About Windsor & Neate Travel

Why buy Business Travel from Windsor & Neate Travel?

In about 1883 Messrs Windsor & Neate, both local burgesses of Newbury, combined their business and by 1905 they moved from Speenhamland to 23/24 Northbrook Street, Jack of Newbury's House and traded as Furnishers, Storage and Removals by road and rail.

In 1924, they took over our present property 107 Bartholomew Street. The last member of the Neate Family, Paul, sold out to Paul Winwood in 1947 who brought a long family tradition of travel, removals and shipping of whole families around the world. Newbury soon had its first Travel Agent supplying passages on the 'Steamers' plying the oceans and of course bespoke holidays to the French Riviera, Switzerland and the like. Airline tickets for travelling businessmen and the first package holidays came along in the late 1950's. Travel business developed quickly when airlines took over the North Atlantic and other long haul routes from the passenger liners like Queen Mary.

Robert W James of Hungerford purchased the business of Windsor & Neate Travel in 1988.

Soon the traditional long hand reservations and accounting systems were to go and computer accounting and word processing took over the administration. The brand new British Airways reservation system, Galileo, was installed in February 1989. It was the first system installed in a Travel Agent's office outside British Airways. Expanding business and cost management soon spawned further additions of technology and we now have Sabre Travel Global Reservation System working in harmony with Redsky Traveller, the latest back office system combining Microsoft Talking Windows, Sage Sovereign accounts, Microsoft Office and Excel for management and administration purposes, e-mail and Computer fax communications. The business has grown and changed so much over the last 5 years it is no longer possible to manage the business as the traditional travel agent in any other way. In fact we upgraded Concord to New Traveller in 2002 connected through a BT Broadband Internet Connection. This gives even more comparative fares and much quicker access.

To meet the needs and demands for the future in business or leisure travel, high power technology is the name of the game. We will be in the forefront providing 'A MILLENNIUM SERVICE' in support or our business. We are licensed by ABTA and IATA, Investors In People and members of Advantage Travel Centres both in Business and Leisure Travel. We are also members of Advantage Focus Partnership to enable us to contract even wider selection of cheap fares and rates for hotels and accomodation. In various ways these organisations set standards of service for our clients and ourselves. We use their advice for short and long term planning. We are very aware that our business revolves round people. We aim to justify our motto that we are well known for 'A Personal Approach to Business Travel and a Business Approach to Personal Travel'.

Travel is a complex matter and it is increasingly important, wherever possible, that we operate as a partner to lead our clients through a market of constant change. Serious travellers should benefit from our experience and understanding of the global theatre of travel. We can advise on purchase policy and volume discounts as we have the background support of Advantage Business and Leisure departments the largest single purchaser of travel in Europe.