Pentravel and XL part ways

PENTRAVEL will soon no
longer fall under the XL
Travel umbrella.
Sean Hough, ceo of
Pentravel, says the brand
has had a long and good
association with XL but
feels, at this stage, it needs
to get closer to airline
partners. He explains that,
strategically, Pentravel is a
strong and growing partner
for airlines and with its
dedicated leisure focus,
the agency offers airlines a
unique distribution. “Airlines
are beginning to see the
value in bricks and mortar
distribution as opposed
to OTAs who are not really
offering the airline or tour
operator anything they can’t
do themselves,” he says.
Rod Rutter, coo of
XL Travel, says: “The
relationship between
both parties continues to
remain very cordial and
the XL Group will continue
to maintain growth on a
selective basis.”