 Poster: A snowHead
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Think it is a sign of the times but had an email from esprit cancelling our chalet for 2021. Appears hotel plan are cancelling a number of properties across espirit/total/inghams. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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One of the "good guys" I believe, who refunded unfulfilled bookings. Certainly Inghams did in my case.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@TOOTIE, can I ask which chalet?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Chalet Matterhorn in Les arcs
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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would be a shame if the likes of inghams suffer becuase they behaved by the rules and refunded their customers
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Tiddles wrote: |
| would be a shame if the likes of inghams suffer becuase they behaved by the rules and refunded their customers |
Whilst it's a shame, it's also inevitable. If you return hundreds of thousands (millions) of pounds to your customers, then you're going to be in a much worse financial position that your competitors who don't.
Hopefully anybody booking for next season will look at how their potential operator treated customers this season. Maybe we need a "rogues gallery" to go along with the "good guys" thread!
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A lot of it could be they expect bookings to be down. Not sure how popular that particular chalet is, but I would assume they have several seasons of data to compare occupancy, profit/loss, etc.
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That's bad news! Did they give a reason?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Is there a 'Brexit' element here? - chalet staff would now have to be EU citzens (UK citzens would have to obtain a visa in order to work)
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@albob, I'd say its a function of Covid uncertainty and therefore lack of advance bookings, plus no comfort that things are going to improve, with a large slice of Brexit thrown in for good measure. Presumably they need to commit to the chalet owner by say end May for following season and if they haven't secured enough advance bookings to make a viable return then they won't be able to confirm, and thus anyone who has booked will have to move to another property.
My view is that until our government come clean about their plans re hard deal, or extension to Brexit then catered chalets next season are a gamble not worth taking, as are flights however cheap they appear on the surface, if the country won't let you in, and the UK wants you to 14 day quarantine on return then who'se going to be able to go, certainly not me......in the interim all people are doing booking flights and accommodation with tour operators is keeping these companies afloat in the short-term with your cash. If and when they pull the plug would you get it back? I'm booking nada for the forseeable.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I normally book late anyway and am considering driving to resort for the first time
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@albob, Me too, we've flown last few years after a long time going by car, but will be driving next season again if we can get there, and the EU countries want us.........however not with a 14 day quarantine in place on entry back into UK. Our government were 12 weeks late in introducing it and then after the horse has bolted decide its suddenly a key strategy, plus all of a sudden realised that 8-10 million-ish folks might fancy a holiday this summer so they put a barrier in the way which penalises working people. If they don't provide clarity soon the future of the airlines, airports and travel industry overall is only going one way.
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We booked shortly after returning in early January as we wanted to secure a sole use chalet for next season. Not sure why they cancelled as can’t seem to get a straight answer. We had an invoice from them in May and all appeared to be OK. It appears they have moved all of their Sunday operation to a Saturday next year and only seem to have Geneva instead of chambery flights.
Funny enough they can offer us another chalet which costs more.
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You know it makes sense.
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Inghams 2020 summer programme likely to be decimated, drastically reducing that cash flow. Esprit usually had lots of advance winter bookings too. Tempting discounts for booking months ahead and high demand for main school holiday weeks. We had several packages with this TO group, especially Esprit, all good experiences. I hope the group can survive this crisis but expect big reductions in their range and choice at least. Government seems rather unconcerned with the travel/tourism industry and the many who rely on it for income.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Looking at Esprit's website they've dropped Austria and in France will only have Tignes, VdI and la Rosiere.
Ski Total have dropped to only eight resorts in France.
Switching to Saturdays will be a rude awakening for the families, many of whom have never seen the Tarentaise Saturday traffic or experienced the slower transfers!
I think that Hotelplan UK will survive for if only, as someone there said to me after Monarch folded, their owners have very deep pockets.
Monarch cost them a chunk (£200,000), Thomas Crook a huge amount more (towards the end, TC Retail shops were collecting balances way before the normal date, so all TOs that extended credit to TC Retail took a 30% bigger hit than they should have taken. Between this and replacing TC flights the cost was £2,000,000). Source - annual reports so it must be true.
Yep, I'm glad I've retired.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Nemisis wrote: |
Looking at Esprit's website they've dropped Austria and in France will only have Tignes, VdI and la Rosiere.
Ski Total have dropped to only eight resorts in France.
Switching to Saturdays will be a rude awakening for the families, many of whom have never seen the Tarentaise Saturday traffic or experienced the slower transfers!
I think that Hotelplan UK will survive for if only, as someone there said to me after Monarch folded, their owners have very deep pockets.
Monarch cost them a chunk (£200,000), Thomas Crook a huge amount more (towards the end, TC Retail shops were collecting balances way before the normal date, so all TOs that extended credit to TC Retail took a 30% bigger hit than they should have taken. Between this and replacing TC flights the cost was £2,000,000). Source - annual reports so it must be true.
Yep, I'm glad I've retired. |
Hotelplan have been very professional and proactive in their actions. Moving to smaller offices, reducing committed bed stock by circa 60%, reviewing all processes, etc. It's been a fire-fighting exercise but stripping back will give them a clean platform from which to grow in say 18 months time. I've been very impressed with them so far. Am I talking to Mr P by the way? 
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