p34-5 Letters Nov6 3/11/09 18:02 Page 35
ttglive.com
letters
Superbreak saved us when Agents always take the blame Agents on Teletext should
police cordoned off office for others’ ‘inefficiencies’ look at again at their prices
I’d like to thank Superbreak for helping a fellow I agree with Jenny Ley-Meek (“Why is it us I have just about managed to stop laughing at
tour operator out of a crisis. agents who always have to deal with the errors Teletext’s comments on complaints on “unreal-
Nearly 100 Great Rail Journeys staff turned or inefficiencies of others?”, TTG October 30). istic pricing” (TTG October 30). Surely if Tele-
up for work last Tuesday morning only to find We are a transport company that offers text has received a “high level” of complaints,
our office cordoned off while police dealt with private transfers, and work both directly with then there is a problem!
a tragic incident in St Saviourgate in York. the public, and also with trade partners, and I carry out my own spot checks on Teletext
This is a busy time of year for booking recently had a booking where clients had been prices that appear to have been netted down
escorted rail holidays and we were faced with overbooked and the agent hadn’t been advised. to get “position”, and have been given such
having to send staff home for the day and let This was a young family staying in self catering inflated prices for “baggage etc” to get the
calls go unanswered. accommodation, who we eventually took to the prices back up again. It makes me cringe.
However, by 10.30am, 14 of our staff were re-booked accommodation only to find no One agent quoted £60 per person for
able to set up a mini call-centre in Superbreak’s reception or keys, and no instructions as to how Thomas Cook baggage to Sharm, and another
offices just up the road, thanks to some techni- to gain access to the building. £100 per person transfers in Taba on a tour
cal wizardry and a huge amount of goodwill By this time it was past midnight, and the operator package that provides them free.
from Ian Mounser and the Superbreak team. clients where understandably distraught. I Is it little wonder that passengers turn to
This meant we could provide agents and cus- finally managed to get them booked in to other back to the high street or book direct, when this
tomers with a reasonable level of service until accommodation for their first night (which they has become standard practice in the industry
we regained access to our offices on Wednesday. had to pay for, and then claim back). We, as travel agents, have been complaining
This took over two hours, and numerous for years about the no frills airlines price
Alex Roberts phone calls, both local and international, and transparency, and then do exactly the same
marketing director, Great Rail Journeys, all because someone (not the agent) hadn’t thing as a justifiable practice.
St Saviorgate, York done their job properly. I suggest agents and Teletext look again at
On their return it was the agent who had to their advertising policies and give the customer
Safaris deserve praise, not sort out the mess. The problem is the clients a fair and honest chance of getting a holiday at
criticism, for conservation often have no idea who they are actually booked the price they see, but then again, why should
I just wanted to write in about the extent that with, all they know is that they gave their Teletext care – a call is a call when they are
my eyes have been opened to the importance of money to the agent, so it must be their fault! getting £5 a time!
safari tourism for conservation in East and
Southern Africa. Jacqui Birch, Alicante Private Transfers Warren Craddock
On a recent fam, I saw the effects of years of personal travel advisor, Kwik Travel, Tamworth
poaching in the south of Zambia’s Kafue Thanks to Tipto for their
National Park, and how attempts to open up Magical Mystery Tour
this part of the park are intrinsically connected Thanks to everyone involved in the Tipto
What do you think?
to the fate of its animal population. Magical Mystery Tour held in Bolton recently.
With tourists and vehicles around, and a The event was well organised and it was good The deadline for letters is 10am on Tuesday.
greater number of rangers as well as a planned to see lots of useful suppliers in attendance. We need your name, job title and company
anti-poaching initiative via microlite, numbers From a training point of view, this evening address. These will be withheld on request.
of poachers will decrease dramatically. was hugely beneficial to the three trainees I Priority is given to letters sent exclusively
Safari tourism gets a bad rap for encouraging brought with me. They found out so much from to TTG. Please limit letters to 250 words
long-haul flights and driving, but also provides each supplier and we made some fantastic maximum. We reserve the right to edit.
great protection for animal and birdlife. contacts that are all coming into the office to Email: ttgletters@ttglive.com
The lions are already returning to South Kafue. do some further training. Fax: 020 7921 8033
Comment: Or have your say on stories on
Rachel Hamada Louise Bates ttglive by clicking on “Comment on this Story”
Freelance travel journalist, Zanzibar Travelshop Manager, Tameside Travel
www.sassalesinfo.com
Upptäck.
Or discover as you say in English.
When booking a return flight to Stockholm, each passenger will receive a
free 24hr Stockholm City Card
*
to discover the beauty of the Swedish capital.
For more information go to www.sassalesinfo.com
*
Stockholm from £69 one-way
Free City Card included (worth £33)*.
Copenhagen Stockholm Oslo Helsinki
* Example fare from London Heathrow, including taxes and charges. Offer valid with a return ticket. Travel period 1 November to 31 December 2009. Only valid for tickets booked after 15 September 2009. Applicable for
all passengers departing from Europe (excluding Scandinavia) to Stockholm-Arlanda on SAS-operated flights, either non-stop or via Copenhagen. Valid for any SAS fares excluding Group Travel. Terms & conditions apply.
SKI5799_UK_STO_TTG_0910DD_w230Xh65.indd 1 2009-10-27 09.59
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80