N.Z. man books $210M trip to Moon

Press, 30 May 1985, Page 4

N.Z. man books $210M trip to Moon

PA Tauranga A Tauranga man has booked seats on the first commercial flight to the Moon for himself and 99 friends with a fares bill estimated at $2lO million. The manager of Thomas Cook Travel's Tauranga branch. Mrs Merilynn Crean, said yesterday that the man approached her office yesterday wanting to book on the flight, and had paid a $lOOO deposit. “Thomas Cook in London has apparently been taking bookings on the first commercial space flight ever since a Western Australian man approached them several years ago wanting to book' on the flight after seeing Neil Armstrong on television,” she said. “They decided to take registrations on the first commercial flight, and to arrange passage for those booked when they became available.” Mrs Crean said the fare for each person was estimated to be $2.1 million, and a deposit of $lO for every booking was required. “I have since been in- ! structed to hold the TauI ranga booking but to return

the deposit, because it is not known when the first flight will be held or what the actual cost of each fare will be by the time commercial flights are operating." she said. The Tauranga group would all receive certificates from London certifying that they were booked on the first available commercial flight. Mrs Crean said the Tauranga group appeared to be the largest party in New Zealand and Australia booked on the flight. To date. Thomas Cook in Australia holds 28 registrations, including one from a Lower Hutt man. Did Mrs Crean expect a rush of bookings? “No, not really." she said, “although the possibility of a commercial space flight is certainly real. "Our firm is certainly treating the possibility of a space flight seriously.

"But, of course, it has been suggested that Thomas Cook would have to send up a representative first to check on the quality of the hotels, and to make sure they would accept our traveller's cheques."