5 2
Jet2 vows to fix ‘glitchy’ website
Amie Keeley
amie.keeley@
travelweekly.co.uk
Jet2holidays said it is fixing issues with its new trade website “as a matter of priority” after the facility was slammed by dozens of agents for being “too slow” and “glitchy” in the midst of the peak booking period.
Agents complained of inconsistent pricing, and of filters, such as preferred airports, not being saved. Others said they were forced to switch-sell as the site was taking too long to load quotes. Jet2holidays launched its new
trade website in December after consulting agent partners. A spokesman for Jet2holidays
said: “We understand that a small number of agents may have experienced issues; however, we can assure them these are being fixed as a matter of priority.” More than 70 comments complaining about the site’s functionality were posted by agents on social media. Homeworker Peter Rintoul of
Your Holiday Booking told Travel Weekly: “It’s awful compared to what they had before.
“It doesn’t save your preferred airports, so I have to untick the rest on the list; the price changes once I click through; and it doesn’t take any notice of filters like star rating or board. “And it’s messy, like it’s been designed by someone who doesn't sell holidays.” Kev Arnold posted on Travel
Gossip: “I think there may be a lot of switch-selling away from Jet2 until they sort this out. It’s driven me nuts already this morning, not updating anything when I change the search criteria.” Sam Guest said: “It’s dreadful.
What did take 10 minutes is taking half an hour, then the screen starts flashing.”
Jet2 holidays said it had also
received a lot of positive feedback. Tony Mann, director of Idle
Travel, said the site was slow when accessed through Internet Explorer but quicker on Google Chrome. “People don’t like change, but
once you get used to it there are benefits,” he said. “I like the ‘hot prospects’ tool
that lets you know when your customers are back and reminds you to send them ‘welcome home’ emails.”
Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International have increased gratuity rates by around $1 a day
Cruise lines hike gratuity charges
Harry Kemble
harry.kemble@
travelweekly.co.uk
Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises have increased their daily onboard gratuity charges by about 7%.
Celebrity has added $1 per
person per day to gratuity rates for each of its three cabin categories, lifting rates to $14.50 in standard accommodation, $15 for Concierge Class and Aqua Class cabins and $18 for suites. Royal Caribbean’s gratuity rate
for standard accommodation is the same as Celebrity’s and varies slightly for other cabin categories. The sister brands confirmed the
approximately 7% rises within days of each other after Christmas. Celebrity’s gratuity fee has risen
by almost 12% since June 2016, while Royal Caribbean’s has gone up by nearly 21% since May 2015. Celebrity and Royal Caribbean’s
gratuity fees are among the highest in the sector, alongside those for Holland America, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises and Carnival. Cruise lines, such as NCL, either include gratuities in the overall
fare, or have a ‘no tipping’ policy, such as Saga Cruises and Marella Cruises.
Celebrity and Royal Caribbean passengers are free to adjust the gratuity fee, which is discretionary, once onboard their ship. Carol Kirkham, of Preston-based agency Kirkham Travel, said: “[Celebrity’s gratuity charge] has gone up quite a lot but my clients like the brand.” However, Denise Hodgson, partner at Travel the World2, branded the recent gratuity price hikes as “ridiculous”. Samantha Wilkinson, a cruise specialist at Delmar World Travel, said: “I don’t think it will make too much of a difference even though the increase is on the high side.” Ben Bouldin, associate
vice-president of Royal Caribbean International and managing director for the UK and Ireland, said the increase recognised the “outstanding service” of staff and would ensure the line could continue to provide the “best service in the industry”. A Celebrity spokesperson said: “The adjustment recognises the exceptional work by our onboard staff and crew.”
4 January 2018
travelweekly.co.uk 5 3 STORIES HOT
PICTURES: SHUTTERSTOCK
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 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88
