This week's ABTN news in brief
Chambers opens new office
Chambers Travel Management, one of the leading independents in the UK, has opened a new office in Cheltenham.
The travel management company said the new office would be staffed by "hand picked individuals" to serve both local businesses as well as Chambers' "growing roster of VIP clients."
Chris Thelen, Chambers ceo, said: "Chambers has identified a requirement for an expert team to handle the growing demand for high-touch servicing.
"Many of our clients are US corporates based in Europe, who are used to this type of approach.
"We view t
his as a growth area for the business and are planning to increase the headcount at Cheltenham within the coming months."
Chambers already has offices in London, Glasgow and Paris.
www.chamberstravel.com
Inntel launches new booking tool
Inntel has launched a new online management tool which enables travellers to make reservations from their desk top.
The i-Central tool was designed by the hotel booking agency's own in house IT team.
Inntel said the new tool used parts of its existing system EZI along with direct connectivity provided by Pegasus Solutions' UltraDirect® tools which is connected to 78,000 hotels.
This new on-line technology combines the user friendly features of Inntel's existing reservations system, EZI, with cutting edge technology provided by their direct connectivity with Pegasus UltraDirect® linking them to a portfolio of more than 78,000 hotels.
Douglas O'Neill, Inntel's managing director, said: "i-Central is the latest stage in our continued investment in IT and whilst many of our competitors already have similar systems, we had been waiting for the technology to be enhanced before we entered into the market.
"This way we are confident that our i-Central booking tool best meets the needs of our clients."
www.inntel.co.uk
Air Berlin to re-start New York flights
German low cost carrier Air Berlin is to re-start its flights from Düsseldorf to New York and Los Angeles next summer.
The flights have been dropped from the airline's current winter schedule.
www.airberlin.com
Rezidor to open two new hotels in Belgium
The Rezidor Hotel Group is to open two new hotels in the Belgian city of Antwerp.
The Radisson SAS Antwerpen with 247 rooms and the Park Inn Antwerpen Astrid with 59 rooms are both due to open next month.
The new properties are a joint venture between Rezidor and Elbit Imaging.
Rezidor already runs the Radisson SAS Park Lane hotel in the city.
www.rezidor.com
Oneworld launches new deal with WestJet
Global alliance oneworld has linked up with Canadian carrier WestJet to offer Canadian businesses a corporate travel programme.
Under the canadaconnect deal, companies will be offered special rates on flights within the network of both the carrier and the alliance.
This covers more than 600 destinations in 130 countries.
Nicolas Ferri, oneworld's vp commercial, said: "As Canada's leading domestic carrier, WestJet makes a natural partner for oneworld.
"In difficult financial times like today, it's more important than ever for every business to make the very most of every dollar they spend.
www.oneworld.com