After four new hires from Travel 2 and Gold Medal (both are brands now owned by dnata) apparently did not start work for the operator If Only earlier this month, the travel trade in the UK wondered aloud what had happened. Last week dnata, which is headquartered in Dubai, confirmed in a statement that “legal proceedings were ongoing” but declined to comment further on details of the case. According to Travel Weekly UK, dnata took legal action against If Only and the four individual executives following their resignations on June 5 and the announcement that they were joining the Edinburgh-based If only. (Also included in the action is Andy Freeth, former Travel 2 and Gold Medal managing director, who was not slated to start with If Only until December.)
The other four include: sales director Gordon McCreadie, product and commercial director Matt Appleby, head of sales Tracy Hirsz and Travel 2 business manager David Irving.
According to TW—which was tipped by travel agents that the new hires had not yet started at their new operator employer—all five may now be restricted from starting at If Only, or contacting any agent partners or attending any industry events, until the spring. If Only embarked on a series of agent dinners last week in Ipswich and Edinburgh to promote its 2018 brochures. It was due to hold 14 similar events elsewhere around the UK this month.
