Simplified ferry fare structure is 'a joke'

Good morning, as a traveller with your company since its inception and, I might add, someone who has in the past, on the whole, been satisfied with your service (excluding the woeful performance of the Liberation), I feel the need to comment on your recent restructuring of fare prices.

The implementation of the airline ethos of varying fare prices according to demand, the huge increase in the actual rate to travel, the preposterous idea of providing pricing for single legs of the journey only (to hide the overall huge cost perhaps?) and the proposal to remove the frequent traveller discount, all this when you're attempting to rebuild your credibility as a reliable service provider? I don't recall reading in any of your proposals to introduce this 'cursed' new ferry that there would be massive fare increases and seating charges to pay for your folly.

To say that I am disgruntled would be an understatement.

You have a monopoly lifeline service between the islands and the UK and France, for now at least.

I think you need to examine your business plan again and consider that the travelling public will only put up with being abused for so long before they vote with their feet and not use your sub-standard expensive service.

TONY LE LIEVRE,

Pret du Bois,

Sark.

Editor's footnote: Helen Day, Condor Ferries corporate communications manager, replies:

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to respond to your reader's letter.

With the introduction of our new online booking and ferry reservations system, CarRes, we have taken the opportunity to review the operation and simplify our fares. We continue to offer special day trip fares, which you can now search for on their own 'tab' on our website. However, all longer journeys and one-way travel have been replaced by a single set of fares, regardless of the holiday duration.

Fares will continue to be priced taking into account the popularity of the sailings and how far in advance bookings are made. This approach brings us into line with other transport companies, especially airlines, and encourages customers to book and amend their travel online.

The introduction of CarRes is intended to be revenue neutral and we have made numerous pricing checks in our system during development, testing and after going live. These like-for-like tests confirm that there are some changes to fares – both up and down. In most cases, these are due to the removal of durational fares and prices increasing slowly as bookings are made.

With the removal of durational fares, many customers will have seen a reduction in price for longer stays when compared to previous prices and, of course, some people who had previously been able to book a durational fare may see an increase, given that our fares have been simplified.

Following feedback from our customers, the Frequent Traveller Club in its current form will be phased out towards the end of this year, but it will be replaced by a new modern loyalty scheme which will be designed to reward our most regular and loyal customers.

We are still working on the plans for this new scheme, but we will be developing it in consultation with our existing valuable customers to ensure it meets their needs and that it follows industry best practice.

More details of this new scheme will be announced towards the end of this year.