It is common practice to shop around before booking a holiday. Most people want to make sure they are getting the best deal for their money. How many people, however, would shop around for the same holiday within the same company? After booking my last holiday with Fleetway Travel, I learned the costly lesson to never seal the deal without checking a company's online prices first!
The short version: Fleetway Travel based in London charged me £150 more for my holiday on the phone than if I had smartly booked online via their website (which I wasn't aware of since I found their company phone number via Teletext Holidays).
The more detailed version:
Fleetway was advertising a cheap package holiday to Italy via Teletext Holidays' website. I phoned Fleetway to inquire about the trip but was advised that a holiday in Spain for the month of April was more sensible for a young family. So I agreed and we decided on a resort in Majorca. The agent also reinforced that there were "only two rooms left" so an immediate payment was necessary to secure the one room. Unfortunately, I fell into that "availability" trap and handed over my card details. Just a couple of hours later, I learned I made a costly mistake.
After a bad gut feeling over the booking, I went back online just a couple of hours later and found that other travelling agencies were offering the same holiday for £170 less! I thought my tough luck but then I came across Fleetway's website and they too were offering my holiday for the same days at £150 less! I obviously called the agent back and she said prices change all the time due to flights and availability. Surely not within a couple of hours? And there was lots of availability at the same price online.
So after an unsatisfactory response, I emailed Customer Services who after 8 days responded but could still not explain in clear terms why I payed so much more. Surely Easy Jet would not change their prices so dramatically in just a few hours and my research showed me the hotel had lots of availability at the more competitive price. They offered me a £50 refund as a "goodwill gesture" which I declined as unsatisfactory. So I emailed the customer services manager and cc'd the director to voice my complaint about this unfair pricing scheme and the cs manager wrote back to tell me I had the option to shop around before handing over my card details and because I had "escalated" this to director level, they decided to "rescind" the £50 "goodwill" offer! Their overall tone was dismissive and unhelpful.
I decided to further escalate this to ABTA, Trading Standards and to my credit card company because no one should pay more over the phone than online for the same holiday and from the same company. At the end of all this, I wonder how common this unscrupulous pricing policy is?
Evie
I wouldn't necessarily describe it as unscrupulous but it is fairly common for companies to quote a cheaper price for an on-line booking because on-line bookings where the customer does all the work are cheaper for them than phone bookings. The more on-line bookings a company can encourage their customers to make, the lower their overheads become. Airlines do the same, it's common, especially for the no-frills airlines, for them to also charge more for booking over the phone compared to on-line bookings.
Some TOs and TAs will price match the on-line price but only if you've got that first and then ask them to when book over the phone or in person over the counter for those that run shops. It always worth shoppping around - even with the same company because they can and do charge different prices depending on the booking method.
If that was £150 more in total for a family (as opposed to per person) then, yes it is possible that Easyjet's fares went up that quckly within a few hours for flights for this April. It's happened to me whilst I've still been on-line checking prices for various flight options with them! There aren't going to be that many seats left on flights departing in the next 2-6 weeks and their pricing model means that seats can go up in quite big steps the closer you get to departure and the fewer empty seats are remaining - especially when a lot of people are searching around for flights for eg the school holidays.
I'm afraid that you are probably just going to have to put this donw to experience. I know that it isn't always easy to avoid being suckered into making a quick decision if they play the 'low availability' card but either way it's a risk that you run - do I delay making the booking whilst I still shop around and take the risk of losing it at that price? Or is it a good enough price that represents decent value for money that it's worth making the booking to secure the holiday and take the chance that I might have ended up paying more than I really needed to?
SM
Some TOs and TAs will price match the on-line price but only if you've got that first and then ask them to when book over the phone or in person over the counter for those that run shops. It always worth shoppping around - even with the same company because they can and do charge different prices depending on the booking method.
If that was £150 more in total for a family (as opposed to per person) then, yes it is possible that Easyjet's fares went up that quckly within a few hours for flights for this April. It's happened to me whilst I've still been on-line checking prices for various flight options with them! There aren't going to be that many seats left on flights departing in the next 2-6 weeks and their pricing model means that seats can go up in quite big steps the closer you get to departure and the fewer empty seats are remaining - especially when a lot of people are searching around for flights for eg the school holidays.
I'm afraid that you are probably just going to have to put this donw to experience. I know that it isn't always easy to avoid being suckered into making a quick decision if they play the 'low availability' card but either way it's a risk that you run - do I delay making the booking whilst I still shop around and take the risk of losing it at that price? Or is it a good enough price that represents decent value for money that it's worth making the booking to secure the holiday and take the chance that I might have ended up paying more than I really needed to?
SM
Even the big holiday companies have different prices online than in a brochure/shop. Thomson for instance is one such company. I always have a look online first for the holiday I want and then go into the shop to see if they will match it. They usually do - except for this year, my local Thomson shop was unable to match their online price, so I promptly booked online instead. Its just the way it is unfortunately.
Most companies give their cheapest price by booking on-line as it involves the least interaction with staff and staff are an expensive item in this Country with minimum wage and high costs of office space. The next cheapest seems to be by telephoing and the more expensive option is to book in a high street travel agent. In theory you could get three prices for an identical holiday depending on the method you choose to book by, it seems to have been this way for some years now. There is the odd variation such as getting a high street agent to match an on-line price, but in general the above seems to apply.
Thanks for your responses. I usually book my holidays online so I was unaware of these price differences.
In the case of Fleetway, I feel misled because I called them regarding an online package and was sold a "phone price" instead. It may be common practice but not good practice if they are interested in retaining their customers.
To cover a few points above, I booked the trip more than two weeks ago when EJ flights were well priced and didn't change much from day to day. Also, I think Fleetway is largely an ECommerce company, so the price increase is unjustifiable.
In the case of Fleetway, I feel misled because I called them regarding an online package and was sold a "phone price" instead. It may be common practice but not good practice if they are interested in retaining their customers.
To cover a few points above, I booked the trip more than two weeks ago when EJ flights were well priced and didn't change much from day to day. Also, I think Fleetway is largely an ECommerce company, so the price increase is unjustifiable.
Online prices are invariably cheaper. If you phone to book you will get the phone price. Flight prices, indeed standard tour operator packages, fluctuate frequently and sometimes change more than once a day. Generally all tour operators and travel agents prices are cheaper online than via the phone or shop.
From what you say you intended booking a holiday to Italy but was persuaded to change it to Majorca. As I read it you had not actually researched the holiday you booked.
I'm sorry but if that was the case then the blame lies with you and not Fleetway.
When you booked the holiday you obviously considered that the price was acceptable and it was only later you found it cheaper elsewhere. A not unusual complaint here on HT when prices have dropped after booking. I would write it off to experience - we all make mistakes at times.
fwh
I'm sorry but if that was the case then the blame lies with you and not Fleetway.
When you booked the holiday you obviously considered that the price was acceptable and it was only later you found it cheaper elsewhere. A not unusual complaint here on HT when prices have dropped after booking. I would write it off to experience - we all make mistakes at times.
fwh
Re comment from fwh:
The price of the trip is not the problem. I booked it because it was within our budget. Nor am I concerned about fluctuating prices, it's a loss you sometimes have to accept if they do drop. My concern is being directed to an inflated rate rather than suggesting another one of their teletext deals as has been my experience before. It is beyond me how someone can knowingly sell a package to a customer when they are aware of a lower price online and not direct them to it. Especially after the customer explains to the TA that she's a stay at home mum who doesn't earn money for her living and is on a tighter than usual budget.
Also, it is time consuming to be knowledgeable of all the different packages out there. It is an agent's job to direct their client to a holiday that fits their criteria at a fair rate, if they desire customer satisfaction and returning business.
The price of the trip is not the problem. I booked it because it was within our budget. Nor am I concerned about fluctuating prices, it's a loss you sometimes have to accept if they do drop. My concern is being directed to an inflated rate rather than suggesting another one of their teletext deals as has been my experience before. It is beyond me how someone can knowingly sell a package to a customer when they are aware of a lower price online and not direct them to it. Especially after the customer explains to the TA that she's a stay at home mum who doesn't earn money for her living and is on a tighter than usual budget.
Also, it is time consuming to be knowledgeable of all the different packages out there. It is an agent's job to direct their client to a holiday that fits their criteria at a fair rate, if they desire customer satisfaction and returning business.
It is beyond me how someone can knowingly sell a package to a customer when they are aware of a lower price online and not direct them to it. Especially after the customer explains to the TA that she's a stay at home mum who doesn't earn money for her living and is on a tighter than usual budget.
Also, it is time consuming to be knowledgeable of all the different packages out there. It is an agent's job to direct their client to a holiday that fits their criteria at a fair rate, if they desire customer satisfaction and returning business.
I take your point, but many TA's don't worry about repeat business and are only interested in their immediate commission especially if they are under pressure to make a certain amount in a specific time period by their boss(es).
Life would be so much better if people did do the decent thing, but holiday sales are exactly that, sales, which are more important statistically to the company offering the product than customer satisfaction.
It is beyond me how someone can knowingly sell a package to a customer when they are aware of a lower price online and not direct them to it.
It is called "Commission" and "Sales Targets" - I regret that is the world we live in today. As Alsacienne says many TA's don't worry about repeat business,
fwh
EvieStewart wrote:Re comment from fwh:
It is an agent's job to direct their client to a holiday that fits their criteria at a fair rate, if they desire customer satisfaction and returning business.
I think it is naive to think that it is an agents job to direct you to a cheaper holiday than the one they are trying to sell you, you are a stay at home Mum which is fair enough, however they may be a single parent trying to put food on the table for a child - we all have personal circumstances or one kind or another. I can't see how any of that is relevant in what is in effect a buisness situation. If they directed you elsewhere they would be light in their own pay packet at the end of the month.
They get a very low basic wage plus commission on each holiday they sell, so I cannot see why they would ever direct you elsewhere. It's up to the purchaser to make sure they get the best deal for them.
If we want TAs to give us to truly independent advice and not direct us to the product that generates the most commission for them and their company, then we have to be prepared to pay them for that service in another way, for example, by paying them a flat fee for finding us the right holiday at the right price that suits our budget etc. A bit like we do if we want indeendent financial advice etc but there is a lot of resistence out there amongst us consumers every time this is floated in relation to the travel industry. As long as TAs are so heavily dependent on earning commission on their sales in order to take home a reasonable wage and we expect to get our holidays as cheaply as possible with the result that wages are forced down to keep prices low and profits for the big TOs and TAs high, counter or phone sales staff are going to continue to point us in the drection of the holidays that will earn them the most whenever the opportunity arises.
A travel industry where the sales staff are paid a decent wage regardless of their sales figures and were they aren't reliant on commission is one where our holidays would cost us more. We make out choice and the pay the price unfortunately.
SM
A travel industry where the sales staff are paid a decent wage regardless of their sales figures and were they aren't reliant on commission is one where our holidays would cost us more. We make out choice and the pay the price unfortunately.
SM
As previously stated most things are cheaper online because your doing the work yourself. I booked my holidays through a local
travel agent because I prefer to deal face to face and have somewhere to go to see a person if anything goes wrong. Plus I think
they do this for a living so they must know better than me. I hope!
I know I pay more for this but that is just what I prefer.
travel agent because I prefer to deal face to face and have somewhere to go to see a person if anything goes wrong. Plus I think
they do this for a living so they must know better than me. I hope!
I know I pay more for this but that is just what I prefer.
The thing is that OK the holiday would have been £150 cheaper on the internet BUT you were not looking for it, you only found out after the agent had done their job and found you a suitable holiday, potentially saving a lot of problems had you gone ahead and booked what turned out to be an unsuitable choice.
I applaud the agent they did the right thing in suggesting a correct holiday.I am sure that had you not listened and gone ahead with your original holiday the cost to you could potentially have been higher in terms of cost, stress and upset.
Well done Travel Agent. It is very easy to blame the poor TA, but in my humble opinion, the fact they may well have diverted a disastrous holiday (and therefore another posting on here) is worth every penny. You accepted the advice of the agent and booked the most suitable holiday, why should they provide that advice for nowt, you cant have your cake and eat it!
I applaud the agent they did the right thing in suggesting a correct holiday.I am sure that had you not listened and gone ahead with your original holiday the cost to you could potentially have been higher in terms of cost, stress and upset.
Well done Travel Agent. It is very easy to blame the poor TA, but in my humble opinion, the fact they may well have diverted a disastrous holiday (and therefore another posting on here) is worth every penny. You accepted the advice of the agent and booked the most suitable holiday, why should they provide that advice for nowt, you cant have your cake and eat it!
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