| "50% Discount!" | | | | visa and health requirements, changes to bookings |
| "Cut out the middle man" | | | | etc). |
| "Its cheaper on the web!" | | | | * there could well be identical (or very similar |
| "Free Insurance for a year!" | | | | holidays) available cheaper with other tour operators, |
| "Book direct and save!" | | | | but of course,the direct sell operator will not be |
| "No Booking Fee!" | | | | offering competitors products to the client, unlike a |
| Are you confused? Do you know the difference | | | | good independent travel agentwould. Equally there |
| between a travel agent, a tour operator and a | | | | could be more suitable holidays available with other |
| consolidator. Do you know who is offering the best | | | | tour operators. |
| deals? Is free insurance and 20% discount better | | | | Our advice: - only buy from a 'direct sell' operator if |
| than 50% discount? The UK travel industry is a | | | | you are absolutely sure exactly which holiday you |
| minefield and mine detectors are nowhere to be | | | | want and that no other operator does it cheaper. |
| seen.'The Travel Industry Uncovered' is our attempt | | | | TRAVEL AGENTS |
| to unravel some of the confusion andadvise you on | | | | ============= |
| the way. We don't pretend to be unbiased and we | | | | Travel Agents are agents for tour operators. |
| acknowledge that our opinion doesn't necessarily | | | | Generally, they sell package holidays (and other |
| reflect the opinion of others in the business, but we | | | | products/services) on behalf of the tour operator |
| do try to be honest and give the facts as we see | | | | and are paid a commission or fee by the tour |
| them. Hopefully you will find the pages useful. | | | | operator for doing so. In addition to package holidays, |
| TOUR OPERATORS | | | | most travel agents will offer other products and |
| ============== | | | | services such as: |
| Tour Operators put together the various elements of | | | | * Travel Insurance |
| a typical holiday and sell them as package | | | | * Flights |
| holidays.They sell their packages either direct to the | | | | * Car Hire |
| public and/or through travel agents. The cost of a | | | | * Ferry Crossing |
| holiday can vary greatly between touroperators (see | | | | * Train Tickets |
| examples). If they sell through travel agents, they | | | | * Advice and information |
| pay a commission (usually a percentage of the | | | | Independence |
| holiday price) to the agent.Most people are familiar | | | | ============ |
| with the large tour operators such as Airtours, | | | | Many of the large UK chains of High Street travel |
| Thomson and JMC. Such touroperators offer a vast | | | | agents actually belong to companies that also own |
| range of holidays and a vast range of destinations, | | | | the UK's major tour operators. We class these as |
| and their buying power ensures reasonable | | | | 'non-independent'.Independent travel agents are those |
| prices.However, never forget that there are | | | | that are independent of their suppliers,and usually, |
| thousands of other tour operators out there. Many | | | | therefore, have greater freedom to supply a wider |
| are small operators, specialising in specific markets or | | | | range of products from a wider range of tour |
| specific destinations. and their prices can be very | | | | operators In our view, non-independent travel agents |
| competitive.Tour Operators come in for a lot of | | | | will always have great difficulty in offering a totally |
| criticism from consumer groups and watchdogs. | | | | unbiased service to their clients. |
| Whilst, there are, of course, very good operators | | | | Range of Products/Services |
| and very poor operators, we believe that in general, | | | | ========================== |
| customer service in the travel industry leaves a lot to | | | | The range of products/services offered varies from |
| be desired (at all levels, including operator to agent, | | | | travel agent to travel agent. In particular, the number |
| agent to the consumer and operator to consumer). | | | | of tour operators supported by agents varies |
| Direct Sell | | | | considerably.Most 'High Street' travel agents will |
| =========== | | | | actively promote and sell only certain tour operators' |
| Some tour operators will only sell their package | | | | holidays. Their 'racking policies' dictate which |
| holidays direct to the consumer, bypassing the travel | | | | brochures they will display in their shops and this is |
| agent. Other will sell through travel agents and also | | | | generally determined by commercial agreements with |
| direct to the consumer and others sell only through | | | | tour operators. Basically, the more commission the |
| travel agents."Is it not cheaper to buy direct then?", | | | | operator pays, the better chance of their brochures |
| you may ask. The answer is "well, perhaps sometime, | | | | being racked. Further, if a travel agent is |
| if ... and but...". Let us explain...First we need to clear | | | | non-independent, this can greatly influence which tour |
| up a misconception which has evolved from a | | | | operators are promoted.These policies limit the |
| deplorable series of TV advertisements. These | | | | number of tour operators that are actively promoted |
| advertisements were designed to discredit travel | | | | by sales staff. Holidays from many operators are not |
| agents. One in particular, indicated that travel agents | | | | sold at all.At Holiday Bargains, we are often asked by |
| ADDED commission to tour operators' prices and | | | | our clients, " Well why did Lunn Poly not offer me |
| therefore charged the client MORE than the quoted | | | | that one?" (for "Lunn Poly", you can also read other |
| prices. This is totally inaccurate and resulted in | | | | 'High Street' travel agents). The difference is that we |
| complaints to the ITC (Independent Television | | | | do not operate a 'racking policy' and we will not |
| Commission), which were upheld. The ITC also | | | | restrict our range of suppliers based on the |
| required the broadcaster to cease further | | | | commission that they pay. more |
| transmission of the advertisement in its current | | | | Coincidently, at the time of writing this document, |
| form.The truth is, clients booking through travel | | | | one of our Holiday Bargains consultants has had an |
| agents do NOT pay more than the operator's quoted | | | | enquiry from an employee of a major 'High Street' |
| prices. In many cases, they actually pay less than the | | | | travel agent, who was, apparently, unable to find the |
| operator's quoted price because travel agents often | | | | holiday she required at the same price as we could |
| give some of their commission back to the client as a | | | | get. (We found the holiday with a smaller operator |
| discount. Further details and the ITC's ruling is | | | | which isn't part of the same group as the travel |
| available here.Right, that's that out of the way - back | | | | agent). |
| to the question and the answer...Generally, there is | | | | Choosing a Travel Agent |
| little advantage buying direct from a tour operator | | | | ======================= |
| who also sells through travel agents. The tour | | | | (Yes, its obvious what's coming, but we passionately |
| operators do not want to alienate the travel agents | | | | believe it..) Our advice is to always book through an |
| andconsequently, you can usually get similar prices | | | | independent travel agent.This will not guarantee |
| from both travel agents and 'direct'.Tour operators | | | | excellent service and prices, nor will booking with a |
| who only sell direct to the public can offer good | | | | non-independent agent guarantee poor service and |
| value. They don't pay commission to travel agents | | | | prices. However, we believe that you will be more |
| which should allow them to sell holidays a little | | | | likely to get: |
| cheaper than if they did. However, bear in mind that: | | | | * truly independent advice and guidance |
| * the tour operator has the extra cost of supporting | | | | * an agent with the freedom to use a wide range of |
| the client that would traditionally be borne by the | | | | tour operators and other suppliers. |
| travel agent (resort and accommodation information, | | | | |