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UK TRAVEL AGENTS
a GREEN DOOR TRAVEL page |
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UPDATE
For many travelers this page has become redundant as more and more have deserted high street travel agents in favour of the extra choice and better prices that can be obtained on the internet. Now the chickens are finally coming home to rest as evidenced by a spate of mergers and acquisitions that have been announced. Thomas Cook are taking over MyTravel and Thomson are merging with First Choice. Times have got extremely tough for them but we for one have little sympathy because of the poor service they have supplied over the years.
Things have certainly changed and it is not difficult to see when the new kid
on the block Ryanair makes more money than the national flag carrier British Airways. The success of budget airlines
linked with travelers becoming more independent and tiring of mass produced holidays is leading to more and more
customers planning and booking their own, usually via the Internet. When TV programmes feature a plethora of "holidays
from hell" from the Tour Operators who wants to take advice from an un-travelled kid in a high street Agency
who can offer only a pitiful choice of own company brochures anyway? This is
because the high street chains are taking the public for a ride by ruthlessly promoting only their own Group's
holidays at the expense of all competition - particularly the impressive smaller operators who don't even have
a chance to display their brochures. To be fair there are some
excellent independent travel agents and specialist tour operators, but on the whole the industry must pull its
socks up in a big way to stand any chance of competing with the new ways of doing business.
This is how the big boys carve up the market.The latest change is that Thomas Cook and MyTravel are merging with Thomas Cook being the dominant partner, so expect more of the MyTravel brands to disappear.
The ownership links of UK Travel Agents and Tour Operators - will be updated when mergers are finalised
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THOMSON (TUI UK) |
MYTRAVEL |
FIRST CHOICE |
THOMAS COOK* |
| Their Travel Agents |
Their Travel Agents |
Their Travel Agents |
Their Travel Agents |
| Caller-Pegasus, Sibbald Travel and Travel House |
Going Places, Travelworld, Holidayworld |
Travel Choice, Bakers Dolphin, Holiday Hypermarket * |
Thomas Cook |
|
Their Tour Operators |
Their Tour Operators |
Their Tour Operators |
Their Tour Operators |
| Thomson Holidays, Thomson Breakaway, Skytours, Club Freestyle, Just, Crystal, Jetsave,
American Holidays, Jersey Travel Service, Tropical Places, Austrave, Ausbound, Magic Travel Group, Simply Travel
and Headwater Holidays |
Airtours, Exodus, Aspro, Direct Holidays, Panorama, Jetset, Manos, Bridge, Cresta,
Tradewinds, Eurosites, Leger and Swiss Travel Service |
First Choice, Unijet, Falcon, JWT, Eclipse, Sunquest, 2wentys, Flexiski, Sunmed, Sunstart,
Hayes & Jarvis, Sovreign, Meon Villas, Longshot Golf Holidays and Citalia. * See name changes listed below |
JMC, JMC Beach Villas, Thomas Cook Holidays, Neilson, Club 18-30, Time Off, Style Holidays,
Skiers World and Signature Holidays |
+ * Note - Formerly called Airtours and JMC they have changed their name back to Thomas Cook.
+ * First Choice have re-branded, out are the names Travel Choice, Travel Choice Express, and
Bakers Dolphin. Air 2000 renamed First Choice Airways. Plus 36 out of town Holiday Hypermarkets renamed First Choice
Holiday Hypermarkets.
As the chartshows if you think that the large travel agents are in
business to give the widest possible choice and unbiased advice think again - but help is at hand, instead why
not scan the whole world for choice, book a bargain flight, hire a car and confirm your hotel in minutes all from
your PC. We no longer need to rely on middlemen.
However to be fair if things go wrong you are on your own, so some people will always prefer to use a travel agent.
Therefore a few key ways and means to find the best -
TAKE CHARGE
A good travel agent will ask you loads of questions because they have the knowledge to find the right holiday for
you - dodgy if they just rely on showing you brochures. When you are booking a package holiday always get them
to show their own trade directories such as "Directories, Guides & Gazetteers Guide" which give the
real low down on a resort - unlike some of the more creative off the shelf brochures.
HIGH STREET AGENTS
Many of the counter staff will be inexperienced, poorly paid computer
clerks. If you are not satisfied with the knowledge of a member of staff ask if they have anyone else who has actually
been to the place you are interested in. Remember also that they will be motivated to only want to sell you their
own Group's products. If you really want a wider choice and compare prices you will be forced to visit their other
three high street rivals yourself. Beware of also buying your travel insurance and currency from them as well,
if you don't wish to be ripped off.
INDEPENDENT TRAVEL AGENTS
You are likely to find a wider choice, as most stock a wider range of brochures than the high street four. They
may not have the same buying power, and they also are offered higher commissions and incentive to push some tour
operators, but on the whole their greater expertise will provide better value for money. For details of owner operated
travel agents dedicated to supplying higher standards contact CARTA -The Campaign for Real Holidays (0208 6079080)
www.realholidays.co.uk
DIRECT SELL
Many of the best specialist tour operators do not sell through Agents at all. You will see them advertised in newspapers
and magazines. To learn more obtain the FREE directory of the Association of Independent Tour Operators (0870 7518080)
www.aito.co.uk
DIRECT BOOKING With direct booking (for instance budget airlines) you can easily personalise travel to suit your special circumstances and it is often also cheaper. However be aware that it does not come without additional risks. For instance you will also need to make your own travel insurance arrangements and anyone who takes foreign trips without it must be mad! (scroll down for more about insurance). However if your airline goes bust or your hotel is a rip off you are on your own, most travel insurance only covers cancellations, health and personal item loss. If a supplier goes bust you will eventually get your money back if you pay by credit card or visa debit card. However paying by other debit cards, cheque or cash means that you will just be added to the creditor list and probably receive nothing. The only trouble is that travel operators charge an extra commission (up to 5%) for the privilege of using a credit card. So you pays your money and takes your choice!!. There is also a new insurance you can take out to protect against an airline going bankrupt costing around £5 per head per trip - International Passenger Protection.
SORRY but we cannot supply advice on individual travel problems
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