Fuel crisis sees 20% drop in holiday bookings, says Cork travel expert

Holiday bookings are down 20% due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the fuel crisis, according to the Cork-based president of the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA).

The war in the Middle East and the ongoing fuel crisis have both resulted in uncertainty around what is the best course of action for people planning to travel over the coming months. 

Tom Randles, managing director of Barter’s Travelnet in Cork city, told The Echo he feels that if there are ongoing issues regarding fuel supply, then airlines could potentially review flight their schedules in the coming months.

“What we can see happening and we’ve spoken to a lot of the airlines, is that they would probably look at their weaker performing routes and maybe cutting back on those.

“Or they would also probably look at their routes where they have multi-rotations. For example, if they had a couple of flights to Malaga a day, cutting back maybe from four to three, or from three to two.

“In other words, no point having three flights going on two thirds full, where you can have two flights going out full.“

Concerns

“The concerns for the public are obviously the budgetary concerns. What is the holiday going to cost and can they afford it, for particular potential cost increases coming down the line.”

For passengers planning to book holidays and plan to travel in the coming months, Mr Randles advised that there are consumer protections in place.

“There are strict rules around it. The airline is responsible for getting you from A to B. Or if your flight is cancelled, to provide you with an alternative or a refund.

“If you book your package through a travel agent, they are under the package holiday directive and there are consumer protections around that.” These can be found also on  https://www.ireland.ie/en/dfa.