Bid for travel agency

Press, 5 August 1981, Page 6

Bid for travel agency

Bolingbroke Travel. Ltd. of Christchurch. . has received several offers from other Christchurch travel agencies to buy its International Air Transport Association ticket'ing accreditation for about $50,000.

Viscount Bolingbroke, founder and managing director of Bolingbroke Travel, said yesterday that he had decided to put his agency on the market because of “some financial problems." and the offer was one of several options open to him. Official I.A.T.A. accreditation enables an agency to issue airline tickets in its own right; The number of accredited agencies is tightly

controlled by the association, and non-accredited agencies have to rely on accredited agents ’to issue tickets on behalf of I.A.T.A. carriers.

Bolingbroke Travel could continue as a non-accredited agency-if it decides to sell its ticketing accreditation. But Lord Bolingbroke said he was unsure at present what he would do.

“I have several'options for both the I.A.T.A. accreditation and for the whole agency, but I cannot say at this stage what will happen," he said.

“Five or six" of his agency staff had been laid off in the .last fortnight, he said.

We have had to wind

down our operations quite considerable in the last week or two. but all of those we have had to lay off. with one or two exceptions, have found alternative employment," Lord Bolingbroke said.

An offer to purchase the Auckland branch of Bolingbroke Travel had also been received, he said. The offer had come from a small consortium. and was not related to Settlers Travel.

Travellers booked through Bolingbroke Travel need not worry about losing their money. Lord Bolingbroke said. ’

"We are a bonded member of the Travel Agents'

Association, and the bond provides protection to the travelling public." he said.

“I believe that our bond stretches to $250,000. which should certainly cover everyone who is travelling through us." he. said.

“But in the event of people being unable to travel, or being inconvenienced in any way. the bond will give them a refund in full."

Lord Bolingbroke founded his travel firm in 1974. after building up Atlantic and Pacific Travel, Ltd, over a period of 24 years, until it was taken over in 1975 by Fletcher's. Dalgety. Shaw Savill. and Midland.