From the Business Travel and Meetings Show, Ryanair, the Guild of Travel management companies, easyJet and the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA)
Big names return to BTMS
Some of the big names in the European business travel industry are returning to next year's Business Travel and Meetings Show (BTMS).
Centaur, the owners of the two day show, said American Express, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and InterContinental Hotel Group were among the major returnees.
It said today that nine companies had also since signed up to have stands.
Among them are Gulf Air, Continental Airlines, Lan Chile, Capital Business Travel and FCm Travel Solutions.
It said the show which is being held on February 9-10 at Earl's Court, London, was "firmly on target" to reach 200 exhibitors.
David Chapple, the event director, said: "BTMS 2010 has seen a significant upturn in the number of bookings over the last four weeks, not only from larger brands returning to the show but also smaller exhibitors who are keen to reach the high quantity of top quality buyers that attend."
www.businesstravelshow.co.uk
Ryanair to launch new payment card
Ryanair has signed a deal to launch a new payment card for its flights.
Europe's largest low cost carrier said it would accept MasterCard Prepaid as a free form of payment for bookers form December 1.
It said users of the Visa Electron card, its existing card for free payments, will be charged a €5 administration fee from January 1, 2010.
Ryanair said the MasterCard was more available in Europe than the Visa Electron.
The first could be used in 20 countries the carrier flew to while the Visa was available in only 16 of these.
www.ryanair.com
New faces on GTMC council
Two new faces have joined the executive council of the UK Guild of Travel Management Companies (GTMC): Peter Drummond of Horncastle Travel in Newcastle and Anthony Rissbrook of the Stafford-based Co-Operative Travel Management.
The two men will join the council after the GTMC's annual meeting on January 20.
At the same time Mike Hare, the new ceo of Portman Travel, will step up to the chair of the GTMC, replacing the retiring Maurice Veronique.
Andrew Waller, CWT's manger for the UK, will become the new deputy chairman.
The New Year will also see the retirement of the GTMC's long standing ceo Philip Carlisle and the installation of his replacement Anne Godfrey.
www.gtmc.org
Record attendance at ICCA Congress 2009
This year's International Congress and Conference Association Congress saw record attendance figures, with 982 delegates travelling to the event in Florence from 71 countries.
The previous record was 812 attendees in 2007 and 65 countries in 2008.
www.iccaitaliancommitee.com
easyJet extends online check-in
easyJet has extended its online check-in facility to customers with hold luggage.
Previously the low cost carrier had allowed only travellers with hand baggage to check-in online.
But the facility has new been extended to include passengers with luggage for the hold.
After checking in, such passengers will now be required to leave their luggage at a bag drop desk.
The facility will be available at 94 of the airports at which the airline operates, including all major hubs.
The remaining 18 airports will follow "over time", easyJet said.
www.easyjet.com