Gary David

ABTA’s move to reform the law limiting surcharges will strengthen the industry and be supported by passengers if they are told where the money is going. So why are some operators opposing it?

Gary David

Gary David

IN THE days when there were more cowboys in travel than your average rodeo, the Government did something extremely wise – it stamped down on companies trying to con their clients with phoney surcharges.

Indeed, it put its foot down so hard that the UK’s laws on surcharges became the toughest in the world. And the industry accepted that situation without complaint.

Until now. Although we previously agreed it was necessary to go gunning for the cowboys, we are now equally keen not to reach a situation where we have a collective re-enactment of Custer’s Last Stand.

It may be a cliché, but the world really has changed since September 11, which is why the law on surcharges has to be changed – and changed fast.

I cannot understand how some people in the industry are opposing ABTA’s attempts to correct what has clearly become an injustice. Is it because they are not affected by the crisis or because they are making so much money they are not bothered about the problems facing others?

Look at the facts. These surcharges have been imposed on us by the airlines because of the spiralling costs of insurance and upgrading security measures at airports and on the aircraft themselves.

Travellers want these improvements and expect security to be tightened. And they are not stupid – they know it costs money. Which is why it is surely not unreasonable that they should pay for them.

No, not £100 per family as some ludicrous scaremongering headlines have suggested. Instead, what is presently being asked for is about £5 a head.

Yet due to the current legislation, UK tour operators cannot ask clients to pay any additional monies within 30 days of the holiday departure.

We also have to absorb the first 2% of any surcharge ourselves. That means if the holiday costs £500, we have to cover the first £10. The effect is most operators end up paying the entire surcharge.

Now look at the giant tour operators. Even before the terrorist attacks they were working on wafer-thin margins, meaning any additional costs will virtually wipe out any profits on holidays. It will also have a damaging effect on the smaller holiday companies specialising in the affected areas which are being forced to discount to get the odd booking.

So an already badly-hit industry will become even more damaged with the threat of yet more redundancies and the increased risk of further company collapses.

Of course, I accept that travel agents are in the firing line. They are the ones who have to tell clients that they will have to pay more money.

But I know if our highly professional agents explain the reasons behind the increases, clients will accept it is worth paying that little bit extra to help ensure that they and their families are protected further from another terrorist outrage.

All ABTA wants is for the legislation on surcharges to be brought in line with the rest of Europe. Surely that’s common sense. Which makes the objections from some within the industry even more baffling.

Yes, we are all individual, competing companies. But in times like these our motto should be ‘all for one and one for all’, not ‘pull the ladder up, Jack – I’m all right’.