News views - Travel opinions

Gary Corbett of Oxygen8 Communications outlines the potential for mobile technologies in the travel sector; from simple SMS-based booking confirmation to transforming the entire travel process by using the mobile to hold ticket, boarding pass

?Mobilising the Travel Industry

From the staycation to the reduction in business budgets, the travel industry?s revenues have plummeted over the past two years. And while the Internet has enabled organisations to streamline some processes to reduce cost and provide rapid access to information, there are still huge untapped opportunities to increase revenues, drive down customer service costs and streamline booking and check-in processes.

Molly Flatt of 1000heads on how word of mouth travels through social media sites

Research proves that we rely on independent opinions from family, friends, colleagues and online peers ? rather than advertising, editorial or broadcast ? to decide which brands to choose. Travellers can also be some of the most vocal and influential groups of consumers, on and offline. The problem, from the industry?s point of view, is that most travel conversations centre on individuals? experiences, rather than on agencies and operators.

Richard English from Retraining examines the Government's new legislation which empowers agents in giving them the right to ask for training.

Surprisingly little publicity seems to have been given to the new Government legislation which gives all employees a statutory right to request training from their employers. With effect from April 6 this year, employers with 250 or more employees have to ?seriously? consider an eligible employees formal request for time away from their normal duties to undertake any training they think will improve their own and/or their employer?s performance.

Steve Mills, director of the tourism, travel and leisure team at BDRC Continental, looks at how budget airlines are driving acceptance of hidden charges

When it comes to air travel it seems that, although we complain about hidden charges, the budget airlines are gradually educating travellers to accept such charges for services that were once part of the headline flight price, according to new research released by BDRC Continental.?

Budget airline travellers stressed more than anything else that they would like to see fewer hidden charges added to their ticket, yet budget airlines are still managing to convince customers that paying extra for an ever-widening range of services is acceptable.

Andy Wood, managing director at GI Insight, offers his advice on the power of customer loyalty in the travel industry and how agents can boost repeat clients through loyalty programmes.

Facing financial turmoil over the last couple of years, transport firms and travel agents have had their work cut out for them as many holidaymakers have opted to stay in Britain to cut costs. And things seem just as uncertain now, as the air travel side of the industry faces ongoing turbulence with the recent disruptions.

Amanda Taylor from Holiday Experts is shouting it from the rooftops: why agents are worth their weight in gold and how personal attention and first class service count for everything.

With the volcanic eruptions subsided as I write this piece, travel agents everywhere can all breath a little easier with that knowledge, though of course with the challenges we face daily, we know never to ?stand down? completely and of course don?t!

Travelling with the times: customer communications in the travel industry by Maia Honan, associate board director, Positive Thinking

Travel customers make for a demanding audience.? Holidays are a treasured time in anyone?s annual calendar, and nobody wants the joy of an upcoming trip fettered by worries about high costs, complicated booking procedures or service errors. Arguably more than with other types of customer transaction, if someone?s travel experiences are compromised or less than fully satisfactory, it becomes extremely hard for a brand to win back that customer?s trust and their all-important advocacy.

Travel Opinions

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