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.

What’s a month without a FLOP for an airline? This one comes from Laura Elmore of Global Dream Vacations.

“I recently flew on Continental Airlines for a cruise meeting and was dismayed to find that all its advertising directed passengers to its contact info for travel needs, including cruises, tours and hotels. So much for support for the agency community — no word anywhere in their advertising suggesting that an agent be consulted.”

And Delta’s is even more insulting, with its “avoid travel agent ticketing service charges” statement on their written material.
How about when you call an airline and it offers to arrange your rental car or hotels. I have been known to say, “Why would I book a car with you — you’re an airline?” Okay, I have been known to say it in a less polite way. Far less.
A FLOP for Northwest. When a flight from Detroit to Sarasota was cancelled, because they didn’t have a flight crew, passengers were left scrounging, on their own, for flights out. I met one guy roaming around the terminal for hours, since Northwest wouldn’t help him get to his destination. It had offered alternative routes, to cities two-to four-hour drives away, and he was told to make his own arrangements to get to Sarasota. I told him all the rules and on my laptop I showed him flights on other carriers that Northwest could use. Every time he approached an agent, they told him the afternoon shift wouldn’t work on something the morning shift should have taken care of. Finally, he boarded a flight, 12 hours later, and when he asked if he could be bumped up to first class, the agent said in a loud voice...”You again? We gave you a $6.50 voucher for food, and you still want more? No way.”
A FLOP for credit card companies. Do you use an air consolidator in Canada or anyone outside the U.S.? In my seminars, I have said that some of them have better air contracts than U.S.-based consolidators and can get us good fares. If you do use one, and use a credit card, verify that the charges will be run through a U.S.-based account. Otherwise, some credit cards can charge 3% or more as a transaction fee or a finance charge just for processing the ticket.
Review this with your client in advance, and perhaps he will pay for those business class tickets by check. There is a class action suit against credit card companies pertaining to fees, as well.
A FLIP for agents who do inform their clients traveling overseas about the fees they may incur for credit card purchases, due to conversion charges. Sometimes what seemed like an incredible buy swiftly becomes an ordinary buy.
An agent never wants to have an already booked client call and say that they saw a lower rate in the newspaper, along with a big shipboard credit. A big FLIP for Costa Cruises for recognizing that and offering the shipboard credit to groups already booked. This was a win-win situation. It does right for the passengers, and it renews their confidence in dealing with a travel agent. Thank you. “Classy” Costa.
I can’t understand why some cruise lines offer sales and say passengers already booked who cancel and rebook are not eligible. Don’t they realize they turn off the passengers before they even get to the ship? They deserve a FLOP.
A FLIP for Pleasant Holidays. When you send your clients off on a great vacation, they will pay commissions on those extra adventures, just like shore excursions while cruising. These are easy sells, and agents will enjoy the extra income. Also, you can now book Hawaii cruises with them. So check out the service and commissions and make your choice.
A catch-up on previous FLOPS. I had reported about clients who showed up at the pier, with their documents in hand, and were denied boarding because their names were not on the manifest and the cruise now was sold out. The cruise line admitted its error, but it took six months for this to be reconciled. The clients got a full refund, and a future cruise credit, but the agent never got a commission. So a FLIPPETY FLOP.
Caravan Tours FLOPed because it refused to pay a commission when one person in a double occupancy cancelled, and the other person did not. When the agent was told there would not be a penalty or additional charge for the single, no one told anyone in accounting. After five months of calling and complaining, the commission was finally paid.
Somehow, being told the check had been cut, but never mailed, makes no sense. Agents, be persistent with your complaints. And let the person in accounting know you will be calling every few days. It’s a shame we have to fight for what is rightfully ours.
Is it Disney Travel Company — or is it the agent’s local rep — that deserves the FLOP? When the agent called to make a booking, she was told she missed the sale — for the public — on the Internet. When she mentioned she didn’t know anything about a sale, she was told it was offered consumers who book online.
The line runs periodic sales and usually sells out the allocation within 15 minutes. When the agent said that she didn’t know anything about these sales, she was told she should go to sites that the public views and monitor them — daily!!! Now, let’s see, I wonder if agents can fit monitoring Disney sites, along with about 100 other sites, and reading faxes and E-mails daily, into their schedules, along with trying to service their other clients. Guess I will set my alarm clock for 4:30 a.m. tomorrow, just to get a head start on these. (Yeah, sure!)
A big FLIP for SATH, the Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality. This organization has a most helpful Web site, SATH.org, that can answer most questions for your clients with special needs. Plus, when you read about the travel opportunities for people with disabilities, you may be surprised that there is more variety — yes variety — of tours and cruises now available.
Regarding the new E-docs for cruise lines: Agents, give me your input on this situation. Do you like it or not? How are your clients reacting? Comments are welcome either way. I am working on a piece for next month’s issue. E-mail to packagedeals@comcast.net.