OPERATORS are facing legal action over accusations
that brochure prices are confusing holidaymakers.
The Trading Standards Institute said it has been
inundated with complaints from consumers unable to work out holiday prices.
Trading Standards believes charging supplements for
transfers and in-flight meals, traditionally included in the price of a
package, confuses customers.
Head of package holidays Bruce Treloar said: “Price
transparency is getting out of hand and this year has been the worst for
complaints. Consumers are being misled and tour operators are creating the situation.”
Trading Standards is now in talks with the Office of
Fair Trading to decide whether it is feasible to sue operators charging
supplements.
One complaint being investigating involves a
holidaymaker who booked an en-suite room and was allegedly charged a supplement
for ‘use of bathroom facilities’.
Treloar was speaking after Holiday Which? published a
damning report alleging that charging supplements makes it harder for clients to
establish the cost of their break.
A statement issued by Holiday Which? said: “Consumers
need to be sure they price up the holiday with all the extras in order to get a
true cost. They must also shop around at travel agents.”
Travel Weekly columnist Maureen Hill, from
Dorset-based Wessex World Travel, said customers are losing patience with
operators.
“They come in and say ‘work this out because I can’t’.
From an agent’s point of view, the more difficult operators make it for
clients the better. Stripping out ‘extras’ makes it
easier to upsell, but it does take longer to close the sale.”
However, Independent travel editor Simon Calder argued
complex pricing could drive customers away from the high street altogether.
“Charging for individual elements adds another layer
of confusion and is self-defeating as people may decide to put a holiday
together themselves on the Internet,” he said
But MyTravel commercial director Steve Endacott
vigorously defended the operator from the claims and blamed rival Thomson for
the confusion.
He said: “Thomson has made a major strategic error by
taking meals and transfers out of brochure holiday prices. It is not like a
traditional brochure, and that’s what Holiday Which? is talking about.”
A spokeswoman for Thomson countered: “Introducing
‘Your Holiday, Your Choice’ allows people to personalise their holiday.
Flexibility and choice are key to our new range.”
Thomas Cook director Simon Russell, who created its
Holiday Choices pricing structure, said: “Our pricing structure is great news
for customers. They would vote with their feet if not and there is no sign they
are doing so.”
A spokeswoman for First Choice said the operator
believes clients want the elements of their holiday costed in.
Meanwhile, Airtours Holidays
has pledged to write to early bookers next January to compare the price they
paid in 2002 with those who waited until Christmas to get a better deal.
MyTravel UK and Ireland chief executive Duncan Wilson said: “It’s a way of saying
to clients ‘we’ve put prices up, but you booked early so you got a bargain’.”