What’s an email said the Travel Company…
By Darren Cronian on Monday, July 9th, 2007

As you may be aware, I am planning my holiday to Canada and the USA for June 2008, and I work during the week, and have at the most 30 minutes lunch break, which doesn’t give me time to visit many travel agents.

What’s an email said the Travel Company...

Travel agencies aren’t opened on a Sunday, which leaves Saturday, well I’m ewriting on this blog, so as you can imagine, I don’t have a great deal of time to be running around the high street.

It’s therefore easier for me to email the travel company asking for advice, and booking information, and ask them to call me at a convenient time. Two weeks ago, I emailed four travel companies, giving them my travel plans, and a telephone number to call me.

I have no idea why some companies feel that they should take you on a marathon to get to the email address, but that’s for another blog post. I wasn’t expecting the same day response but I was expecting a response in maybe 48 – 72 hours.

As of 3pm today, no response.

I’ve come to the conclusion that email communication within the travel industry, is a complete, utter, waste of time, and people wonder why over 18 million holidaymakers are booking their own DIY holidays, without bonding, I think it’s time some of these companies woke up and realised its 2007.


Related Posts:





Subscribe to RSS Submit to StumbleUpon Bookmark page

5 responses to “What’s an email said the Travel Company…”

Darren Cronian | 10 July, 2007 at 12:01 am

To add;

I contacted the CAA/ATOL, Opodo and British airways, and not one has replied, this was sent 12 days ago aswell.

http://www.travel-rants.com/2007/06/29/airline-ticket-name-change-debate/

So you can understand why I am miffed with travel companies right now.

Jon | 10 July, 2007 at 12:30 am

I agree Darren, and this is from somebody on the other side!

I think there are multiple reasons for this and other examples:

1. A lot of the web and Teletext based companies do not have the time to deal with ‘more complex enquiries’ and I mean anything other than a cheap package to Spain, as they are not set up, nor indeed given the time to deal with emails as opposed to phone calls - Call Centre. - NO EXCUSE

2. They receive many email enquiries which are time wasting as people find it very easy with no commitment to fire off an email often with little or insufficient information on it. STILL NO EXCUSE

3. Beleive it or not there are many staff in the industry (none of which would be reading this I feel) that wouldn’t know where to start outside of a bog standard package holiday, walk into your average travel agent and take a look at the average age (no offence youngsters), they just do not have the experience. DEFINATELY NO EXCUSE

I’m only guessing that the emails you have sent off ended up in a Call Centre enviroment, the Travel business like any other wants to get all ‘webbed up’ and think they are operating with the future in mind, but then still acts as a call centre. These days they need to become a ‘Contact centre’ people wish to corespond via email, SMS and my god, some still have the cheek to use post!!

This is partly a RANT, because I have witnessed exactly what you have suffered, but to finish on a more positive note - There are plenty of very experienced staff out there who would love to recieve your email enquiry, but you shouldn’t have to work that hard to find them.

Rohan | 10 July, 2007 at 1:08 am

I had a similar experience when I called Thomas Cook, they told me that there wasnt anyone available, and could they me call back. I never heard back and booked the holiday elsewhere.

Lee Harrison | 10 July, 2007 at 9:37 am

Hi Darren
We Recently received this e-mail on the 27 June 2007
please can I have a quote for the dinorobin

2- adults
1-child

depature 04/05/05
any london airort

with the club apgrade

Regards Melissa

We Replied as follows :

Dear Melissa

We are a little confused with regards to your request.

You have mentioned departure of 04/05/05 ?

Please could you provide us with proper date of departure, Duration of Stay, Full names of passengers as they appear in their passports, Ages and dates of Birth of all passengers and approximate Budget for each passenger.
Yours sincerely

The Reply came back
DONT WORRY, GOING WITH ANOTHER QUOTE

DONT LIKE THE TONE OF YOUR EMAIL

You just can’t win can you, nothing like an old fashioned phone call to speak to a human being and gain the proper required information to help and book the request.

Yours sincerely

Garri | 13 July, 2007 at 3:09 pm

I’ve started to give up regarding email, either my emails are going in people’s spam bins or they don’t understand what I am asking (I’m asking for extra information/photos because some websites are lacking)

Recently I wasted time in a few email exchanges with a Sweden travel specialist. They had pdf files on website with only ’some’ info. Why people can’t use a website to convey information in a navigational way is beyond me.

And why don’t these companies have press/media sections of their websites?

Please post a comment