Trade reports strong August sales


Samantha Mayling and Andrew McQuarrie


Agents have reported strong sales in recent weeks, buoyed by lates, cruises and summer 2025 bookings. Jim Eastwood, Travel Counsellors


global sales director, said demand “remains strong” following record July sales, adding: “Throughout August, we’ve seen a significant rise in last-minute bookings and those looking further ahead, with summer 2025 bookings already up by 34%.” Gary Gillespie, The Travel


Network Group product and distribution director, reported sales had slowed in August compared with July but still showed “some healthy growth”, adding: “Summer 2025


has been experiencing incremental growth week on week. It’s great to see the cruise sector enjoying a boost in sales this month . . . thanks to some excellent price reductions.” Paul Waters, Premier Travel


managing director, said August had been “a strong month”, with sales last week more than 20% up year on year. More than 30% of the agency’s


sales are for departures until the end of October and demand is increasing for 2025. Waters added: “Cruise, touring and Europe are all selling well. Prices are holding up well.” Judith Alderson, Dawson &


Sanderson commercial and corporate director, said package customer numbers last week were up 18% year on year and turnover up 14%.


‘Billion-pound’ card fee class action set to ‘ramp up significantly’


Ian Taylor


Work on a class action claim for repayment of fees on commercial card payments by Mastercard and Visa is poised to “ramp up significantly” in pursuit of what could be a billion-pound payout to industry players. The Competition Appeal


Tribunal gave the go-ahead to ‘collective proceedings’ on behalf of companies in June, and this was confirmed on August 9, two years after specialist law firm Harcus Parker launched the proceedings. The claim for overcharging on


‘multilateral interchange fees’ on card 4 29 AUGUST 2024


payments will now proceed to trial. Businesses pay these fees to the


banks which process card payments, but the charges are set by Visa and Mastercard. Harcus Parker lawyers argue the rates are “anticompetitive and unlawful”. Harcus Parker competition


litigation partner Jeremy Robinson described it as “a fantastic opportunity”, saying: “If you accepted card payments, you should claim. We’re looking for businesses of all sizes which transacted in the UK and accepted commercial card payments.” He noted Visa and Mastercard


agreed a $30 billion settlement over similar fees in the US in


Summer 2025 has


been experiencing incremental growth, and cruise has enjoyed a boost in sales this month


Idle Travel reported a record


August with a week to spare. Most bookings were for September and October or summer 2025, with Turkey, Greece, Tenerife and Benidorm the top sellers, said director Tony Mann. Julie Kendrick, Spear Travels


Group head of commercial and marketing, said the first week of August had been slow but the agency


was now up on sales and average booking value for the month. Cruise, in particular ex-UK, has


been among its top sellers. Lisa McAuley, Hays Travel group


director of strategy, said the agency was seeing “plenty of bookings for last-minute family getaways” plus more summer 2025 bookings. Not Just Travel said August


bookings were 33% up year on year thanks to high demand for trips departing immediately plus high-value repeat cruise bookers. Tui commercial director Phillip


Iveson said: “Late sales have been very strong.” Earlier this month, Tui Group said UK summer bookings were up 5% on 2023, with the UK winter programme 32% booked.


Visa and Mastercard are already ‘prepared to settle’ in the US


March, although the settlement was subsequently rejected by a judge, arguing: “Mastercard and Visa were prepared to settle in the US and should be prepared to settle in the UK.” However, Robinson said: “The


judge rejected the [US] settlement because it did not go far enough.” Companies with turnover of


£100 million-plus a year are required to opt into the claim. Those with turnover below £100 million are included unless they opt out but are still asked to register. Harcus Parker is working with


Steve Allen, former head of Portman Travel and Wexas Travel, to liaise with the industry and has appointed


an advisory panel which includes UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls. Allen explained: “We’ve been


given a green light and are asking both large and small businesses to register so we know where the money is to be distributed if successful. “The claim is fully financed and


insured, so there is no cost.” A ruling on an ‘umbrella


proceedings’ claim in February, which grouped up to 1,000 individual claims, is awaited ahead of a trial in November. Smaller businesses have until


early November to register, larger businesses until early February, at commercialcardclaim.co.uk.


travelweekly.co.uk


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