Q – We are starting a search for a good tour that will last about two weeks taking us through the highlights of Ireland. This is all a bit new for us and we should tell you that we are in our mid-sixties, recently retired, and you might say we are cautious about throwing away money. I suppose the question is should we pursue saving money on a nice escorted tour by firms like Collette or Globus on one of the larger discount travel sites. I mean why pay retail? Is there any negative result in seeking the best price?
A – This is, we realize, a confusing maze of contradictions for the consumer. Every web seller wants every potential traveler to assume that the best deals are hidden in the twisted wires of the internet. And, truth be told, in some rare cases they are. But virtually never when it comes to an escorted tour product. Here are a few things worth noting:
01 – No tour operator wants an escorted tour experience ruined by the couple that informs the group over dinner that they booked with XXXXXX and saved XXXXXX. Imagine how that might make the other tour members feel. Imagine the pressure that might place on the tour guide who is ill-equipped to mediate such a discussion. It would result in very unhappy campers all sharing the same tour bus but now with a majority feeling they were “ripped off”. It is just poor business to allow discounting of a shared travel experience like a tour or a cruise.
02 – In most states it is legal for a travel seller to discount. But it is also legal for the supplier of the tour to reuse to pay any commission at all to any online entity that discounts its product. That is one way the better tour operators shut down online discounters.
03 – Tour companies have fixed prices. They do not use so-called “Dynamic Pricing” of the type now prevalent in the airline industry. The price of each tour is carefully calculated and printed in an expensive brochure while also appearing on the firm’s website. If a seller does not honor the company’s selling price, the tour company can and they have gone to court to enforce their anti-rebate policies.
04 – The other side of this argument has to do with with the awarding of gift benefits to those who purchase tour products. Generally speaking, suppliers have not fought this practice. So if, for instance, you booked your tour at The Dollar Store, and they offered a $100 store gift certificate to all who book with a specific tour with them, it is likely the supplier would not interfere in any way.
05 – Generally speaking, you should follow this rule: Rates will vary on rental cars, airline tickets, and at hotel properties. It may in each case be worthwhile to seek the best price. When it comes to travel you are sharing with a select group of fellow travelers on a river boat or in a tour bus, unauthorized discounting is frowned upon and the supplier will usually take action to stop it.
