News from February 2006
ResortQuest Transfers Homes
ResortQuest, the largest vacation rental property management company in the USA, announced on 6th February 2006 that it has transferred all of its managed properties within the Orlando area to Advantage Vacation Homes LLC. Owners with the company have now been informed. ResortQuest also own the Universal Resorts Group on the Gulf Coast.Posted on 10 February 2006
ABTA No Longer Guarantee Holidays
ABTA has scrapped its bonding rules for members and opened the door for online companies to join the association.
In a major drive to reflect the modern travel market, The Association of British Travel Agents admitted it needs to become more representative of today’s industry. It will no longer guarantee consumers that they will either be refunded or get their holiday in the event of a company failure. The association said it had been the victim of fraud too often. An awareness campaign will be launched to inform the public of the changes.
Among the major changes is a relaxation of ABTA’s stringent bonding requirements. Although bonding will remain – and remain as the preferred method of financial protection – companies can make other financial arrangements through a trust fund with another body or through an insurance policy. ABTA will not monitor the trust fund, requiring only a declaration that the law is being complied with. All claims will be handled by trustees.
It was the bonding requirement which deterred online companies from joining as the bonds – calculated as a percentage of turnover – would have been exorbitant. Lastminute, Expedia, Opodo and ebookers are now all expected to consider joining ABTA.
An Expedia spokesperson said: "It is good to see that ABTA recognises the growth in the market of those consumers who wish to book all or part of their trip on the Internet. "Once we have had a chance to review the new membership criteria then we will certainly work with ABTA to establish the best way forward. It is imperative that industry organisations reflect the future."
In further changes, members will be spared the arduous and costly task of submitting audited accounts. Consumers will also feel the effects of the shake-up. Whereas previously it guaranteed to either refund or ensure the holiday went ahead if a member went bust, that will no longer happen.
"ABTA will no longer pay claims where the retailer fails having taken money without making a booking," said Betton. He said the association had been a victim of fraud too often.
Posted on 10 February 2006
Sir Freddie Laker
Without the intervention of the great man Sir Freddie Laker who knows how many of us who own homes in Florida could even afford to fly out there regularly. Sir Freddie made his fortune after WW2 supplying cargo planes for use in the Berlin airlift. He was knighted in 1978 and became the champion of the less affluent air passenger.
The grandfather of low cost airlines started his trans Atlantic operation Skytrain in 1977 stating customers could turn up and buy a ticket just like getting on a bus. The fare from London to New York then was £118, almost 3 times cheaper than the competition ! He also launched services in Europe and in 1979 was one of the first Airlines to order the Airbus A300 (10)
Unfortunately the wheels came off dramatically on February 6th 1982 due to unfair competition. Laker Airways went bust with debts of £250 million. Such was the great mans popularity that a fighting fund was set up by the general public and over £1 million raised to try and save his operation. In the final year before the collapse healthy profits were expected and loans had been deffered but fluctuations in the £-$ exchange rate were the final straw.
In 1985 Sir Freddie bought a lawsuit against 12 airlines for conspiring to put him out of business and won a $50 million out of court settlement, in August of the same year he accepted an £8 million settlement from British Airways.
Laker Airways did continue, albeit in a smaller guise operating from Freeport and flying around the Caribbean until 2005, Sir Freddie also ventured into the Internet and ran a small provider in South Florida Laker Information Services.
Sir Freddie leaves a legacy behind in the way of low cost, no frills airlines like Easyjet and Ryanair, a true champion of the people he will be sadly missed.
Posted on 10 February 2006
First UK Biometric Passport Issued
The Foreign Office in Washington D.C. has issued the first UK biometric passports according to the Home Office. Offices in the UK are expected to start issueing the new style passport in April to some renewals and new applicants.
The switch over is expected to be complete by the end of August barring any initial problems. The only biometric information held on the passport at present is a biometric image of the face taken from the photograph. Fingerprint or iris information may be added at a later date. Current passports are valid until their expiry date and do not require updating to biometric status.
Posted on 22 February 2006
Polk County Crime Rate Hits Record Low!
Polk County’s crime rate in the unincorporated areas continues to decline, according to the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) statistics reported annually to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The chart seen here depicts how the crime rate is lower now than ever recorded.
The crime rate, which is the number of crimes per 1,000 residents, was 3.17% in 2005, down from 3.21% in 2004. This is the lowest crime rate ever measured in unincorporated Polk. Reliable crime statistics in Polk County start in 1971, when the crime rate was 4.16%.
"Thanks to the hard-working men and women of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the community partnerships we continue to seek and strengthen," says Sheriff Judd, "the people of Polk County are safer than they have been in the past three decades."
Posted on 22 February 2006
