Leading homeworking travel agency Designer Travel has issued a plea for help from airlines and tour operators as it battles the coronavirus crisis.
Amanda Matthews, founder and managing director for Designer Travel, says airlines are not helping as they try to transfer client bookings to later dates.
And she called on a more flexible approach from tour operators as peak date balance payment dates approach.
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Matthews said agencies are losing huge amounts of money dealing with clients and everyone has a part to play to address the current situation.
Writing on the Designer Travel Facebook page, Matthews said: “We are so desperately trying to keep bookings and to transfer our mutual clients to holidays at a later date but some airlines are not helping our efforts.
“Please all move to a two year option on credit notes so we can save most bookings. Some airlines are already doing this, some are 12 months, so it won’t even cover the same holiday at Easter next year and some are even June or November this year.
“Clients are becoming so angry and these limiting policies are not helping.”
And in a plea to tour operators, Matthew added: “We are already having so many clients talk about not paying their balance for peak dates in July and August and just losing their deposits instead.
“We need you all to look at a more flexible approach to balance due dates , not just for new bookings but for all bookings, not just for direct customers but for all bookings.
“We all have our part to play in this to save our industry, We are all working so hard while losing huge amounts of money, help us where you can as these more flexible approaches will save time, phone calls and will help us all get through this mentally too.
“Be quick to make these changes, we are with you all of the way and if as retailers we need to do things differently just tell us. We are in this together.”