| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 15/05/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 76 |
| Copyright: Other |
Agents hit out at ‘confusing’ fluid pricing policies
ABTA seeks talks over ferry pricing strategies
Report by TANYAJEFFERIES
Report by TANYAJEFFERIES
ABTA is seeking an urgent meeting with ferry operators to discuss their fluid pricing strategy which agents claim is costly and unpopular.Transport committee chairman Doug Wardle is currently investigating how the policy is affecting agents and said he intends to write to operators requesting talks on the issue.
Over the past year, P&O Stena Line, Stena Line and Brittany Ferries have all adopted fluid pricing, which involves publishing only lead-in fares in ferry brochures. The companies say it is aimed at improving yields but agents say it forces them to call operators for a quote everytime they have a potential booking.
Wardle claims fluid pricing undermines travel agents’ credibility with customers because quotes keep changing if they delay making a reservation.
“If I have to phone again and again it puts my expenses up,” he said. “This policy adds to my costs and to the ferry company’s costs because they have to maintain a call centre.”
Stowaway Travel director Paul Stowe said: “You never know what price you can charge. It also raises the cost of making a booking. Why we have got fluid pricing I don’t know. I switch-sell to SeaFrance and Hoverspeed whenever I can.”
A P&O Stena Line spokeswoman defended fluid pricing, claiming it benefited customers who got a better price on off-peak sailings.
However, Hoverspeed, SeaFrance and Irish Ferries have stuck with publishing a full fare structure. Hoverspeed general sales manager for UK and France Sue Seabrook said: “Customers don’t understand fluid pricing because they think a quote is a quote. They tend to think the travel agent is giving them the wrong information.”
Confusing: Brittany Ferries only publish lead-in fares