| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 21/08/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 57 |
| Copyright: Other |
DIARY
While mum’s the word for tricky trio, I’m still in two minds
A troublesome husband, wife and mum have me climbing the walls,proving you can’t please all of the people all of the time
A Latin America page-turnerLouise Randall, sales manager of Exsus Travel, popped into the office this week to talk us through the company’s hardback book of luxury Inspiring Journeys in Latin America.
The vivid violet book jacket is as dramatic as the journeys contained within it and, as one who has been selling the destination for a long time but who knows relatively little about it, I was gripped. The suggestions for tailor-made itineraries at the back of the brochure were quite awe-inspiring.
Latin America is the up-and-coming fashionable place to go, with all types of travellers, not just young backpackers in search of less-commercialised trails, heading for the destination. This much is evident by the inclusion of this destination in many of the more mainstream operators’ brochures.
Opening the book, it spelt out ‘A is for Adventure and-Argentina!’ When asked recently for an adventure holiday, I admit this country didn’t figure in my thinking. However, I know now it should have, offering glacier climbing, horse riding, sports of all varieties, wildlife, game fishing and more.
The only problem I can foresee with this full-on brochure is the amount of racking space it will need. We will have to employ the strategy used by Exchange Travel many years ago and put out a cover only, with a sticker saying, ‘Phew! I’m exhausted. Ask at the counter for your copy.’ This ensured that only the genuinely interested asked to view the brochure and could not escape the sales pitch that went with it.
Louise told me that Exsus can provide agents with additional help in constructing itineraries as there will always be someone available who will have done the tour themselves. In the unlikely event that there’s an itinerary they can’t help with, they will pass you over to managing director Alexander Roth! I, for one, will hold them to that.
Three’s definitely a crowd
I have no doubt that a request for an Exsus adventure would be easier to deal with than the request I had from three clients this week.
A woman, her husband and mother were looking for 10 or 11 nights (yes, really) in a two-bedroomed apartment or a twin and a single room pretty much anywhere, departing from Bristol Airport and covering the bank holiday. The last time they had been on holiday was three years ago and they were hoping to pay a similar price.
Kosmar could do one or two weeks from Bristol, so I put this to the happy trio.
“Has it got a pool?” said mum.
“Pool? Pool? You never mentioned pool!” I heard myself saying. Fearing I was beginning to sound like Basil Fawlty I took a deep breath. No, it didn’t have a pool, so no sale.
As the day wore on, they grudgingly accepted they might have to fly from Gatwick after all. Once they were reconciled to this, we were surprised to find a number of possibilities, with apartments all over the Med with various companies.
“They’re a lot dearer than when we last went,” said mum. “Do you think we should leave it until a couple of days before we want to go? These operators are crafty – they hold on to the holidays until the last minute before they drop the price,” continued the font of all knowledge.
As holidays were disappearing from the screen as they deliberated, I advised against such a plan. Upon hearing that Cosmos had a deal to Lanzarote for £389 for two weeks, daughter made a phone call to her husband, who wanted to know if it was full or half-board? Thoughts of Basil Fawlty left me to be replaced by visions of Victor Meldrew. She went on to tell him that Cachet could do Crete with complimentary car hire. His response was that car hire must mean the accommodation is miles from everything, so no go there.
Eventually, they took a print-out and promised to return to book one of them – that is of course, if it’s still available.
Matthew to the rescue
Rumours are circulating that there’s a miracle man working at Gold Medal’s Hotelbank. The chap in question is Matthew, who managed to secure 14 hotels throughout the US in peak dates and in budget.
Our client had originally intended to visit a friend in Phoenix for a holiday. However, in the intervening period between receiving the invitation and paying for her ticket, the friend sadly died. The client had decided to travel, having set her heart on the trip and so mapped out an arduous tour of the US, determined to see as much as possible. Getting confirmation from hotels at the right price was proving impossible until Matthew stepped in.
He must have studied at the Arthur Daly School of Wheeler-Dealing because within 24 hours he had replanned the accommodation, substituting a cheap hotel here for a more expensive one there, and vice versa until he had 14 hotels confirmed within the client’s budget.
She was thrilled and clearly appreciated Matthew’s efforts. Indeed her faith in his abilities was further demonstrated when she rang back later to ask if he could tell her whether the fires currently raging in the US would still be burning at the time of her travels and where they might spread? I had to tell her that although he knows what he’s doing regarding her earthly movements, acts of God are out of his hands!
Just another cover story
A salutary tale about insurance was told to me by Stephen Raindle of the London Air Charter Centre.
A chap rang Stephen to charter a jet to fly his father home from Ankara following an accident. The victim had sustained injuries which had necessitated his hospitalisation but the family was unhappy with the standard of care he was receiving and wanted him flown to an NHS hospital back home.
Upon hearing that the cost of chartering a Learjet and qualified nurse was around £12,500, the client demanded to know where he was supposed to find ‘that sort of money’. Stephen suggested he contact his insurer. Guess what. The family hadn’t bothered with holiday insurance, deeming it an unnecessary extra-