Can we trust Airtours over direct booking?

Can we trust Airtours over direct booking?

RARELY has a topic created such sustained controversy than that of direct-booking information in brochures.

Agents, led by the Scots, admirably refused to roll over and accept the move and were rewarded for their perseverance when Airtours withdrew numbers from second-edition brochures.

They then set their sights on persuading Thomson to follow suit. But that looks nothing more than a remote possibility.

If Thomson was wavering over the issue, sales director Manuel Mascarenhas now has an unlikely ally and sympathiser in Airtours managing director Richard Carrick.

Carrick’s criticism of independents in last week’s Travel Weekly would have made up the minds of Thomson management. Why take out numbers when it makes no difference to retail sales?

Carrick told us he was disappointed with agents’ response and claimed they’d broken their side of the deal by failing to increase sales.

While stressing no decision had yet been taken, it’s clear the reintroduction of direct-booking information in Airtours’ third-edition brochures is just around the corner.

Although sales have hardly gone through the roof, is two months really enough time to show a significant increase in sales? Probably not.

And agents have a point by arguing that July, August and September are hardly key selling months for 2001 holidays.

A return of direct numbers would also be hard on those who are genuinely attempting to improve their performance.

However, there is a rumour that Carrick’s sounding off is just an idle threat. The rumour is that Airtours will threaten to put direct numbers back in third-edition brochures, only to go back on its word at the last moment – thus becoming the agent’s friend and getting one up on Thomson.

The source of the rumour? We couldn’t possibly say, only that he is ex-Airtours, now runs a successful call centre and is often referred to as the industry’s motormouth.