| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 12/06/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 10 |
| Copyright: Other |
Operators have only themselves to blame
So Airtours’ losses for the winter amount to £62m.How many agents out there feel sorry for poor Airtours? Apart from Going Places that is. Certainly not me.
In fact I am rejoicing at the news. Who will be the next in line – Thomson, Thomas Cook, Cosmos or First Choice? The more the merrier. And, of course, I am over the moon about British Airways’ poor £5m profit.
What can you expect when you undersell your product – 15%, 20%, 25%, 30% discount? Why bother, why not just give free holidays?
Now that would generate a lot of free publicity and would ensure full capacity and market lead.
As for those agents who still believe in tour operators’ or airlines’ support (such as Advantage and Worldchoice) in my opinion, they live in cuckoo land.
If those companies are so supportive why do they publish a direct booking phone line?
Why do they offer discounts to your clients when they only pay you, the agent, 10%-12.5% and save themselves 5%-2.5%? Business acumen? Clever tricks? Who knows?
And please do stop grumbling about Ryanair. Isn’t the answer very simple? Stop selling it and return its plate or carry on selling it and charge your client a fee, whether Ryanair likes it or not.
There is only one way for the operators to show their support and make a lot of money at the same time.
Publish their brochures with only their name on the cover – no phone numbers, fax or Web sites. Stick to the price of the holiday as and when the brochure comes out and stop discounting altogether.
And why not close down all those unprofitable branches out there. How many millions would that save them? Now who is living in cuckoo land?
GSazio
Director
Brompton Travel Ltd
Kingston-on-Thames
Surrey