Thomson criticised by ASA over price discrepancy
Watchdog upholds complaint because discount holiday was more expensive
Thomson Holidays has been criticised by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after one of its discounted holidays turned out to be more expensive than the standard one advertised in its brochure.
According to reports in the Daily Mail and Daily Express, ASA upheld a complaint from a customer who tried to book a seven-night trip to Limassol, Cyprus, from Thomson’s “discount” brochure – only to find that the holiday was £87 more expensive than in the company’s standard “winter sun” catalogue.
Even though the company allowed the customer to book at the lower price, a move that was welcomed by the ASA, it criticised Thomson for calling the brochure “Price Breakers”, adding that such a term gave a misleading impression to potential customers.
Thomson argued that the small print stated that the discounted prices were available only for two months after the brochure’s launch, but the ASA stated that because the brochure covered a six-month period, customers could reasonably expect the prices to be cheaper than in the regular brochure during the entire booking period.
A spokesman for Thomson confirmed the judgement but declined to comment further this morning.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports
All eyes on Qatar as Qatar Airways leads a season of global events