It is not very often I find myself endorsing Thomson Holidays for its initiatives in the travel industry, especially where independent agents like myself are concerned. However, their moves to’deconstruct’ square-deal holidays have my agreement and support.
For too long, we have lured the public into thinking ú199 is about the right price to pay for a package holiday, and successive tour operators are completely to blame for this.
Thankfully, over the past two years or so, tour operators have begun the process of re-educating the public by reducing capacity and adopting fluid pricing (which on its own caused a furore at the time). This has had the effect of raising prices of late holidays by causing a shortage, especially at peak times.
I therefore applaud Thomson for taking the decision to charge for extras for its square deals, because this will help to identify that a late deal is a secondary product and greatly inferior to a brochured product. Anything that will help to reinforce this in the public’s perception is more than welcome.
It is in all our interests, especially travel agents, to reduce the number of lates available, since these cause the largest number of complaints from customers, upset our full price clients when they think they have been overcharged (after meeting Mr and Mrs ‘Kiss Me Quick’ at the same resort).
Ultimately, all customers will benefit by an industry which can divert staff from handling complaints and claims to paying greater attention to product quality and customer satisfaction.
No doubt other tour operators will be watching Thomson’s progress and profits very closely, and hopefully will quickly follow suit, because anything that helps to move people toward buying a full price product must be welcomed by all of us. Credit where it is due, well done Thomson Holidays!
Gerry Standley, Principal, Cathedral Travel, Lanchester
Co. Durham