Alistair McLean, owner of Dorking Travel, says clients are more aware of their rights
After a positive start to the colossal impact of coronavirus, re-booking seemed to be an attractive option, or the only option, consumer media coverage has exposed the extent of customers’ rights.
I have received a barrage of customers ringing to back track on their wish for a rebooking or to receive a Refund Credit Note on the grounds that the amount they paid for the aborted holiday this year may well be considerably more when they come to ‘cash in’ the Refund Credit Note. Thanks BBC and Which?.
We have already seen airlines and some operators hike prices. I have a party of six who were travelling in June with a well-known villa company decide to move their holiday to mid-September with the exact same villa, transfers and airline only to be told the holiday price has increased by £940. And this price rise is down to the airline.
What is stopping the travel businesses honouring the original price of the holiday if the new booking is exactly the same and taken in the same season, (remember high season, shoulder season and low season?). If there was a guarantee from travel businesses this would be the case, then customers would be more inclined to accept the Refund Credit Note. And while my next comment may be slightly counter-productive, is there not a clause in terms and conditions that if a holiday date is changed, resulting in a higher price, the operator must absorb the first few percent and give the option to the consumer to pay the balance or cancel with a full refund?
Similarly, I recall instances where the oil price has increased and airlines were allowed to place a ‘fuel surcharge’ on to the booking after the deposit was paid. Given the price of oil has dropped to a record low (I filled my car up recently for £1.06 a litre), is there any justification for airlines hiking the prices?
The industry is in a right mess and consumer confidence is ebbing away day after day. Regulatory bodies are again spineless in their approach to government, and government deaf to the immense contribution the travel industry provides in terms of jobs, the economy and frankly to the well-being and mental health of the public. In normal circumstances, the thought a few weeks away in the sunshine is the tonic people crave during the long winter months.
It is an industry I have loved for more than 30 years, but the thought of a career change now seems a little more appealing as I nervously watch my wife start to dig up the patio. I just hope the industry will reflect and learn.
