Operators have defended the value of the package holiday despite Travel Weekly’s Mystery Shopper showing it is cheaper for agents to dynamically package city breaks. Four agents were questioned by this week’s Mystery Shopper about a hen weekend for a group of 12 to Madrid.
Of four agents visited in Wimbledon, two tried mainstream operators before suggesting it would be cheaper to package the trip themselves. The other two didn’t consult brochures but put together their own packages.
The survey highlighted confusion among agents as to whether consumers would still be financially protected. Even though agents self-packaging could do it cheaper, operators argued customers could be left out of pocket if the holiday was not booked as a package, for example if flights were cancelled.
Libra Holidays sales and marketing director Paul Riches said agents would struggle to package up holidays to some destinations. “If it was for a destination such as Rhodes, agents would struggle to put it together themselves and may end up with just the flights.”
Riches added many customers would be happy to pay the extra required by an operator for a package in return for ATOL protection.
Cresta city-breaks product development manager Ian Lomas said agents could have booked EasyJet flights and rooms on the Cresta website and earned commission of 10% or more.
However, Lowcostbeds.com chief executive Paul Evans said dynamic packaging prices would always be cheaper for agents.
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