OV9

You obviously work in the Industry and I don't but the ABTA really don't agree with your numbers...

https://www.abta.com/sites/default/file ... 011018.pdf

Page 3

The use of three main channels for booking holidays is consistent
with last year, with four in five people booking a holiday online
(81% in 2018 vs 83% in 2017). Phone bookings and booking in store
have also remained steady (both 15% in 2018 vs 16% and 17% in
2017 respectively). This suggests the shift towards booking online
has stabilised.

I think of myself as a pretty savvy traveller, but on the odd occasion where we go to an all inclusive resort, I've used Thomas Cook several times & they've always been the cheapest for us. Sure I could shave a few quid off here & there by doing it myself, but then there's the ballache of organising your own transfers, getting a seat all together on the plane etc. Once you factor all these little things in, a package deal was always attractive, especially when it when only £25 - £30 a head more expensive. It's like most things though, you can sometimes snag a bargain & pay 50% of what the person paid sitting next to you.

It's sad really, & another kick in the balls for a British firm pre Brexit.

Some unemployed guy says they’re wrong.

dinny_g wrote: Mon Sep 23, 2019 3:17 pm You obviously work in the Industry and I don't but the ABTA really don't agree with your numbers...

https://www.abta.com/sites/default/file ... 011018.pdf

Page 3

The use of three main channels for booking holidays is consistent
with last year, with four in five people booking a holiday online
(81% in 2018 vs 83% in 2017). Phone bookings and booking in store
have also remained steady (both 15% in 2018 vs 16% and 17% in
2017 respectively). This suggests the shift towards booking online
has stabilised.

ABTAs own figures don’t even add up. According to their own statement phone bookings were 15%, in store bookings were 15% and online was 81% in 2018. So that accounts for 111% of holiday bookings. In 2017, according to ABTA, phone bookings were 16%, in store was 17% and online was 83%, so that’s 116% of holidays. No wonder ABTA are seen as a joke in the industry.

For clarity, I was talking about “offline” vs “online” and the numbers come from industry analysts employed by the big four, not a glorified marketing agency.

Fair enough Rev - I'm not that fussed - it you say it's 50% then it's 50%

To be fair, we were looking at the whole sales funnel to attribute where sales came from, rather than simply counting where the final sales transaction took place. So someone might well do the actual purchase online or over the phone, but will have visited shops as part of their research phase, to talk to agents, gather brochures etc.

JLv3.0 wrote: Mon Sep 23, 2019 12:37 pm Tbh I'm surprised they've lasted this long. Who even uses travel agents these days? It's as antiquated as sowing travellers cheques into your waistband.

What, you mean this isn't a thing anymore? Christ, no-one told me.

Simon wrote: Mon Sep 23, 2019 4:15 pm

JLv3.0 wrote: Mon Sep 23, 2019 12:37 pm Tbh I'm surprised they've lasted this long. Who even uses travel agents these days? It's as antiquated as sowing travellers cheques into your waistband.

What, you mean this isn't a thing anymore? Christ, no-one told me.

I always sewed mine in. Much easier than waiting for them to germinate.

D'oh

Jobbo wrote: Mon Sep 23, 2019 4:25 pm

Simon wrote: Mon Sep 23, 2019 4:15 pm

JLv3.0 wrote: Mon Sep 23, 2019 12:37 pm Tbh I'm surprised they've lasted this long. Who even uses travel agents these days? It's as antiquated as sowing travellers cheques into your waistband.

What, you mean this isn't a thing anymore? Christ, no-one told me.

I always sewed mine in. Much easier than waiting for them to germinate.

Organic, free range travellers cheques are much better than buying pre made though.

155,000 holidaymakers being brought home. Blimey.

According to some sources it's actually 600,000 in total that need to be repatriated

That's a hell of an operation

The numbers are not our friend in this thread.

Thomas Cook devastated over Thomas Cook collapse

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... l#comments

They do manage to find the best stories

I know someone working for the CAA who has a busy couple of weeks ahead of them.

JLv3.0 wrote: Mon Sep 23, 2019 5:32 pm The numbers are not our friend in this thread.

I think it’s 155k package holiday punters, the rest are flight only. But I’m not 100% sure on that.

JonMad wrote: Mon Sep 23, 2019 5:46 pm I know someone working for the CAA who has a busy couple of weeks ahead of them.

I know a lot of people who work for an online travel agent that sold TC flights that have busy few days ahead of them.

NotoriousREV wrote: Mon Sep 23, 2019 5:46 pm

JLv3.0 wrote: Mon Sep 23, 2019 5:32 pm The numbers are not our friend in this thread.

I think it’s 155k package holiday punters, the rest are flight only. But I’m not 100% sure on that.

116% is the new 100%.

From reading the BBC advice page (FWIW), the figure makes it sounds more sensational than it is. People still finish their hols (up to 6th Oct), hotel cost is covered by ATOL, but the flights will be different when they come back but around the same time. Basically that 150,000 will be coming back in dribs and drabs.

Obviously we'll still get all the images of disgruntled holidaymakers.

Maybe we'll be some of them! We're not with TC, but this business will probably fuck up other flights back to the UK.

Shouldn’t do. There’s a lot of under-utilised aircraft owned by companies who exist to fill in the gaps.