Pricing row prompts awareness call


Ella Sagar and Juliet Dennis


A national radio debate accusing travel agents of setting and inflating prices in school holidays has led to a call for a campaign to combat misperceptions about the trade and a pledge by consortia to raise consumer awareness. The trade vented its frustration


on Thursday following a debate on Jeremy Vine’s BBC Radio 2 show which repeatedly blamed agents for “hiking prices in the school holidays”. Abta communications officer


Sean Tipton and Henbury Travel managing director Richard Slater appeared on the show the following day to address callers’ comments,


which went uncontested by Vine. The show led to a plea by Graeme


Brett, co-founder of agent action group Target, for a specific Abta-led campaign to raise awareness of the role as well as the benefits of booking through agents, noting “a huge lack of understanding” in the media. Both The Travel Network


Group and The Advantage Travel Partnership agreed there was still a job to do to educate consumers about the role of agents. Gary Lewis, chief executive at


The Travel Network, said: “It is important to remember that travel agents are not setting the prices. They are using their expertise to find the right holiday, at the right price, for their customers – securing


Heapy targets more growth as Jet2 takes off at Bournemouth


Lucy Huxley


The boss of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays has revealed that “good demand” at Bournemouth means Agadir in Morocco will be added for winter 2025-26. Speaking as the brands started


operating from the south coast airport on Tuesday, chief executive Steve Heapy told a Travel Weekly webcast: “We have had good support from independent agents. They have done a great job in establishing us.” He noted the percentage of


trade sales for Bournemouth departures was “slightly lower” than for other bases but was “confident”


4 6 FEBRUARY 2025


it would increase to reach the same levels as at other airports. The sister brands had planned to


start operating from Bournemouth from April 1, but brought forward the launch to February 4 to meet demand for winter-sun breaks with flights to three Canary Islands. By this summer, Jet2.com’s fleet


of two aircraft based at the airport will offer 16 destinations across Europe, with up to 27 flights a week. For next winter, Agadir will


join winter-sun destinations as well as Prague, Vienna and Iceland. Summer 2026 will see 41 flights


a week to 25 destinations, including Malaga, Dubrovnik, Kos, Reus and


Too many media


organisations are making assumptions of the role of agents


special offers, free child places and identifying alternative travel dates or destinations to help ease the financial burden for parents.” The consortium was this week


set to launch a “mini marketing campaign” to “reinforce” the value of booking through reputable agents. Advantage chief executive


Julia Lo Bue-Said said the discussion highlighted “a common misconception” and “age-old debate” about travel agents setting prices.


She stressed the consortium would


“continue to work hard to amplify the voice of the travel community” and “reinforce” the service and value of independent agents. Abta said it had relaunched its


Travel with Confidence campaign on Boxing Day, encouraging people to look for the Abta logo when booking. Tipton told Vine agents were not


responsible for setting holiday prices, saying: “We will always recommend agents as they provide a valued service.” Speaking after his radio


appearance, Slater also highlighted a lack of “real” agents on national media debates to explain their role, with travel journalists or consumer protection experts instead often being asked to comment.


Steve Heapy (centre) at Jet2’s launch in Bournemouth


Verona. The expansion will be aided by a third Bournemouth-based aircraft. Heapy welcomed investment at


the airport, saying: “It looks different from last time I came down here, and next time will be different again. There will be expansion at the airport and it will be in a better position to handle the additional passengers.” He also told the webcast that Jet2


had lobbied “quite a few” government ministers in recent months about reviving the UK high street, creating a revenue certainty mechanism for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and modernising UK airspace. Heapy praised agents for how


they generate excitement in branches. travelweekly.co.uk “It is a testament to our


independent travel agent partners. Many have changed the way they work,” he said. “They don’t just sit there waiting


for people to walk through the door. They do lots of marketing. They try to get customers into events. Some agents have ‘Prosecco Fridays’ and stuff like that to get people in. “Travel agents can create a


lot of excitement because they know loads about the product.”


Watch the interview with Steve Heapy in full at travelweekly.co.uk


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