Agents report improved confidence Juliet Dennis


The trade has reported further growth in consumer confidence to book holidays but reiterated a plea for clarification of dates for day-two test changes. Agents said sales continued to


steadily improve thanks to positive recent announcements on travel. Miles Morgan Travel chairman


Miles Morgan said: “The biggest thing that’s changed is the government language. We had a super week last week and expect to build on it this week. Sales are getting towards 2019 levels.” By the end of October, time spent


on bookings should “substantially” reduce, said Morgan. He estimated transaction times were 25% higher


than normal due to Covid-related administration. He added: “The simplification of


rules is not only good for customers, it’s good for agents, because the time on every transaction is huge.” Polka Dot Travel director Mark


Johnson said clients were “much more positive now”, while the expectation of a reduced red list would provide “another marker of confidence for the consumer”. Advantage Travel Partnership said


“volumes remained high” despite levelling off last week compared with the previous week, and noted rising consumer confidence. “We’re not seeing the dip in sales


we usually see just before a country review,” said leisure director Kelly Cookes. “Summer and winter sun


Airline refunds pledge ‘needs to include operators’


Ben Ireland


A leading industry lawyer believes the omittance of package organisers from a recent refunds commitment by airlines begs the question of whether the government’s airline insolvency review will ever be implemented. Travlaw partner Matt Gatenby


said pledges made to the EC by 16 carriers to refund passengers within seven days of cancellations showed “movement”. But he expects further calls for the review’s recommendation


6


of a “unified approach” on refunds to be implemented. He said: “The UK insolvency


review was there before Covid, when refunds became a big issue, so if it’s not looked at now, when?” Gatenby said many operators


decided not to trade amid Covid uncertainties because airline bookings were too risky, and this “really impacted companies”. “There is no preferential provision


for operators [from airlines],” he said. “What we have seen during Covid is that the position is now worse.”


British Airways, Ryanair, easyJet,


Wizz Air and Lufthansa were among carriers committing to the EC. They said refund backlogs had been “cleared in the vast majority of cases” and promised passengers would now “be informed more clearly” of their refund rights for cancellations, which include rerouteing or a cash refund. Airlines may also offer vouchers


but passengers must “expressly choose them”. “Most” airlines accepted unused vouchers can be exchanged for cash, the EC said. While flights booked as part of a package were not


We had a super


week last week and expect to build on it. Sales are getting towards 2019 levels


continues to drive the volume but we’re also starting to see city breaks come back.” Holiday Extras said there were


signs more consumers were booking short breaks with sales for one to six days up 19% compared with prior to the recent traffic light announcement. The Travel Network Group,


which reported increased sales and enquiries, said an expected reduction of red list destinations this week


would be “great news”, particularly for niche operator members. The group said members were


proving “instrumental” in helping increase consumer confidence, with many customers seeking an agent’s advice on entry and testing requirements. But lack of clarity over the switch


to lateral flow tests was causing problems, with October half-term clients unsure whether to book more-expensive PCR tests. A spokeswoman said: “To remove


confusion, the government should give clear dates.” C The World director Carolyn


Park agreed: “On the whole sales are going in the right direction, but we need more detail with each announcement.”


Sixteen European carriers have vowed to refund passengers within seven days


affected, passengers who booked via an intermediary retained the right to a direct refund, with airlines “expected to inform passengers”. The president of the European


Travel Agents and Tour Operators’ Association, Pawel Niewiadomski, said not extending the commitment was “just pushing down the problem to operators”. Gatenby said there was “potential”


for airlines in the UK to avoid the same commitment since Brexit, despite the UK mirroring EU regulation 261 when it left.


7 OCTOBER 2021 travelweekly.co.uk


PICTURE: Shutterstock/Blackday


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