D & G Travel Centre of Henley Ltd was formed on the 1st November 2006 by myself, Darren F Morris and Gillian M Luxon. We are both dedicated to bringing new ideas to the travel industry and especially travel arrangement planning. With many years of experience, we can offer our clients the very best in service, choice and exclusivity.
The office is located in Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire. We operate in a way to spend more time with you before your arrangements are made, and concentrate on all elements of your trip from the moment you leave home until your arrival into resort. This can mean booking spa treatments, restaurant reservations or meet and greet services in the UK and abroad.
We have both travelled extensively over the past years. I have been in the travel industry for over 24 years, and as such have travelled with some the worlds best suppliers. At the same time we have made many valuable contacts, often sourcing and providing what other agents can’t. Gillian has worked in the airline industry for over 15 years plus over 8 years in retail travel and has also many contacts and experience.
We understand that in today’s world, you want to experience an individual service and take comfort in the fact that every effort and care has been made in making your travel arrangements. We do not use the mass market tour operators, such as Thomas Cook and Thomson Holidays, as we choose to offer clients independent advice and travel companies who treat us as agents with respect and care. This is something that we both believe very strongly about.
We are members of AITO ( Association of Independent Travel Organisers ), who’s group of 160 like minded travel suppliers makes it a select club with strict membership requirements. The emphasise is based on a ‘can do’ attitude that we offer you as clients, rather than the normal ‘can not’ you often get elsewhere.
If you feel that you deserve better service and advice, please do feel free to contact us either by email or telephone. We will only be to happy to help and assist you with your future travel arrangements.
About our financial bonding and the Travel Trust Association
The Travel Trust Association was formed as organisation to provide total consumer protection at much lower costs than existing bonding arrangements. The scheme that we operate is a Trust Account backed by a fidelity insurance which covers each passenger up to £11,000 (The insurance is underwritten by AIG Europe Ltd, members of the American International Inc. Group who have assets exceeding US$100 Billion).
How does the Scheme work?
All our Members operate their own properly constituted Trust Accounts.The Independent Trustee on each Trust Account is always a professional person e.g. Chartered or Certified Accountant, Solicitor, TTA Trustees (UK) Ltd. In the event of a failure the Association steps in and works closely with the Trustee to the Trust Account.Because of our monthly monitoring procedure on members we already have transaction reports giving details on all outstanding bookings including customers details, travel services booked, names of Suppliers / Principals and money paid over. A reconciliation is done on the Trust Account and customer funds identified.Customers and Suppliers / Principals are immediately notified of Member failure. Suppliers are paid from the Trust Account enabling the customer to have his holiday as booked. Where this is not possible the customer is refunded.If the Trust Account is found to be deficient of funds due to fraud the fidelity insurance policy (in place with every booking) is invoked and replaces the trust funds so that suppliers are paid or customers refunded.
Failure of Tour Operator Member
The same procedure applies. Tour Operator / Suppliers are paid e.g. flight provider, hotelier, car hire etc., and the customer travels. If the service booked is dependent on Tour Operator presence, the holiday is therefore cancelled and the customer is refunded. If any holidaymakers are left stranded the TTA undertakes to step in and ensure repatriation where that responsibility is with our Member and not already provided.
Failure of Travel Agent Member
Procedure as before. Travel Agent is generally only responsible for pipeline funds. The TTA ensures suppliers are paid and customers travel. Tour Operator is usually responsible for arranging repatriation of stranded customers. Failure of Travel Agent Member who acted as a Tour OperatorProcedure is as before but in this instance, the responsibility for repatriation may be with our Member. The TTA would undertake to ensure repatriation.
Refunds
Normally the TTA would notify the customer of the Member’s failure and wherever possible it is envisaged the customer would still receive his booked services even at short notice.
