Industry HQ

Share this article

Flight Centre says goodbye to Escape Travel, Cruiseabout brands

Escape Travel, Cruiseabout and My Adventure Travel will no longer exist as Flight Centre implements a new plan to grow market share in Australia.

Escape Travel, Cruiseabout and My Adventure Travel will no longer exist as Flight Centre implements a new plan to grow market share in Australia.

All Escape Travel, Cruiseabout and My Adventure Travel stores will be rebranded as either Flight Centre or Travel Associates in a bid to create leisure “super networks”.

Image credit: erinafair.com.au

Image credit: erinafair.com.au

No staff will be lost, with all making the switch with their respective stores, the retailer confirmed.

“Following the change, Travel Associates will immediately double in size, growing from 50 to more than 100 sales teams,” Flight Centre said in a statement.

“Specialist divisions will be created within Flight Centre brand to better service enquiries that Escape Travel and Cruiseabout previously serviced.”

All brands will now fall into three super networks. The mass market network will consist of Flight Centre and online offerings BYOJet and Aunt Betty. The premium network will be made up of Travel Associates and Travel Partners. Meanwhile, the youth network will include Student Flights and StudentUniverse.

Flight Centre’s Australian operation remains its “largest and most successful operation”.

Graham 'Skroo' Turner, CEO Flight Centre Travel Group Limited

Graham ‘Skroo’ Turner, CEO Flight Centre Travel Group Limited

Results released today showed that the first half of the financial year saw Australia and New Zealand businesses record 4% TTV growth. There was an improvement in bottom-line results despite the GDS transition undertaken during this period – a better than expected performance, according to managing director Graham “Skroo” Turner.

However, a shift is underway.

“While Australia was again the largest contributor to group results, FLT’s overseas businesses predominantly drove overall growth – generating a record $38.2 million in 1H PBT and almost half of group TTV during the period,” Skroo said.

He was satisfied the year had started well, with the first half results providing “solid foundations” for the rest of FY18.

“Given the strategic progress we have made and our positive start to the year, we now believe that our profit will finish slightly higher than initially expected.”

READ: PROFIT SURGE: Flight Centre smashes records and ups guidance

READ: Flight Centre launches its own Diploma of Travel

Are you sad to see Escape Travel and Cruiseabout go? Share your comments below!