UK travel industry needs a travel consumer group
By Darren Cronian on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

I’ve highlighted my fair share of travel consumer issues and in the background I have helped a lot of consumers resolve their complaints with companies. I receive 30-50 emails a week from consumers asking for advice and that’s from a one-man run blog that reaches out to only 2,000 people daily.

UK travel industry needs a travel consumer group

Big issues that need resolving

There are some huge issues like the complexity of holiday protection and increase in air passenger duty and I wonder if these types of issues could be fought with more weight behind, if the industry and consumers came together.

Creation of an authority group on travel

What about a group made up of a mixture of consumers, industry people from tour ops, independent agents, travel media, and PR etc? Am I being realistic here? I do wonder if my head is in the clouds, when I get ideas like this hit me.

Would the government and travel associations sit down with such a group and discuss issues.

So much confusion in travel

There is so much confusion about what is a package and DIY holiday nowadays, especially when travel agents are selling both. I know by the emails that I receive that booking a holiday is no longer as simplistic as it used to be.

Your thoughts appreciated

I am not suggesting that the group discusses every single issue that consumers have; I also know a lot of the issues are down to government changes. I read a lot of news feeds that tell me that companies want to simplify protection and abolish air passenger duty, but how serious are they, or is just PR talk.

So, I thought I would open this up to consumers and the industry folk to discuss.


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12 responses to “UK travel industry needs a travel consumer group”

Nick | 10 March, 2010 at 10:45 am

Darren, Creation of an authority group on travel…. Great idea!

It could lobby, speaking for Independents, big company’s and Media and PR all with one voice…..oh hold on there is one it is called ABTA. On top of which they speak for consumers too. May contacting them and asking if there is a consumer panel or would they consider setting one up? They also run a consumer advice service to assist with complaints, and a complaint resolution service against there members.

ABTA are currently Lobbying on another issue you mentioned unprotected DIY holidays. They are after extending protection so that flight + anything are covered, even if booked on 2 different websites. E.G. Ryanair and Ryanairhotels.

On your question of how much do companies want to simplify protection and extend it to all…very!

To give an example using another type of goods, what would customers think of a law that said if you sell a freezer via a shop it has to be covered against breakdowns and this will add £40 to the cost? If you buy it via the internet it does not have to be covered and if it does not work that is the customers hard luck hard luck.

The biggest problem with travel and tourism is it is not a vote winner!

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Darren Cronian | 10 March, 2010 at 11:32 am

Nick

Consumers do not seem to have a voice. I have been writing this blog for 5 years in April, and ABTA know I exist, but at no point have they asked me for my opinion on the type of issues that I/we have. I do not see them communicating with consumers, other than promoting their members – tell me if I am wrong.

Also, what I am suggesting is not an association – and where do consuemrs get asked for their opinion in these associations?

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Jeremy | 10 March, 2010 at 11:45 am

Nick

I think you are missing the point here. What Darren is asking for is a GROUP making up of industry/consumers/associations that can work together. How successful have ABTA been over the years with government lobbys – I am sure I read on Travel Weekly that companies are forming their own groups away from ABTA?

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Jeremy | 10 March, 2010 at 11:50 am

Another point to add is that the government is not going to make/force changes to holiday protection because it is the industry and their hidden agenda’s that is lobbying. Surely, if consumers were involved then it is the voting public that is adding the impact these issues are having.

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Frances | 10 March, 2010 at 12:48 pm

Hello
Weighing in here late, as we are in the middle of launching ABTA’s first every manifesto to Government today. We hope that this will start to address some of the lobbying shortfalls.

We have been busy consulting members on the key issues of the moment – financial protection and the lobbying process both here in the UK and in Brussels is just starting, and we are planning to do much more work with some of the consumer facing media in the coming months.

We would very much like to engage more with Darren and I know that Sean and Keith Richards have asked Darren to come into to speak to us with some of his issues in the past, but so far our invite has been ignored!

However, Darren, it would be lovely to see you. Do come in and let’s start talking – we are free for tea, coffee, light refreshments or even lunch!

Frances

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Darren Cronian | 10 March, 2010 at 1:17 pm

Jeremy,

Thanks for commenting. While I understand your reluctance to tell people who you work for, it’s interesting that you have the same opinion as me. Good points made too. Thanks.

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Darren Cronian | 10 March, 2010 at 1:21 pm

@ Frances

Thanks for taking the time to comment.

I had a brief discussion with Sean via email last year (instigated by my email to Sean on a consumer issue – can’t remember the exact time) and I remember, briefly, one invitation, but I do not remember, a date or time being fixed. As you probably don’t realise I write this blog in my spare time, but I would be happy to come down to London and discuss, if I was given enough notice.

Let’s get a date fixed, would be happy to come down. I will drop you an email.

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Nick | 11 March, 2010 at 11:51 am

Darren (Jeremy)

Thank you for your answer. It was what I was waiting for and hoping for before I type my comment. What you missed Jeremy added. I am sorry I could not get back quicker because ABTA weighed in with most of my answer. However I will add personal feelings to this.

The only way to achieve what you mentioned is to bring everyone together CAA, ABTA, FTO, AUC, TTA, GOBAL, AUC, AAC, IATA, PSA, etc. About 20 bodies in all and then you are speaking with one voice. The main problem you face is most of these groups do not see eye to eye. There are groups being set up (like Jeremy mentioned) mainly because they do not like what ABTA or another body is promoting at that time.

Do we need another group? To set one up will cost a lot of money and who will pay. Most company’s already are members of groups that either protect there interests or promoted standards for customer benefit. So can you see them paying for yet another group?

The only really way is for the Government to get all these groups together, but as I said before the Government gives very little attention to travel. However if there was a department with a Minster who had that as there responsibility this would all change. Which is why the trade press are pushing for a Minister of Travel and Tourism like most countries already have. My personal view is this is what in needed.

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Darren Cronian | 11 March, 2010 at 12:23 pm

Nick

Thanks for the comment.

There seems to be a a lot of associations already in travel (some I am probably not aware of too) and I have asked myself on numerous occassions if we really need them all, what benefit do they really add.

So, ditch the idea of a consumer group (I did say I wasn’t sure if it would work and that’s why I asked for industry opinion) so, what are these associations doing to work with consumers, other than a website – how are they gathering consumer opinion?

I have emailed Frances so hopefully I’ll be able to meet up with ABTA and learn more about what they are doing to assist consumers. I write this blog with very little knowledge of how the associations work, thus the reason for the debate.

I am also writing a post about my thoughts on the Travel/tourism minister campaign from Travel Weekly, which is interesting. Would welcome comments on that post when its published.

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Darren Cronian | 11 March, 2010 at 12:28 pm

Nick

I forgot to add a consumer group in my eyes is more about people getting together to discuss ossues, a few times of the year, with as many of the bodies/companies/industry/consumers as you can get in one room as possible. Surely the associations are then better armed with information of issues/experiences from a wide group to help them to lobby the government.

OR is the industry too split for anything like this to work?

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Jeremy | 11 March, 2010 at 12:44 pm

Darren, I have emailed you with a few suggestions.

We would love to talk to you about the issues you have as a consumer (or the types of issues your readers have highlighted).

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nick | 12 March, 2010 at 11:54 am

Darren

This already happen’s for example the FTO moving into ABTA’s head office sharing staff etc. Other Groups meet up and talk things though. ABTA used to (I am just out of touch) act as the organiser and have differant groups like, Air, Shipping and Car Hire. You will no doubt chat about this when you go down.

However as in personal experance the groups can be at logger-heads to often. Example agents v. airlines, or non-bonded v bonded. There is very little that they all agree on.

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