|
| 28/10/08 - Alfa Travel- New Brochures for 2009 - OUT NOW |
ALFA TRAVEL
SUMMER 2009 BROCHURES - OUT NOW!
Alfa Travel - always famous for quality coach holidays and unbeatable value for money - is proud to announce the launch of its 2009 season coach holiday brochures.
Alfa publishes brochures of holidays from four distinct areas. Holidays from the North West of England offers holidays from most towns in Lancashire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Clwyd, West and South Yorkshire and South Cumbria. This is the largest selection of holidays with destinations throughout the British Isles and many parts of Western Europe. Short break holidays have been increasing in popularity in recent years and the 2009 programme includes a massive selection of 69 Different Five Day Summer Holidays, with something to suit every taste from traditional seaside destinations to fascinating explorations of industrial and cultural heritage.
Other area brochures offer holidays from South East England, North East England and the Midlands. There is a broad range of durations from 2 to 12 days and destinations range from the north of Scotland to the sunny Mediterranean. Many holidays include entrance fees to major places of interest making them incredible value for money.
Most featured resorts now offer more frequent departures and with great British getaways to much loved seaside favourites ranging from St. Ives to Scarborough - many staying in Alfa’s own group of seaside hotels - it’s little wonder that the number of holidays has had to be increased!
Alfa were one of the few coach holiday operators not to levy surcharges as a result of the huge fuel price increases in 2008 and they are again standing by their promise to guarantee NO SURCHARGES throughout 2009.
Alfa Managing Director, Paul Sawbridge said “We are determined to exceed our guests’ expectations and I believe the new brochures reflect the attention to detail we put into all Alfa holidays. We are conscious that household finances are very stretched at the moment and we have worked hard to keep prices as low as possible without sacrificing any of the quality on which our customers rely. We expect many people will try a coach holiday for the first time in 2009 and the delight which so many express after their first coach holiday is something which always gives us a real buzz!”
Alfa 2009 Brochures are available at leading travel agents or can be requested free of charge on the Alfa Travel website www.alfatravel.co.uk Alternately brochures can be requested by calling 08451 305666.
|
|
| 23/07/08 - Autumn 2008 to Spring 2009 Programme |
ALFA TRAVEL
AUTUMN 2008 to SPRING 2009 PROGRAMME
WITH NO SURCHARGE GUARANTEES
Leading British coach holiday operator Alfa Travel announce the publication of their ‘winter holidays’ brochures for 2008/9 and the big news is that they are guaranteeing the price of their holidays throughout this period.
We are all aware of current credit crunches, rising food prices and rapidly rising fuel costs and many will be aware of the weakening of the pound against the euro providing for unsettling times. But customers booking with Alfa Travel can sleep easier in their beds at night in the knowledge that
THE PRICE THEY SEE IS THE PRICE THEY’LL PAY
Stuart Miller, Head of Sales and Marketing, said: “We have eliminated at least one major worry for our customers by promising that we will not surcharge either for fuel or if travelling overseas for currency either”. He added: “The trend at the moment seems to be for operators to add unexpected supplementary costs to the price people have budgeted for resulting in clients now thinking twice before booking with them, we at Alfa Travel guarantee that this will not happen with our customers.”
The range of holidays available have been supplemented in their North West and North East regional brochures with the addition of Direct Join options available on shorter durations making for quicker journey times, no interchange connections making for maximum time at the chosen holiday resort.
Booking could not be simpler. Clients can book through their local travel agent, by telephone direct to Alfa, or On Line at www.alfatravel.co.uk.
For more information please contact Stuart Miller, Head of Sales and Marketing stuart.miller@alfatravel.co.uk
|
|
| 10/07/08 - No Surcharges Guaranteed |
Alfa Travel today confirmed that there will be no surcharges on their holidays as a result of increasing fuel costs. Managing Director, Paul Sawbridge, said:
“Everyone knows that fuel costs have risen dramatically in recent months and most of our competitors have introduced surcharges of between £1 and £3 per day. On a Continental coach holiday, this can increase the cost by anything up to £42 per person.
“Some operators are also adding currency surcharges reflecting the fall in the value of the pound against the Euro, which can make the surcharge even greater. If they also levy a credit card charge, which can be as high as 2% of the holiday price, the combined cost of their hidden charges can easily exceed £100 per couple on a longer Continental holiday.
“We estimate that if prices of fuel, gas and electricity stay at current levels, the fuel and energy costs for our coaches and hotels will rise by roughly half a million pounds this year, so I can fully understand why they have taken this action.
“However, we believe that changes of this sort in a company’s costs should be absorbed by the company for holidays which have already been advertised. We will therefore not be increasing the cost of any of the holidays featured in any of our published brochures. Nor will we be introducing any currency or credit card charges.
“This guarantee includes all holidays featured in our Summer 2008 and Autumn 2008/Spring 2009 brochures.”
For more details see the Alfa Travel web site www.alfatravel.co.uk
|
|
| 21/05/08 - Alfa Travel add direct join option |
Leading British coach holiday operator Alfa Travel has developed a new range of holidays where clients join their holiday coach directly.
For many years, the larger coach holiday operators have used a "feeder" or "hub and spoke" system in which clients join a local coach and then change to their holiday coach at a central interchange point. This system provides a huge choice of destinations and makes it possible to offer even minority interest holidays from smaller towns and villages. But when it comes to shorter duration holidays the time taken to change coaches at the interchange and the need to sometimes wait for connecting services can become an issue.
This new range of holidays from Alfa is designed to supplement their huge selection of holidays using their interchange system with a smaller range of "direct joining" holidays.
The benefits of direct line of route travel are:
- Quicker journey time
- No risk of having to wait for connecting services at interchanges
- More time at the chosen holiday resort
- Pre-booked seats throughout the holiday
- More time to get to know your travelling companions
Booking could not be simpler. Clients can book through their local travel agent, by telephone direct to Alfa, or On Line at www.alfatravel.co.uk
Commenting on the new programme, Stuart Miller, Head of Sales and Marketing said:
"By concentrating on offering the most popular destinations from only larger towns we have been able to offer a range of short break holidays at fantastic prices. Direct Join will never be able to offer the choice of destinations or durations that is possible with an interchange based system, but for short duration holidays to the more popular resorts, it is an ideal addition to our range."
"Most short breaks are now booked On Line and this product is targeted firmly at clients who are prepared to choose their holiday and book On Line. The printed publicity material is very minimalist and clients need to consult the web to obtain full details of all holidays. Bookings can still be made on the telephone, but we are encouraging clients to focus on our web site with a £5 per person discount available for all On Line bookings."
"In an industry first, we also offer the On Line discounts for bookings made via travel agents, reflecting our commitment to ensure that our travel agency partners are able to compete on equal terms at all times."
"Initially, the programme will only be available in the North West of England and Yorkshire, but roll outs are planned for other areas over the coming months."
For more information please contact Stuart Miller, Head of Sales and Marketing
stuart.miller@alfatravel.co.uk
Tel: 0845 130 5666 |
|
| 20/05/08 - Torquay Harbour Transformation |
Our hotel company, Leisureplex, has been playing its part in ambitious plans to restore old properties around Torquay harbour to their former glory.
The harbourside regeneration initiative was launched two years ago, boosted by funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Signpost Housing Group, South West Regional Development Agency and Torbay Council.
The Leisureplex Regina Hotel is situated in one of the most prominent locations on the harbour, opposite the Living Coasts attraction. This 69-bedroom hotel was at one time the home of the poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Actually it was two of her homes since she lived at both 1 Beacon Terrace and at what is now the main Regina Hotel building. Both her former homes are incorporated into the current hotel.
Heritage Champion Councillor Colin Charlwood, who also chairs the Torquay Harbour Initiative Group, is encouraged by the improvements completed under the initiative. He said: "A considerable amount of time and effort has already been spent, and we are now able to see some of the results."
"Torbay Council was one of the first local authorities to set up a heritage forum, which has played a key role in overseeing projects like the Palace Theatre, Torre Abbey, the Bishops Tower and many others."
Paul Sawbridge, Managing Director of Leisureplex, owners of the Regina Hotel, commented: "We are delighted to have played our part in this ambitious scheme to build a harbourside which both rejoices in its heritage and looks forward to the next century of tourism."
"We own Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian hotels in many seaside resorts, and they are very expensive to maintain in a way which respects their period architecture and also meets modern needs. To effect a restoration of the standard we have achieved at the Regina is impossible without assistance and we are extremely grateful to Torbay Council for their help with the design and also for their financial assistance and that of the Heritage Lottery Fund."
|
|
|
| 31/03/08 - Alfa Travel Spends £1.2m on New Vehicles |
Alfa Travel has taken delivery of a further six Volvo B12Bs with Plaxton Paragon bodywork valued at almost £1.2 million.
This is the third successive year the company has chosen Volvo B12Bs and the eighth year of choosing Plaxton bodied coaches. However, they are the first Euro 5 coaches to join the company’s fleet.
Head of Operations Neil McMurdy commented:
“We have always favoured rear-engine vehicles because of their extra luggage capacity. The Volvo B12B has proved to be very reliable and we have long been fans of the Plaxton Paragon body which we also have on our coaches with Dennis chassis. The premium chassis on the B12B gives a better ride than less expensive Volvo variants and ensures our clients enjoy a relaxing journey.”
Specified with Volvo’s Euro 5 compliant, DH12E 12 litre engine rated at 420hp, coupled to the
I-Shift gearbox, the new vehicles feature 49 reclining seats, full climate control, toilet and drinks machine. They will be used exclusively on Alfa’s own coach holiday tours which operate year-round throughout the United Kingdom and Europe.
In fact the company’s busy tour programme is one of the reasons for choosing Volvo. Commented Neil McMurdy:
“The Volvo back-up is excellent, which is vital for us with so many vehicles out on the road at once. European back up is particularly important. Even though European tours only account for around 5 percent of our business, it’s essential that we know the support is in place should we ever need it.”
Alfa is unusual in having all its vehicles maintained by Volvo at their Thomas Hardie branch in Preston and the Volvo Truck and Bus Centre at Darlington.
The new vehicles are already in operation and early feedback is very favourable.
“Because we’ve kept to the Plaxton body, our passengers are enjoying the high standards they have come to expect from us,” commented Neil. “Meanwhile, our drivers report that they are a pleasure to drive – and happy drivers make happy customers!”
|
|
|
|
|
