Airtours gambles on clearer brochure prices
Airtours Holidays has decided to tackle the thorny issue of brochure pricing in its second edition Summer 2003 brochures.
In a bold move, the operator has declared that the prices shown in the brochures, which go on sale on Thursday (18 July), will be the price consumers actually pay for their holiday. The prices will include the flight with meal, transfer and accommodation.
Managing Director Seamus Conlon (left) said: “We all want to know exactly what we’re getting for our money and compare like with like. That can sometimes be difficult when buying a holiday but there’s really no reason why it should be.”
Calls have been increasing for operators to make their brochure prices more transparent. This year’s Travelcare Holiday Report concluded that it was “virtually impossible” for holidaymakers to judge which companies are offering the best deal and if they are getting value for money.
In a Travelcare survey 85% of people said the price you see in the brochure should be the price you end up paying.
But this has not been happening because operators are artificially raising holiday prices so they can discount them at a later date. Airtours Holidays admits that its new strategy has enabled it to reduce its brochure prices by an average 30% compared to Summer 2002.
Mr Conlon said: “Experience proves there’s still a place for tactical deals, either to drive sales during key selling periods or to direct sales towards particular resorts and hotels, rather than some of the discounting extremes we have seen in recent years.”
** “Airtours Holidays – …any claims that it is trying to end confusion over the cost of a holiday is laughable.”
See this week’s Guest Editorial from former Travel Weekly editor, Jeremy Skidmore, on the TravelMole home page.**
See our previous stories:
15 Apr 2002: Travelcare slams misleading brochure prices
11 Mar 2002: Trading Standards slams operators over pricing
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