Inside Track: Accor Seeks To Block Possible Takeover

Accor, Paris-based hotel company parent to brands that include Motel 6, Sofitel, Novotel and Ibis, preemptively is opposing a potential takeover from a pair of investors seeking to raise their holdings in the company. Investment group Eurazeo and U.S. property company Colony Capital, part of the team that acquired Fairmont Hotels & Resorts two years ago (BTNonline, Jan. 30, 2006), both recently have raised their interest in the company to more than 17 percent and plan eventually to up their stake to 30 percent, according to Accor. Eurazeo also is seeking a seat on the Accor board of directors, which Accor said it would consider as long as it and Colony confirm support for its expansion strategy and agree to a stability pact. "The board of directors is committed to preventing a takeover of Accor that would avoid having to make a public offer for all its outstanding shares," the board said in a statement released May 5.

Sabre To Save Subscribers from Lufthansa, Swiss Fee
Sabre Travel Network said it would shield its subscribers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland from a surcharge Lufthansa and Swiss International Air Lines plan to impose for global distribution bookings beginning in July. The carriers in January said they plan to impose what amounts to a ?4.90 per-way surcharge plus value-added tax on fares booked through indirect channels in Germany and Austria beginning July 1 and in Switzerland beginning Oct. 1 (BTNonline, Jan. 22). All of the carriers' fares in those markets will increase by ?15 per way on those dates, but the existing pre-increase fares will continue to be made available as Preferred Fares. Lufthansa and Swiss in announcing the program said, "You will be charged Preferred Fare fees only if you issue a Lufthansa and Swiss Preferred Fare ticket via the computer reservation system." Lufthansa said participation in the Preferred Fare program "is voluntary and free of charge."

Study: Largest Agencies Cover Half The Market
Almost half of the $110 billion in U.S. travel agency sales in 2006 came from the largest 65 agencies, nearly all of which had more than 60 percent of annual sales from corporate travel, according to PhoCusWright's Travel Agency Distribution Landscape: 2006-2009 report released last month. About 23,000 agencies and home-based agents accounted for the remaining $58 billion in travel agency sales. Despite content fragmentation and fee increases for booking global distribution system content, nearly all of 70 corporate agent respondents usually book through the GDS for air reservations, Sherman, Conn.-based PhoCusWright said. Of respondents, 39 percent said they usually book directly on carrier Web sites or through alternative systems that aggregate GDS and non-GDS content. Conducted during the second half of 2007, research included data from more than 60 travel suppliers, technology companies, agencies, industry organizations and a 1,900-respondent travel agency survey.

N.J. Chauffeured Service To Use Paperless Payment
New Jersey-based chauffeured transportation provider Flyte Tyme Worldwide Transportation on July 1 will roll out a paperless payment system enabling customers to sign for a ride on a driver's personal digital assistant tablet and have a receipt e-mailed. It will test the system with one of their clients beginning June 1. The system was developed with Woodbridge, N.J.-based Aleph Computer Systems, a limousine software company, and Motorola division Symbol Technologies.