GTM Wins Yet More Awards!

We are delighted to report that Global Travel Management has recently won two awards, namely, the Advantage Focus Partnership’s corporate travel agency of the year award for 2015. Furthermore, our Office Manager, Kelly Packington, has also been voted the Advantage Focus Partnership Champion of the year award for 2015.

Both awards are voted for by our airline, hotel and car rental suppliers, so this is a magnificent achievement, as it is our peers who have voted for us on two separate occasions.

The Advantage Focus Partnership is a travel trade consortium of c 70 UK members, all of whom are Travel Management Companies (TMC), and who, as a single entity, are the fourth largest TMC in the country.

GTM At the Woking and Horsell Cricket Club Bedser Festival

GTM Entered a Team Into The Skills Competition for Woking and Horsell Cricket Clubs ” Bedser Festival” Our Gallant Team Fought Hard And Finished A Very Respectable Last..

Global Travel Management Ltd (GTM) acquires Stanmore Travel

Global Travel Management confirms that the acquisition of North West London travel management company, Stanmore Business Travel, has been finalised today, Friday, 12th June.

GTM Managing Director Scott Pawley, welcoming Stanmore Travel’s team of seven, says that it will be business as usual at the Watford office for its staff and their clients.

“I feel very confident that Stanmore Travel’s experienced and dedicated travel team will be a further asset to the GTM family. They use the same software tools that we use, a number of which were developed by GTM for the business travel industry,” says Scott.

The finalisation of the deal comes just weeks after GTM was chosen by airlines and related travel industry suppliers as Corporate Member of the Year, in the annual industry awards presented by Advantage, the largest national consortium of independent travel companies.

Stanmore Travel was established 43 years ago by the parents of the current Director Mark Steed and his fellow Director Steve Williams. “I want to thank the Stanmore Travel team and our clients for their support over the years,” says Mark. “I feel confident that I am putting the business in good hands with GTM,”

Spanish ATC Strikes.

Spanish Air Traffic Control (ATC) workers are planning a series of two-hour work stoppages from 1000hrs to 1200hrs (local time) on 08, 10, 12 and 14 June 2015.

Please ensure that you check in online for your flights if you are travelling on the aforementioned dates.

Emirates – Heathrow Airport Lounge Closure.

Please note that Emirates are closing their First & Business Class lounge at Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 3 from Monday 8th June until 2nd October 2015.

Whilst Emirates refurbish and extend their current lounge facilities, their First & Business Class passengers will be able to use the British Airways Business Class lounge in T3.

Spain Air Traffic Controllers Strike 8-14 June

Spanish Air Traffic Controllers Are Planning To Strike Over Four Days in June (8th – 14th).

They are planning to strike for four hours each day – 2 hours in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. This Will Affect All Spanish Airports.

Spain – Baggage Handlers Strike At Barcelona Airport 28th and 29th May

Baggage handlers at Barcelona El Prat international Airport (BCN) are planning to take industrial action tomorrow, Thursday 28 May and on Friday 29 May 2015.

Please check with your airline before departing for your flights. Or contact us for more information.

UK National Rail Strike 25 & 26 May.

Members of the RMT and TSSA Unions that work for track and infrastructure operator Network Rail have announced that they are planning to take industrial action on Bank Holiday Monday 25 May and Tuesday 26 May. However, further talks between Network Rail and the trades unions are currently taking place, which may still lead to resolution of the dispute.

Should the industrial action go ahead there is likely to be severe disruption to rail services on Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 May, although this is likely to vary considerably by route, so you are strongly advised to check with the relevant train company before travelling.

Important information for anyone travelling to South Africa with a child.

Effective June 1st 2015, and regardless of the time of booking, all minors under 18 years of age travelling to and from South Africa will now have to present additional documents which were not needed until now. The new regulations apply to all travellers, regardless of their nationality. They were set out in terms of the South African Immigration Amendment Act of 2010 and define children as being under the age of 18.

It is the responsibility of adult passengers to ensure their children have the correct documentation or risk being denied boarding. The new law will be enforced by airlines and immigration officials across the board (land, sea and air).

Required documentation:
• When both parents are travelling with a child they need to produce an unabridged birth certificate that shows the names of both parents. In cases where the certificate is in a language other than English, it must be accompanied by a sworn translation issued by a competent authority in the country concerned.

• When a child travels with only one parent, additional documents should include an affidavit in which the absent parent gives consent for the child to travel, a court order granting full parental responsibilities or legal guardianship of the child, or the death certificate of the absent parent. The affidavit should be no more than three months old, from date of travel.

• In the case of a child travelling with a person other than a parent, the unabridged birth certificate must be supplemented by affidavits from the parents or legal guardians confirming that the child may travel with that person, copies of the identity documents or passports of the parents or legal guardian, and the contact details of the parents or legal guardian.

• Similarly, a child travelling as an unaccompanied minor would have to produce the unabridged birth certificate, proof of consent from both parents, or legal guardian and contact details, plus documentation relating to the person receiving the child in the Republic. The latter documentation should include a letter stating the person’s contact details and residential address and contact details where the child will be residing, plus a copy of his or her identity document, passport or residence permit.
All documents must either be original or certified as true copies of the original, by a competent authority. Documents not in English must be accompanied by a sworn translation.

For more information please click on the links below:

http://www.flysaa.com/cms/GB/information/New_Child_Legislation.pdf http://www.dha.gov.za/files/Brochures/Immigrationleaflet.pdf

Welcome to the British Airways World Sale – ends 19th May 2015

The World is on Sale with British Airways 30 April – 19 May 2015 . Your can enjoy fantastic savings on a choice of hundreds of flights to destinations all over the globe from London Heathrow (LHR) and London Gatwick (LGW) when you book before 19 May 2015. This is a great opportunity for you to experience BA’s Airbus A380, the latest addition to their fleet. Destinations served by the aircraft included in the Sale are: Hong Kong, San Francisco and Johannesburg. Non-premium LHR- LACAR: • 7 May 2015 – 11 December 2015 (exceptions apply). • Rio De Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Grand Cayman and Nassau. Non-premium LGW- Indian Ocean: • 7 May 2015 – 11 December 2015 (exceptions apply). • Maldives and Mauritius. This is an economy sale and includes a selection of routes in the USA, Canada, Africa, Far East, Middle East, India, and the Indian Ocean for travel 7 May 2015 – 29 February 2016