Airline earlybirds the “litmus" test

Airline earlybirds the “litmus" test
By admin


The airline earlybird campaign will be the “litmus test” for the industry over the next three months in a market that remains unpredictable and erratic, according to Travellers Choice.

The retailer’s chief executive Christian Hunter said deals launched this week to stimulate business will go some way to assessing what sort of year the industry will have.

But predicting the outcome and forecasting with any accuracy in such a volatile environment is “really difficult to call”, he said.

“Maintaining a positive exchange rate, while not helping the domestic operators, will be good for us,” he told Travel Today. “We’re also now coming into earlybird season and there will be a lot of activity in the coming weeks and months with deals to stimulate business. That will be a real litmus test as to how responsive the market will be. It will be a good indicator as to what we can expect in the year ahead.”

While hard to forecast, he suggested the market was unlikely to see material change with Travellers Choice adopting the “mindset that it’s the status quo for a period of time”.

Speaking after Travellers Choice posted a 38% decline in pre-tax profits to $727,000 (Travel Today, yesterday), Hunter said the network was striving for growth in 2012/13.

“If you ask me would I be disappointed if we return that again? Probably not,” Hunter said. “But if the market moves then we should be able to better that.”

He insisted the result should also been seen in the context of the previous year, a record result for Travellers Choice.

“It was not as bad a result as it may indicate,” Hunter said. “We had a record year last year and were in line or even slightly ahead of 2009/10.”

In such a competitive environment, it was vital that head office and agents were smart with their marketing. Agents most valuable asset is their database, he said.

Latest News

  • Destinations
  • Tourism

NYC Tourism + Conventions announces two exciting new events

NYC Tourism + Conventions has announced ‘NYC Off-Broadway Week 2025’ and ‘Value Family Activities’ events lined up for this year. NYC Off-Broadway Week 2025 2-for-1 ticket sales for this event have begun with this season’s program featuring 29 Off-Broadway performances, including 18 new participants. The twice-yearly program runs from 17 February through 9 March with […]

  • Events
  • Tourism

Jeju wins bid to host 2028 Asia-Pacific Microscopy Conference

The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) has successfully secured the 14th Asia-Pacific Microscopy Conference (APMC14) for Jeju in November 2028. This was achieved in partnership with the Korean Society of Microscopy, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, Jeju Convention Bureau, and Jeju International Convention Center. Korea was selected as the final host after strong competition at the 13th […]

  • News

Patricia Piccinini’s skywhales return to tour Australia

The journey of Patricia Piccinini’s skywhales continues as the monumental sculptures take flight on a new tour across Australia. The National Gallery of Australia presents a second national tour of leading contemporary artist Patricia Piccinini’s beloved Skywhale and Skywhalepapa. The National Gallery has partnered with venues in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and, for the […]

  • Hotels

Four Seasons announces new luxury resort and private residences in UAE

Four Seasons, together with RAK Properties, has announced plans for a new beach Resort and Private Residences in Mina, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. Four Seasons Resort and Residences Ras Al Khaimah at Mina will establish a new benchmark for the region’s luxury hospitality and lifestyle offerings. Designed as a sanctuary of beachfront sophistication and natural […]

  • Cruise
  • Food & Beverage

Oceania Cruises sets new standard for onboard dining: one chef for every 10 guests

Oceania Cruises, renowned for The Finest Cuisine at Sea, has set a new standard for onboard dining with an exquisite new menu evolution in The Grand Dining Room. Launching on its newest 1,200-guest ship, Allura, in July 2025, the reimagined menus introduce over 270 brand-new recipes, from curated Signature Eggs Benedict breakfast selection to a chic French […]

  • Cruise

MSC Cruises announces MSC World Asia Webinar

MSC Cruises has announced a webinar series tailored for travel partners focusing on MSC Cruises’ newest ship, MSC World Asia, set to launch in 2026. The webinar is scheduled over two sessions on Wednesday 12 February 2025. Bronwyn Knight, MSC Cruises NSW/QLD/ACT BDM, will host an 8:30am (AEST) session while Aaron Eilers, MSC Cruises Queensland BDM, […]

  • Tour Operators

Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge celebrates 25th anniversary with new adventures

Baillie Lodges has announced that it is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge with a range of new helicopter experiences for the 2025 season. Kicking off on 22 May, the 2025 season promises five months of generously inclusive luxury adventures for guests in nature’s own playground where black bears forage shoreside, whales, […]