one of our party cant go - holiday is fully paid but still having to pay more again?!

Savagirl

tomtontom wrote: »

Part of the reasoning behind this bizarre anomaly is the additional spend that a couple are expected to incur at a hotel in addition to the room. A single will incur (at best) only half that, often less, hence the additional charge.

I don't agree with it, more often than not I travel alone and am quite used to being treated as a second class guest

Its full board that has been paid for , so the only additional spend would be 3 days worth of drinks.
Now I know its blokes going on a birthday bash, but they are.. ahem... a 'certain age' and £320 is a lot for one to spend on booze.....

fuzzyduck22

I had a similar problem last year. 4 of us booked to go to Berlin, one of my friends couldn't make it. We just went and told the airport staff she slept in and didn't make the flight. Nothing more was asked or said.

blindman

missbiggles1 wrote: »

Working in a travel agency has always been a sales job - I don't know why anybody would ever think that their role was to be an advisor.

!!!!!!
Surely TRAVEL agent is about TRAVEL

(I've many years' travel industry experience including teaching T&T students, virtually none of whom wanted to work in a TA, certainly after being educated on the subject.);)

So you think you're in the Travel Industry!

Yet you say it's a sales Job.


Make your mind up.

missbiggles1

Moto2 wrote: »

I've lost count of the number of return flights I've missed, I tend to miss one at least every couple of weeks, I'm yet to be invoiced for anything extra.

It depends on the T&Cs attached to the fare and doesn't usually apply to the sort of tickets bought by business travellers, which, by their nature, have flexibility built in..

Moto2

missbiggles1 wrote: »

It depends on the T&Cs attached to the fare and doesn't usually apply to the sort of tickets bought by business travellers, which, by their nature, have flexibility built in..

Not at all, I avoid business fares if I can, Flybe, Easyjet, Ryanair etc.
I always buy them at normal budget prices rather than the flexible business rates as it works out cheaper even with missing some of them and having to book a last minute one as a replacement.

duchy

blindman wrote: »

So you think you're in the Travel Industry!

Yet you say it's a sales Job.


Make your mind up.

To be fair it's both
You are expected to maximize sales which in a reputable travel company means selling more but appropriately - for example not just finding the best value flight but adding on hotels, carhire , insurance, transfers- things the client will be booking but a good agent makes sure the client buys them from them and not someone else. Profit margins on air tickets ar so low that often what actually pays the advisor's wages is the add-ons which tend to have a better commission rates than the flights.

budgetflyer

It's all industries now,a chain reaction started by the Bankers. Just a "cash grab" . No thought for the customer,

Pollycat

Savagirl wrote: »

How do I get them interested?

I'm not sure.

But you could consider these options:

blindman wrote: »

Could be worth taking it up with (Watchdog) or something similar to highliight this shady practise.

blindman wrote: »

Which? link for Unfair T&c's and what to do

If it were me I would be pursuing this vigorously.

Good luck.

duchy

budgetflyer wrote: »

It's all industries now,a chain reaction started by the Bankers. Just a "cash grab" . No thought for the customer,

Why is it a cash grab ?

The wages of the consultant have to be paid by someone -in an industry where margins are low the choice is either charge a fee for the service (like mortgage brokers do) or offer optional additional services that the traveller can accept or decline to buy.

Most people use a consultant because they don't have the time , the inclination or the knowledge to get the best deal (or believe they don't). I wouldn't use one myself because I don't need to - but I actually enjoy ferreting out the best (and sometimes quite creative ) fares ......someone else might want to spend that time doing something else as they think their time can be spent more profitably.

Incidently bankers have existed for far longer than travel agents !!!!

eamon

Tell the airline & hotel nothing but the bare minimum. The 4th person is a no show. I agree that it is shoddy pricing. Haven't the likes of Travelodge & Premier avoided this issue altogether by pricing per room and not per occupant? Seems a better and easier business model to manage than the faffing about with the number of adults, children etc. The extra costs incurred is a mirage.