Jun 09, 2012 02:55 PM
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We travelled to Germany on 7th of May 2012 to attend a Printing Related Exhibition called Drupa which is held once in four years was an important event for any printer across the Globe. As I said, you for this important event our association KOPA (Karnataka offset printers association) wanted to organize this trip for the benefit of its fellow members and selected ''Cox and Kings'' as the official Travel agent for ''KOPA'' on February for which we all had paid advance in March .
On 3rd of May, we received a mail from ''KOPA" and “Cox & Kings” saying the price of the package has increased due to hike in Euro price for which we all agreed to bare the extra cost .
1) Improper assistance :
While issuing the passport and visa along with the tickets it was said a person Mr.Madhav Pai was supposed to be there in airport for our assistance while departure from Bangalore but we didn't find anybody.
2) Fake promises :
As soon as we reached airport there was a representative who took us to the two star Highway side hotel at 10pm where we had been promised that our accommodation will be in a three star hotel in Bhocum city though we protested to stay in that two star hotel because of Managers request we had to oblige for that night and next day we had been shifted to a three star hotel in Recklynhouse which was 1 ½ hour drive to the exhibition hall. And as per the plan there was a orientation tour of cologne city in Germany which they even didn’t bothered to ask or intimate that it has been canceled which itself show how a 200 year old travel agent company promises works.
4) improper Management :
After the Exhibition as per the Package along with Dusseldorf (Germany) Exhibition, Spain tour was one among the part of three package conducted by the travel agent for which had opted for sapin package and according to Spain package we were supposed to fly from Frankfurt Airport to Barcelona (Spain) but the tour manager took us to a low cost cheap airlines Airport in Brussel which was two and half hours drive from from our hotel for this change also they have not at all informed us previously and when we asked about this the tour manager said all this changes was done by the Bangalore office.
5) Cheap Tactics :
As per schedule we were supposed to go by a speed train from Barcelona to Madrid but the tour manager took us in flight saying the train travel will be a strain full journey to us but the actual fact is The speed Train cost was much higher than the Flight cost which we came to know later by doing the enquiry. And till last day we were not aware of Dubai schedule and also Visa and tickets were not given for Dubai.
6) Only good thing : Though the Tour Manager in Spain was better than the Managers in Germany. And it was our luck we had a good companions which made us to spend some good time together in this Trip forgetting all the bitterness faced by us because of the travel Agent.
Regards
Rahul M
