23 July 2009

Ã¢â¬ÅâœNoÃ¢â¬~ is big word in todayÃ¢â¬â¢s travel climate

Good customer and a member of the hotel’s Priority Club Platinum Elite, Arthur Roach knew the hotel’s check-in time was 2 p.m. But wouldn’t they make an exception and let him in three hours early?
"They responded by saying check-in time is two o’clock," Mr Roach, a consultant, told travel expert Christopher Elliott.
In fact, the hotel seemed excessively rigid in its policies, refusing to help with a billing problem and leaving the phone in his room turned off.
"The travel industry, hammered by the worst economic downturn in more than a generation, is taking a hard line in an effort to contain costs and preserve profits. A post-9/11 airline policy referred to as ‘no waivers, no favors’ seems to have been adopted by almost everyone shortened to ‘no,’" wrote Mr. Elliott
And often, for no good reason.
Mr Roach asked Holiday Inn about Roach’s experience. Sarah-Ann Soffer, a spokeswoman for the hotel, said the check-in policy is in place "to ensure that a room will be ready at that time for a guest’s stay with that hotel." If a room is available early, a guest is usually accommodated. "It’s possible that this was just not the case when this guest arrived," she added.
To be completely fair, not every travel company is stuck at "no." Earlier this year, for example, JetBlue announced it would issue full refunds to eligible customers who lost their jobs after buying tickets. The program, which was supposed to run until June, has been extended through the end of this year, says Mr Elliott.
Report by David Wilkening