BBC 4 - The Great British Holiday - Mon 26th Feb 9pm

[castanea1985]

Deb,
I totally agree!! I've turned it off!!
Was more like a programme dedicated to My Travel.. not Florida!
I'm not sure about My Travel's marketing strategies either!!
Very disappointed.
Tracy

 

[BRobson]

Deb,
I totally agree!! I've turned it off!!
Was more like a programme dedicated to My Travel.. not Florida!
I'm not sure about My Travel's marketing strategies either!!
Very disappointed.
Tracy

Very disappointed as well. More like an advert to get us to China!!

 

[mandymouse]

That was quite interesting, though I can't see myself converting to holidays in China

Only problem was that there wasn't enough Disney on it

 

[UKDEB]

How could they get it so wrong? Surely it's not about people seeing it as a once in a lifetime trip; rather that we're capable of doing it ourselves and don't need the package.

 

[KayleeUK]

Very disappointed as well. More like an advert to get us to China!!

I agree , that and Dolly's show??? Very strange??? Not quite sure what that was all about??

 

[BRobson]

I agree , that and Dolly's show??? Very strange??? Not quite sure what that was all about??

DH and I did laugh at that. I couldn't sit through that

 

[chunkster20uk]

I agree Deb, they haven't got a clue!! They should offer flight only, and then act as a booking agent if you want to use them.

People do not want 'Welcome Meetings' even if there is the lure of a 'free meal' we want to be in the parks!!

Also none of those 'so called' execs were very dynamic/inspiring, or was that just me.

 

[UKDEB]

Also none of those 'so called' execs were very dynamic/inspiring, or was that just me.

What a bunch of buffoons! Put us lot in charge - we'd sort them out!

 

[jockey]

What a bunch of buffoons! Put us lot in charge - we'd sort them out!

I agree!

Was it just me or did they all reps and exec's seem really misery guts!

 

[Minniespal]

Going to watch it tonight

Sky+ it last night but after 5 hours watching the Oscars my eyes were needing a rest

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Watched 20 minutes of it - a load of rubbish.

Unfortunatley there hasn't been any real quality 'holiday type' show on Florida for many years now.
I think part of the reason is that it's possibly no longer seen as an exclusive or different place to visit anymore (not necessarily in our eyes but certainly in others) because so many people have been there now.

Bring back Judith Chalmers!

 

[Chilly]

MyTravel certainly didn't come out of the programme well, no wonder they merged with Thomas Cook!

For a programme about Florida it certainly showed China a lot.

 

[Pootle]

I thought it was interesting in the business sense, but suffered from some poor editing (Dolly's Show anyone?) and highlighted a management who were just out of touch with their customers' wants and needs. The whole mixed stories of 'once in a lifetime' destination for Orlando and no one attending the Welcome Meetings (IMHO because they've been before and know what they are doing!) illustrated this. Oh, and since when is it a 12 hour flight from Manchester to Sanford?

We knew the fate of My Travel before the programme started, but it really was hardly surprising that they 'merged' with Thomas Cook and there will be job losses in Rochdale.

 

[carolfoy]

Watched 20 minutes of it - a load of rubbish.

Unfortunatley there hasn't been any real quality 'holiday type' show on Florida for many years now.
I think part of the reason is that it's possibly no longer seen as an exclusive or different place to visit anymore (not necessarily in our eyes but certainly in others) because so many people have been there now.

Bring back Judith Chalmers!

I agree
But I'd be a better presenter than JC!

 

[Spook]

I agree
But I'd be a better presenter than JC!

I'd like to see that Carol

I watched last night and wondered how My Travel managed to survive so long - they were totally out of touch and over staffed - nice offices though paid for no doubt by their customers. China with them - no thanks

Jan

 

[carolfoy]

The problem with (Airtours) My Travel was that about 5 years ago they decided they no longer needed travel agents and that the money they paid us could just be cut out, they cut agents commission and rebranded as My Travel, they spent millions refitting all their shops/uniforms/airplanes. Independant agents like mine then refused to stock their brochures or recommend them at all. Within 6 months My Travel/Airtours were nearing bankruptcy and cancelling hundreds of flights and hotel contracts.
They then took stock, upped their agents commission and we put them back on the shelf. During the last two years they've launched several new routes and loads more products, their service has gone up due to the amount of money they're putting back into training and they're winning awards again.

Thomson holidays will be going the same route as they cut commission last year so have been de stocked from all independant agents, this could explain why they've laid off hundreds of staff and closed call centres.
No Matter what these operators think they stilll need agents - we have so much influence over choice of operators, they are making a rod for their own backs by ignoring us.

 

[jjpenguin]

i thought it was quite interesting but more about the travel agency than florida, although that was the idea I thought. What I found wierd was the family they were following entered AK and were suddenly in MK, and the meeting with Mickey & Minnie was of course just for the BBC.

Did think the Disney PR man nailed it with his description of WDW.

 

[BingsingsWaltDisney]

just watched it on sky+

well if My Travel is in the doldrums we know why
the management are absolutely appaulling

on a brighter side had to laugh at the Rep in China
"is that mushroom in that dish"

eh "no its pigs ears"

Did you see her face it was classic

 

[Lizzy Lemon]

A very disappointing programme. The only good thing is if there is less people going to Florida, more room for us!!!However, looking at how quick Virgin's flights are selling on the net I don't think this will be the case. The execs didn't come across at all well and that rep who sat there waiting for customers OMG. They ought to have asked the holidaymakers why they didn't want to go to the welcome meetings, they may have got some better answers. We went to Yugoslavia about 20 years ago and in our ignorance went along to the meeting and booked at an enormous cost the trips we wanted as we didn't know how else to go about it, but for Florida there is just so much information available if you do your homework beforehand you should be ok. How anyone can spend that much money on a holiday and travel in complete ignorance as to what is available at the other end is beyond me.

 

[Dimplenose]

I didn't think it was intended to be a programme about Florida in itself but more about My Travel and the problems they were having attracting people to take package holidays. I missed the first 15 minutes but what I did see I found quite interesting.

I was surprised at how amatuer the My travel employees seemed to be. British orientation for their American staff, great - but I would have expected info on the differences in British and American culture e.g. tipping, expecting kettles in rooms, different meanings for words etc., not a quiz to make fun of the American staff who can't recognise Margaret Thatcher.

The people that went to China weren't much better. I can see why a lot of people now do their own research and book online - I'm not sure I'd want to trust thousands of pounds for my holiday to the people I saw.

Libby