting, ready to take passengers to their onward destination. And by, pre-booking and pre-paying, there is no need to worry about any unknown costs. You can also arrange for a return back to St Pancras with ease and convenience by arranging a pick-up from their destination back to the station.

Bookings can be made up until one hour before the arrival into St Pancras, for further details please contact the office.

Visa and Passport Updates

China

The Chinese Embassy is closed from 1st to 6th October inclusively. Please take this into consideration when submitting visa applications to ensure client’s Intended departure dates are met.

Russia

A new online application form for British nationals will be available Tuesday September 15th. For applications to be submitted on or after Wednesday 16th, the Current “PDF” format application form will NO LONGER be accepted.

One Stop Shop

At QBT we aim to provide a ‘Complete Travel Management’ service to ensure all of your travel needs are met. Our services cover;

Flights, Hotels, Domestic and International Rail Travel, Car Hire, Car Parking, Chauffeur Parking, Insurance, Ferries, Passport and Visa, Incentive Rewards Programmes, Group Travel, Holidays and Leisure Travel, 24 hour Emergency Assistance.