After reading Darren Cronian’s recent blog post, “Five things that annoy me about travel” outlining 5 of his top issues with the current state of the travel industry from a consumer perspective, I couldn’t help thinking of this situation from another prospective. Of course I mean as a wholesaler providing inventory to consumers and agents. This is not a rebuttal by any means, but simply a light hearted look at some of my own day to day challenges working in travel.
1. Cancellation fees
No one likes them, not wholesalers and certainly not consumers, but they are a fact of travel life none the less. Wholesalers and online travel agencies are only passing on the fees they have incurred from the hotel.
2. Bookings terms and conditions
Links very much to number one. Unlike some other products/industries, the booking terms and conditions shouldn’t be skipped over. I’ve seen so many cases where consumers get stung with fees just from not understanding what they have gotten themselves in to.
3. Sometimes you get what you pay for
45 dollars a night in Bali will usually get you exactly what you expect it might: not much! Unrealistic expectations are very common and usually end in tears or a phone call to a bleary eyed travel agent at 2 in the morning. For those booking online, do your research and if booking with an agent, make sure they know the area. Still not sure? Check with someone who has stayed there before, nothing is better than a firsthand review.
4. You’re not in Kansas anymore…
People travel to experience new cultures and see things that broaden their whole perspective… well most do. Some people are just not ready for that full on culture emersion and although the resulting complaints can be fairly funny- Soup (congee) for breakfast in Singapore, marijuana on a marijuana tour in Amsterdam and tea (not coffee) in China, they also point out that the destination needs to match the traveller. Sometimes that means Las Vegas, not Laos.
Of course there are more, but I would say these four come up the most. Majority of issues come down to understanding what you are getting in to and what your rights are as a consumer.
4 challenges for travel wholesalers
After reading Darren Cronian’s recent blog post, “Five things that annoy me about travel” outlining 5 of his top issues with the current state of the travel industry from a consumer perspective, I couldn’t help thinking of this situation from another prospective. Of course I mean as a wholesaler providing inventory to consumers and agents. This is not a rebuttal by any means, but simply a light hearted look at some of my own day to day challenges working in travel.
1. Cancellation fees
No one likes them, not wholesalers and certainly not consumers, but they are a fact of travel life none the less. Wholesalers and online travel agencies are only passing on the fees they have incurred from the hotel.
2. Bookings terms and conditions
Links very much to number one. Unlike some other products/industries, the booking terms and conditions shouldn’t be skipped over. I’ve seen so many cases where consumers get stung with fees just from not understanding what they have gotten themselves in to.
3. Sometimes you get what you pay for
45 dollars a night in Bali will usually get you exactly what you expect it might: not much! Unrealistic expectations are very common and usually end in tears or a phone call to a bleary eyed travel agent at 2 in the morning. For those booking online, do your research and if booking with an agent, make sure they know the area. Still not sure? Check with someone who has stayed there before, nothing is better than a firsthand review.
4. You’re not in Kansas anymore…
People travel to experience new cultures and see things that broaden their whole perspective… well most do. Some people are just not ready for that full on culture emersion and although the resulting complaints can be fairly funny- Soup (congee) for breakfast in Singapore, marijuana on a marijuana tour in Amsterdam and tea (not coffee) in China, they also point out that the destination needs to match the traveller. Sometimes that means Las Vegas, not Laos.
Of course there are more, but I would say these four come up the most. Majority of issues come down to understanding what you are getting in to and what your rights are as a consumer.