Wednesday, March 23, 2022
With the pandemic receding slowly, all signs point toward a crucial revival of the travel sector. However, this positive news comes with warning. Travel advisors among other things are reporting shortage in supplier staff, ticketing errors and lack of availability.
To quote Tammy Levent of Elite Management Travel Group, “I’ve had major issues not with just one supplier but with many. I feel as though throughout the entire shut down, while vendors and tour operators were regrouping, their ticketing agents were discombobulated.”
A large tour operator Levent has worked with for years changed its technology platform, she said. “As advisors we could not even log on, we had no way of calling in, support was diminished to hold times of six to eight hours, and that has not gotten any better.”
Before changing the platform, one of the agent’s operators didn’t pay much attention to issue tickets for Levent’s clients “and therefore they were canceled by the airline – and of course the agent no longer works for this company,” she said.
To quote Levent,“The reissued tickets were $500 higher, and they wanted me to pay the difference. I had it all in writing that the tour operator’s agent was indeed told to issue the tickets.”
“We went back and forth with my emails for proof of that and I was in the right! I was so aggravated they finally agreed to pay for the difference.”
An airline cancelled her clients’ flights on Dec. 9 for travel in February is yet another instance to keep in mind. The carrier didn’t act in response to the queries of Levent but “finally sent us a form for the clients to fill out so they can get their refunds,” she said.
“The clients are fuming at us,” Levent said. “We have lost clients as a result of tour operators, hoteliers and vendors not stepping up and taking responsibility for their actions – or they just don’t have the employees.”
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
