Your Co-op Travel is providing reassurance and advice to customers in Thame who are concerned about the fate of their upcoming summer holiday, following media reports of cancelled flights and chaos at UK airports over the May half-term and Jubilee holiday period.
The travel agency, which has 74 Your Co-op Travel branches across England, including four in Oxfordshire, reported that the disruption has not put customers off booking, however, with summer 2022 holidays accounting for 69 per cent of the bookings taken in the last week. Customer cancellations between 29 May and 4 June were also 29 per cent down on the previous week, demonstrating the determination of Oxfordshire holidaymakers to get away this summer, after two years of Covid-19 restrictions curtailing their wanderlust.
Mark Mitchell, Head of Commercial for Your Co-op Travel, part of The Midcounties Co-operative, said: “Some of our customers’ holidays have been affected by cancelled flights or delays at airports, namely Birmingham, East Midlands and Bristol, but, overall many more flights and holidays are going ahead than not.
“We’re receiving a greater volume of enquiries from worried customers than usual, who have seen the media reports of travel chaos and want reassurance about their upcoming summer holiday. However, it’s not deterring customers from booking summer getaways and we’re not seeing a significant number of customer cancellations either. Many of our customers haven’t been abroad in three years and, now that the majority of the Covid travel restrictions have been lifted, they just want to get away!
“Our advice to customers is to buy a package holiday with one of the reliable, ATOL-protected tour operators that Your Co-op Travel sells, including our own tour operator, Co-op Holidays. If there is an issue, the tour operator will provide either an alternative flight and/or accommodation or, if the holiday has to be cancelled, a refund is issued. Booking that package holiday through a travel agent such as at Your Co-op Travel, offers an added level of protection, with a dedicated professional who will be there to assist you every step of the way.
“We’re telling customers who are travelling imminently to check the airline’s app for updates on their flight before they travel and to keep checking our Facebook page for the latest news and advice. We’re asking customers not to arrive at the airport earlier than the recommended time as this could affect the flow of passengers through the airport and, to keep queues moving, we’re urging them to have liquid, gels, pastes and electrical items ready to remove swiftly from their bags when going through the security screening.
“We’re also advising holidaymakers to be prepared in case there are delays at the airport by packing extra entertainment for the children, as well as snacks, battery chargers for devices and a blanket and travel pillow.
“Our thoughts were with any holidaymakers who were caught up in the recent delays and cancellations. Our colleagues are here to help make travel this summer as smooth as possible. As the world reopens, we are here to help our customers go on new adventures again, see the world, feel the sunshine on their faces and take a break from the day-to-day.”
Your Co-op Travel has branches in Thame (5 Buttermarket), Chipping Norton (4 High St), Headington (inside Your Co-op Food, 152 London Rd), and Kidlington (inside the Your Co-op Food store, 27 High St).
Your Co-op Travel offers one of the widest selections of holidays on the high street, including financially protected, flexible holiday deals with a range of tour operators to the top destinations. For added peace of mind, Your Co-op Travel is offering members and customers booking package holidays with its own tour operator, Co-op Holidays, low deposits, flexible payment options, free changes and cancellations and cash refunds within 10 days, as part of the Co-op Holidays Promise.
For more information on Your Co-op Travel, please go to a local branch, visit www.cooptravel.co.uk or call 01922 908 389.
