Comments on: Consumers travel plans up in the air due to financial crisis http://www.travel-rants.com/2008/10/06/consumers-travel-plans-up-in-the-air-due-to-financial-crisis/ Sun, 29 Jan 2012 01:52:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Darren Cronian http://www.travel-rants.com/2008/10/06/consumers-travel-plans-up-in-the-air-due-to-financial-crisis/#comment-125691 Darren Cronian Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:38:00 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=1917#comment-125691 So getting away from the Travel Agency talk ;) Do you think it is a dilemma for consumers, where choosing the right way of booking, with the right companies, puts additional stress and frustrating when booking a holiday now. I do, but would appreciate your opinions. So getting away from the Travel Agency talk ;)

Do you think it is a dilemma for consumers, where choosing the right way of booking, with the right companies, puts additional stress and frustrating when booking a holiday now. I do, but would appreciate your opinions.

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]]> By: Nick http://www.travel-rants.com/2008/10/06/consumers-travel-plans-up-in-the-air-due-to-financial-crisis/#comment-125294 Nick Wed, 08 Oct 2008 09:54:32 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=1917#comment-125294 Mark, That is similar to ATOL here, to get a small ATOL (less than 500 passengers a year) you need £20000 plus £1 per passenger. For ABTA to become a new member is £60000 and £15000 net working capital, plus the bond and a percentage payment in to the shortfall fund, however this is now very small payment as it has built up so large over the years that the interest covers almost all failures. We also sell covermore here (same company, but no cover for collapsed companies). Mark,

That is similar to ATOL here, to get a small ATOL (less than 500 passengers a year) you need £20000 plus £1 per passenger. For ABTA to become a new member is £60000 and £15000 net working capital, plus the bond and a percentage payment in to the shortfall fund, however this is now very small payment as it has built up so large over the years that the interest covers almost all failures. We also sell covermore here (same company, but no cover for collapsed companies).

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]]> By: Mark http://www.travel-rants.com/2008/10/06/consumers-travel-plans-up-in-the-air-due-to-financial-crisis/#comment-125219 Mark Wed, 08 Oct 2008 01:26:08 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=1917#comment-125219 Cosmos...hotels too far from town, too many people on the bus and too rushed. Also, who wants a tour guide to take them into a restaurant where they get a kickback for whatever you spend...bring on multiple night tours and ones that explore some regional destinations as well. River cruising is the way forward for Europe in many places. Unpack once, a cruise meets tour. Where rivers don't run watch out for organized train tours as the next big thing. Anyway, just thought I'd add that in Australia to become a licensed travel agent, online or offline, you have to join the Travel Compensation Fund [TCF]. It requires about a 10k capital injection plus $6k per additional office and a rigorous audit process. If you don't have sufficient net capital in some areas you have to take out a bonding guarantee to the fund. This protects consumers from any agencies that go under or into administration. We have seen about 10 happen in the last 2 months in AUS and all clients are covered. Downside - no such regulatory body exists for airlines and when Ansett, Air Paradise, Aloha etc go under there is no such safety net. I remember when Balinese based Air Paradise went down, worst week of my career. However, travel insurance provider Covermore in AUS now provides cover of $10,000 per person for bankrupted or collapsed airlines. Quite a good point of difference. Perhaps you lot north of the equator could take some tips... MT Cosmos…hotels too far from town, too many people on the bus and too rushed. Also, who wants a tour guide to take them into a restaurant where they get a kickback for whatever you spend…bring on multiple night tours and ones that explore some regional destinations as well. River cruising is the way forward for Europe in many places. Unpack once, a cruise meets tour. Where rivers don’t run watch out for organized train tours as the next big thing.

Anyway, just thought I’d add that in Australia to become a licensed travel agent, online or offline, you have to join the Travel Compensation Fund [TCF]. It requires about a 10k capital injection plus $6k per additional office and a rigorous audit process. If you don’t have sufficient net capital in some areas you have to take out a bonding guarantee to the fund. This protects consumers from any agencies that go under or into administration. We have seen about 10 happen in the last 2 months in AUS and all clients are covered. Downside – no such regulatory body exists for airlines and when Ansett, Air Paradise, Aloha etc go under there is no such safety net. I remember when Balinese based Air Paradise went down, worst week of my career. However, travel insurance provider Covermore in AUS now provides cover of $10,000 per person for bankrupted or collapsed airlines. Quite a good point of difference. Perhaps you lot north of the equator could take some tips…

MT

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]]> By: Lee Harrison http://www.travel-rants.com/2008/10/06/consumers-travel-plans-up-in-the-air-due-to-financial-crisis/#comment-125070 Lee Harrison Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:38:46 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=1917#comment-125070 Darren, Very difficult to compare DIY and Cosmos Tourama. Cosmos Tourama are superb when it comes to Tours of the States and Canada, Everything Pre-planned and booked for you, not forgetting time to sightsee whilst others do the work of getting you from a to b with the added bonus of knowledgeable tour guides , included excursions etc etc. We have had many of our clients go with Cosmos Tourama ( Even a couple on their honeymoon !) and it's great when every one of them has come back in to us afterwards to thank us for a great tour. Darren, Very difficult to compare DIY and Cosmos Tourama. Cosmos Tourama are superb when it comes to Tours of the States and Canada, Everything Pre-planned and booked for you, not forgetting time to sightsee whilst others do the work of getting you from a to b with the added bonus of knowledgeable tour guides , included excursions etc etc.
We have had many of our clients go with Cosmos Tourama ( Even a couple on their honeymoon !) and it’s great when every one of them has come back in to us afterwards to thank us for a great tour.

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