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Advantage designs infographic to explain refund delays to clients
Advantage Travel Partnership has created an infographic detailing the booking and refund journey of a customer’s money.
The infographic is available to download via the members intranet coronavirus hub and is designed to help clients understand why agents are struggling to process refunds.
In a video message to members, operations director Paul Nunn described the current refund situation as ‘a complete mess’ and said Advantage is ‘pushing for consistency’.
He said ‘high-level conversations have been going on for about a month between ABTA and the various Government departments’, on the issue and it’s now a political decision as to whether the rules on refunds are changed’.
Advantage CEO Julia Lo Bue-Said said: "We hear every day how our members are doing their very best for their customers in the most challenging of times and all they want to do right now is help their clients with either a rebooking or refund.
"There are many different ways for a customer to book their travel arrangements and for those booking a package holiday which the agent has booked through an operator requires the tour operator to process the refund back through to the agent.
"We hear from agents across the country that they are working long hours to try and gain refunds for their customers in an acceptable timeframe.
"The faster a refund is released from suppliers, the faster the money will flow back down the pipeline to agents for customer refunds to occur."
She added: "A timeframe from the FCO on travel advice will help agents and customers make key decisions on future bookings.
"Further support from the Government could also make all the difference to travel agents who have operated viable businesses until Covid-19.
"Agents are in a unique position because they offer human advice, inspiration and support to their clients and it is through this that trust in our industry can be retained and built back up but they are not getting the support from all the suppliers in the chain and or the government."
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Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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