p50-51 letters nov7 4/11/08 17:50 Page 50
Your letters
British Airways seeks agent
help only in times of crisis
I read recently two articles in TTG regarding
“our favourite” airline British Airways.
Cook price match
The airline must have a very short memory,
as whenever there is a problem – strikes,
Terminal 5 fiasco, Beijing flight crash and
now economic downturn – it always wants to
“work” with us.
At these times, agents are its friends, as
is ‘joke’ for agent
both Adam Daniels (BA head of leisure sales)
and Richard Tams (UK head of corporate sales)
recently stated. Daniels said they are “mending THE ORIGINAL Mr Thomas Cook,
LET
says which brand it is. But Cook
fences” and Tams stressed “the airline was a businessman of repute, must
OF THE
TER
said it would match the second-
committed to supporting agents long term”. be spinning in his grave faster highest price £16.00 higher, leaving
Earlier in the year a new member of staff than the props on the QE2.
WEEK
us to earn a whopping £7.29 – the
booked six people to Palma de Mallorca airport The Cook “price match” on the credit card charge was more! So here
instead of Alicante International airport. She website is a joke. They have the same is a multimillion-pound firm refusing a
called BA and pleaded and cried on the phone holiday shown with four different prices! £16 price match difference for a small inde-
because she had realised her mistake. Naturally, my client came to me with the pendent agent. It leaves me with the thought:
Not only did the calls cost us £25, but BA cheapest. I said I could match it as per the how sad is that? Poor dizzy Thomas!
would not release the seats without charge their deal, but Cook said “no”.
(even though they were for half-term and Why? Because that price supposedly came John Spicer.
would be snapped up). They did eventually from their “Direct Holidays” pricing, although partner, The Spicer Travel Bureau, Glan Conwy
agree to refund taxes without the usual £30 I entered the site via the name Airtours. Also,
admin fee (although they didn't follow this there is nothing on the price summary that ■ TTG would welcome a reply from Cook
through until we made more expensive phone
calls to them).
Friend when it suits them only, in my opinion. The march of global tourism I wondered if it might have been “computer-
has taken a step too far enhanced”, but regretfully the reality is that
Diane Coleman I’ve promoted international travel and tourism the march of global tourism has become just
Tickets Travel, Bexley, Kent for five decades, but the photo of a gigantic too dominant in many places.
Carnival ship dwarfing Venice’s iconic archite-
■ TTG would welcome a reply from BA cture made me wish I hadn’t (TTG October 31). Stuart Hulse, chairman, Hulse Public Relations
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50 07.11.2008
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