By Les Lee Roland

Welcome to the Flips and Flops column. We are able to do what we do here because of your input and information. If you want a supplier or a res agent or DSM to get special recognition, let us know. If there is something amiss with a company’s policies or actions, share them with us, as well. Let us know which booking engines and Web pages are hits and which are misses! E-Mail your suggestions to packagedeals@comcast.net.

As our population is aging, their needs are changing, as well. Some clients have to use oxygen — and the airlines are penalizing them for their life support. Even though the new Inogen 1 units have been approved by the government for air travel, airlines are charging absurd amounts to the passengers.
A FLOP to Delta Air Lines, which passes the decision on to the University of Pittsburgh. If you want to bring oxygen, you must call the University and find out their charges are $100 each way, payable to Delta Air Lines. Hard to believe that connection. Since when does a higher learning school make decisions for an airline? What’s next — bring a pet and you have to call the San Diego Zoo?
By the way, Continental recently charged $200 for oxygen to a passenger whose total airline ticket was only $340.
Jet Blue said they do not accept any oxygen use by a passenger, but when I informed them about the approval by the government on the Inogen 1 unit (which costs up to $5,000 and is not covered by insurance), they changed their policy. No charge. Big FLIP!
Can’t the airlines look into the mirror and see that they are the ones who are alienating travelers? We the agents take the heat and abuse because clients trust us and are fed up dealing with the airlines.
I have given Spirit Airlines some FLIPS recently, but they now deserve a FLOP with their Hunt for Hoffa game on their Web site. Visitors could dig on a farm to find the letters that spell out Hoffa in order to qualify for lower airline rates. Whether you won or not, you still got the same rates. And this was making a mockery out of an officially unsolved disappearance/murder of Teamsters leader, Jimmy Hoffa. As an aside, I know the people who own the real farm, and this is not a joke to them. As another aside, Spirit is one of the few airlines that still pays commissions. And a third aside, enough people complained and Spirit discontinued the contest.
Don’t you wish other airlines would listen to complaints and make changes?
A FLIP for the spirit of cooperation among three cruise lines. Sure, Carnival, Holland America, and Costa are sister lines, but their three great Business Development Managers in Florida have, on their own, decided to run joint seminar presentations for agents. Each took 20 minutes, laid out 2007 programs, all during lunch, and the reaction from the predominately Home Based agents for this 3-in-1 meeting was extremely positive. We’ve all been to seminars with multi suppliers, but three cruise lines together is a rarity. And the classy ladies emphasized that even though they are all in Caribbean and in Europe, they don’t care which line you book — they don’t compete with one another. I was so impressed with Judy, Kyle and Jamie, I booked them — together — for a presentation to a group of cruisers.
Remember the game “telephone?” You whisper something to one person who in turn whispers it to another and on and on. Finally, the last person in line repeats the message, and it is always different from the first.
That was the way the Crown Princess disaster was reported on three different networks. ABC showed a woman with a broken collarbone caused by her husband grabbing onto her to save her from sliding across the room. She said the fear in the Captain’s voice increased the panic. And she told people to never travel on a cruise — never! But CBS’s interview with a passenger had only praise for the captain and the crew. Crew went from cabin to cabin to check on passengers and move the furniture back. And he said the constant messages from the Captain were keeping people calm. Granted, it was a horrible accident — and a good news day.
Looking for something to read on an airplane? Try US Airways new form of selling advertising — on the airsick bags. I don’t know about you, but that is one of the last places I would look at for ads. Now, let me see. Who will pay for ads? McDonalds? I don’t think so. Target? Those bullseye logos can make you dizzy. Probably just Tylenol. I give this idea a FLOP.
A FLIP for Jet-A-Way Holidays, a Florida tour operator/wholesaler that specializes in the Caribbean and Central America. Their new brochure does not have any phone number or address listed, because they want to do business only with agents, not consumers. And they also have a great DVD showing all the properties. It’s a great selling tool for agents who are not familiar with the locations — and great selling tool agents can show to their clients.
Let’s take a vote on if the following is a FLIP or a FLOP.
Number One. Do agents want to attend trade shows that are open to the public the same days that agents attend? The public admission is $10 and the agent cost is at least $40. (The agent admission does include seminars.)
Number Two.Would an agent pay a fee of $250 for a private table at the trade show for one day in order to answer questions from consumers? Remember, there will be lots of suppliers there paying a much higher cost for exhibition space doing the same thing. Plus, all the travel agents tables will be in the same area.
Not trying to influence you either way, but think about asking a supplier questions about discounts and commissions when consumers are standing next to you. Also think about being in a convention center with lots of consumers walking around. Would you approach them and ask for their business? Remember, they will be locals from the area, and you may have traveled from a great distance to attend. I would really like to hear from agents on this one. Please send a quick E-mail with your thoughts.
(Please note that this is not the procedure for Travel Trade’s CRUISE-A-THON).