What are travellers’ rights? With airlines under great financial and competitive pressure these days, customer service has taken a back seat. Things that you probably once took for granted may no longer happen. What happens, for instance, when a flight is cancelled and you are stranded in Boise, Idaho? What rights do you have as a passenger?
First, the shocking part—you have very few “rights” when it comes to airline travel. For years our travel association, ASTA, has lobbied both the U.S. and the Canadian governments to pass legislation called “The Air Travelers’ Bill of Rights,” but with no real success.*
So when your flight is cancelled or delayed, legally speaking, the airline is not obliged to do much if anything to help. An airline’s legal contract with you is limited to transporting you from point A to point B. There is no requirement to get you there by a specified time. They don’t even have to use an airplane to fulfill their contract. In a pinch, they are perfectly entitled to put you on a bus!
Fortunately, for public relations reasons all major airlines will try to offer you decent alternatives and/or compensation when your scheduled flight evaporates. The extent of their generosity, however, depends on how much they feel they are responsible for the problem. For instance, if you are delayed because of a mechanical issue or airline labour dispute, the airline will either accommodate you on another of their flights or, if none available, on another carrier’s flight. If you are forced to “overnight,” most major airlines will pay for your accommodation and some meals. Not all airlines, however, may be so accommodating—don’t expect much from any of the new discount airlines. Again, no law obliges them to pay anything or do much to help you out. It is solely for customer relations reasons that you get what you do from airlines.
On the other hand, if the cancellation or delay is caused by a force outside of the airline’s control—say bad weather, an air-traffic control strike, or a terrorist threat—most airlines will do very little to help you. You’re going to be stranded until they see fit to get you out of there. If you are without a reliable travel agent, you’re probably on your own! In several recent cases (eg. “Sept. 11th”) airlines simply sent most of their staff home, leaving thousands of passengers stranded, phone lines unanswered, and chaos at the airports! When it comes to an emergency, you just can’t rely on the airlines. Even if there were the good will to help, they are no longer staffed to deal with these situations.
What You Can Do:
Here are some things you can do to head off problems:
• If you must reach your destination on the same day or by a particular time, book a flight that leaves early in the day (or at least has a later backup), that way you will have alternative flights if your flight is delayed or cancelled.
• Before you leave for the airport, review other flight options in case your flight is cancelled. And check that your flight is on schedule.
• Purchase trip-cancellation insurance. RBC Travel Insurance will cover various issues, such as “flight interruption” which generally pays for costs incurred when your connection is missed due to flight delays/cancellations.
• Use a travel agent. For a small fee, you have the assurance that someone will be there to help you out in an emergency and/or be your advocate when an airline does not want to assume responsibility for its mistake.
*For details, go to: http://www.astanet.com/travel/trav_rights.asp
Wednesday, June 23, 2004
Land of the Rings
(Original article from Vancouver Sun on Saturday, February 21, 2004)
A guided tour of 'Middle Earth' Package takes Lord of the Rings fans to New Zealand sites where the movie was filmed
A local travel agent who bills himself as Canada's Lord of the Rings Middle Earth specialist creates tours throughout New Zealand for Rings fans to visit the sites where the popular movies were filmed.
Jason Stratford, director of sales for the South Pacific division of The Travel Group, puts together fully escorted and self-guided "Middle Earth" tours. The Australian-born Stratford recently did a self-drive tour and provides travellers with first-hand knowledge of the sites.
"People are looking for new things to do on their vacations," says Stratford. "This is the kind of holiday that appeals to Tolkien fans and people who are looking for an element of adventure. A "Middle Earth" tour is a memorable way to see New Zealand."
Stratford helps Rings fans design their self-drive adventure with the help of The Lord of the Rings Location Guidebook. The book gives detailed descriptions of the scenes and directions to each of the settings.
"It is like a treasure hunt," Stratford says. "I took the guide book, jumped in a car, and saw almost every major site. The trip was an emotional experience as the locations seemed strangely familiar, even though everything was new to me."
The Location Guidebook has been revised to include the new locations from scenes in the latest movie The Return of the King. Stratford gives his clients a free copy of the guidebook, signed by the author, with every self-drive or escorted tour booked with him to New Zealand.
According to Stratford, he "Middle Earth" theme adds a unique twist to an already great destination. New Zealand is a safe, beautiful and friendly country that provides excellent value.
For information on a "Middle Earth" tour or the South Pacific phone Jason Stratford at 604-681-6345. or visit the website: The Travel Group - Lord Of The Rings.
© The Vancouver Sun 2004
Doing Business Down Under
DOING BUSINESS DOWN UNDER
What are the challenges and opportunities of doing business in Australia & New Zealand? Our Director of sales for our South Pacific division, Jason Stratford recently interviewed Nerella Campigotto, president of Boomerang Consulting Inc., a Vancouver-based firm that specializes in international business development.
JS: Would you agree that Australia is overlooked as a business destination?
NC: Yes, I would say that there certainly are businesses in Canada that may be missing out on good opportunities there. Canadian companies understandably focus on the US, and I think they perceive Australia as perhaps being too small or too distant a market, and don’t fully understand the potential.
JS: Why should businesses consider Australia?
NC: There are several reasons why Australia should be on the radar screen – the economy is strong and has shown amazing resilience in the past decade, unemployment is low and average income is significantly higher than in Canada, the currency tends to move in parity with the Canadian dollar eliminating some of the exchange risks, the business environment is vibrant and has very high standards, and it is an ideal gateway for companies looking to do business in Asia.
JS: What are the advantages for those looking at the Asian market?
NC: There are actually close to 500 multinationals that have their Asian headquarters in Australia. There are obvious cost advantages and proximity to those markets, but more importantly, in Australia you have access to business people who are very familiar with doing business in Asia and have strong networks there. And the workforce is multilingual as there are about one million people who speak Asian languages.
JS: Can you give me an example of a Canadian multinational whose Asian headquarters are in Australia?
NC: A well-known example is McCains Foods; their Asian HQ is in Melbourne where they employ about 1000 people. Interestingly, they also have about 30% of the processed food market share in Australia.
JS: In what kinds of industries are there opportunities Down Under?
NC: Opportunities can be found in sectors such as agrifood, aerospace, building and wood products, engineering, R&D, various technology sectors (biotech, environmental, ICT, broadband, etc.) and cultural industries.
JS: Many of these would be competitors for Canadian businesses wouldn’t they?
NC: Absolutely, but we mustn’t forget that these can offer opportunities for collaboration, partnering and alliances that are often very successful.
JS: Where can businesses find information if they are considering entering the Australian market?
NC: The first step is to contact government sources such as the Trade Commissioner (www.infoexport.gc.ca) or for those looking to invest in Australia, they can visit www.investaustralia.gov.au. These organizations provide an overview of the market. You should also check out industry or business groups such as the Canada, Australia & New Zealand Business Association in Vancouver (www.canzba.org) where they can make some important connections. However, once they need more in-depth assistance it’s advisable to engage a consultant who has a good knowledge of the market and can access the right contacts.
JS: Can our readers contact you if they have any questions?
NC: Of course, they can email nc@boomerangconsulting.com or call me at 604-609-6178 and I’d be happy to answer any questions they have.
Nerella Campigotto is President of Boomerang Consulting Inc. a company based in Vancouver, Canada, which specializes in International Business Development. For more information please visit http://www.boomerangconsulting.com or call: 604-609-6178, email: info@boomerangconsulting.com
Those Wacky Airfares
With the current trend towards Internet-based travel, airfares have become more confusing, unpredictable, and treacherous. Here’s why.
These days many airlines, including Air Canada, sell tickets the way that service stations sell gas—their prices go up and down depending on what the competition is doing. This might seem like a good thing, but it has resulted in an airfare system that is even more confusing than the old one. And unlike buying gas, which is pretty simple and something most of us do all the time, searching for airfares can be frustrating and baffling to those who do not do it professionally. With prices swinging wildly up and down all day, if you’re not constantly shopping for airfares how do you know what is a good deal?
What has happened is that most North American airlines have radically changed the way they price their airfares. Up until recently all airlines used an “inventory control” system to determine their fares. It is simple to understand and is based on the principle of supply-and-demand. If there are lots of seats available, the price will be low. If space is tight, particularly around holiday periods, airlines will typically charge a lot more. The idea of the old system is to get a fair price for a seat, which is a perishable item, based on demand and the amount of time left to sell it.
Lately, however, thanks to the chaotic nature of the Internet marketplace, many airlines are abandoning “inventory control” in favour of a “dynamic pricing” system. This is an impressive-sounding expression for being a “copy-cat” at setting airfares. Air Canada, for instance, monitors electronically what WestJet, Jetsgo, and other competitors are doing day-by-day (and in some cases perhaps minute-by-minute), and adjusts its prices accordingly. The result is much like our local gas stations, whose prices fluctuate up and down according to whatever the guy down the road is charging at the moment. There will be no rhyme or reason for the price other than this. Sometimes this will be great for consumers, but quite often we feel we are getting “burned” by prices that are too high for no good reason.
Fortunately, our agents can help. Just as regular drivers know what is a good deal for gas, our agents, who deal with airfares all day long, can help you sort out what is a good price for a ticket. We are trained to consider historical issues, amount of advance notice involved, available inventory, and many other factors. We will help you decide whether to “lock in” at the present price or allow us to monitor for better airfares. The moral of the story: the more complicated the world becomes, the more you need an expert to help you navigate safely through it.
These days many airlines, including Air Canada, sell tickets the way that service stations sell gas—their prices go up and down depending on what the competition is doing. This might seem like a good thing, but it has resulted in an airfare system that is even more confusing than the old one. And unlike buying gas, which is pretty simple and something most of us do all the time, searching for airfares can be frustrating and baffling to those who do not do it professionally. With prices swinging wildly up and down all day, if you’re not constantly shopping for airfares how do you know what is a good deal?
What has happened is that most North American airlines have radically changed the way they price their airfares. Up until recently all airlines used an “inventory control” system to determine their fares. It is simple to understand and is based on the principle of supply-and-demand. If there are lots of seats available, the price will be low. If space is tight, particularly around holiday periods, airlines will typically charge a lot more. The idea of the old system is to get a fair price for a seat, which is a perishable item, based on demand and the amount of time left to sell it.
Lately, however, thanks to the chaotic nature of the Internet marketplace, many airlines are abandoning “inventory control” in favour of a “dynamic pricing” system. This is an impressive-sounding expression for being a “copy-cat” at setting airfares. Air Canada, for instance, monitors electronically what WestJet, Jetsgo, and other competitors are doing day-by-day (and in some cases perhaps minute-by-minute), and adjusts its prices accordingly. The result is much like our local gas stations, whose prices fluctuate up and down according to whatever the guy down the road is charging at the moment. There will be no rhyme or reason for the price other than this. Sometimes this will be great for consumers, but quite often we feel we are getting “burned” by prices that are too high for no good reason.
Fortunately, our agents can help. Just as regular drivers know what is a good deal for gas, our agents, who deal with airfares all day long, can help you sort out what is a good price for a ticket. We are trained to consider historical issues, amount of advance notice involved, available inventory, and many other factors. We will help you decide whether to “lock in” at the present price or allow us to monitor for better airfares. The moral of the story: the more complicated the world becomes, the more you need an expert to help you navigate safely through it.
Welcome to our E-newsletter
Welcome: This is our 1st e-newsletter, which has been designed especially for our corporate traveller clients. We are very conscious of how much unwanted e-mail everyone gets these days, but we hope you will find that our newsletter contains information that is useful and relevant.
Each monthly issue will include a feature travel news item, a commentary on a current travel issue, a profile on a corporate client, and a look at one of our agents or departments, so that you will have a better understanding of who we are and what we can do for you. We hope you will find these articles fun and informative.
Each monthly issue will include a feature travel news item, a commentary on a current travel issue, a profile on a corporate client, and a look at one of our agents or departments, so that you will have a better understanding of who we are and what we can do for you. We hope you will find these articles fun and informative.
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