| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 19/06/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 10 |
| Copyright: Other |
Letter of the week
Unite against double trouble
I LOVE you, Ilove you not. Perhaps this reflects the feelings Messrs Thomson and Airtours have for their alleged partners, the travel agency fraternity?The reality is that they are slowly but surely riding off into the sunset. Admittedly, at strategic times, they stop en-route to have a pow wow with agents. The sad fact is that some agents wrongly interpret this as being some kind of reversal or change in attitude, rather than a ‘sweetening process’ and stalling tactic.
Inevitably, there are the usual platitudes about working with us and declarations that a valued percentage of their business derives directly from agents. Ultimately that percentage will reduce sufficiently to enable them to abandon discourse completely. At that stage they will truly be able to dictate the rules.
In recent weeks Airtours has hosted lunches for those deemed to be their better-producing agents. Perhaps it is no coincidence that these events usually coincide with a period of over-capacity in the marketplace. Many agents feel flattered to be among the privileged few, others are secretly disappointed not to have been favoured.
As for Thomson, it flatters agents’ vanity by way of its Preferred Agents Scheme. The ultimate misnomer. We all know that the public can achieve prices at least 10% less than those offered to the ‘preferred’ agents. Despite repeated protestations by Thomson to the contrary and false claims of a level playing field, there is ample evidence that it speaks with a forked tongue.
Before long both operators will be but specks on the horizon. The only course of action we can take is to join forces against the enemy – and make no mistake, Thomson and Airtours are now the enemy.
The principals of the various consortia must start meaningful dialogue now. And what about the biggest irony of it all? The very people who are wittingly or unwittingly plotting our downfall are ABTA members. Were it not so serious it would be laughable. We are indeed fools.
BrendanMaguire, Proprietor, Quartz Travel, Glasgow