help me understand land-based tour lodging pricing

[Lorenzoid]

I travel a lot, but I have never booked a land-based tour through a tour operator / booking agent. Rather, I have always made my own arrangements. So I am clueless about how operators/agents price their packages out.

My wife and I are presently considering adding on a land-based tour through Aggressor's travel arm. They offer a choice among several hotels to suit different budgets. Based on that, the booking agent quotes several different prices for the total tour package. The quote is per-person. As far as I can tell, the difference in prices they quote does not take into consideration that my wife and I are sharing a hotel room. In other words, the price difference appears to be based on each of us having a hotel room. For example, if I check the prices directly on the hotel web sites, I find that the price difference between two hotels for one room for however-many nights is X, yet the two corresponding per-person package prices the booking agent quotes also differ by X, as though each of us were inquiring separately.

My question is whether this is simply the standard practice and I should just accept it, or is this not right and I should point out that we are sharing a room? It seems this booking agent only quotes per-person.

I should add that the booking agent does state that the quote is based on "double-occupancy," but that does not seem to be reflected in the prices quoted. If I understand the lingo, a traveler wishing to book a room solo would be charged a "single supplement," such that the total charged to the solo traveler usually comes out to a bit less than twice the double-occupancy price. At least that's my understanding. Please correct me!

 

[Damselfish]

Sounds incorrect, I would just ask them. Quite possible someone goofed. An agent may quote per person (on the rare times I've used agents, the quotes are often lacking in details and clarity) but the bottom line should still be correct.

I doubt any booking agent could get away with charging more than the rack rate nowadays let alone double when info is so easily available and there are so many options. If they are, I'd run away.

 

[BoltSnap]

Ask and haggle with them over prices. Don't take a no for an answer!! Perhaps it is worth going through another wholesaler btw. I know one that I used to work with for all/most of my group/single dive trips.

 

[outofofficebrb]

If the agent says the quote is based on double occupancy, that is assuming that you and your wife are sharing a room. Single supplement should be added if it is not based on double occupancy. Based on your own research, I would reach out and confirm the amounts that they are quoting you.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I think I'm going to politely point out to them that they appear to have calculated the price difference based on single occupancy. Let them save face by admitting an error in calculation.

 

[shurite7]

Some hotels charge per room per night without asking number of occupants. Some resorts, especially the all-inclusive ones, charge by occupancy (single, double, triple) and will quote a per person rate.

Sometimes, if a company is putting a package together they will charge a flat rate, even though you are booking just one room, which seems to be the case described above. What you have to do is ask additional questions and get specific details. Ask the person whom you are booking with to break it all down for you. Be sure to ask follow up questions. Also, shop around. Sometimes it is cheaper to book yourself, at other times it is cheaper to use a travel agent, booking company, or tour operator.

 

[Lorenzoid]

. . . Sometimes it is cheaper to book yourself, at other times it is cheaper to use a travel agent, booking company, or tour operator.

Oh, I'm certain we could book this thing cheaper ourselves. When we were in Cairo a few years ago we hired a guide who took us around all day in her comfortable air-con car and showed us the sights for something like 50 USD, and we stayed in a cheap hotel. This trip it's Luxor before joining a liveaboard. Egypt is inexpensive, hotels are inexpensive, and I have to believe it's a buyer's market for guide services these days. However, we are okay with paying a modest premium in this case to have the trip organized through Aggressor's travel arm because we feel the coordination between the tour people and boat people is worth something. Still, whether the package with the more expensive hotel is 125 USD per person more than the package with the less expensive hotel or 62 USD more per person than the package with the less expensive hotel makes a difference to me. Maybe they think it doesn't make a difference to people already paying so much for a liveaboard.

 

[divad]

I think I'm going to politely point out to them that they appear to have calculated the price difference based on single occupancy. Let them save face by admitting an error in calculation.

I think you should politely ask them "if" they "may" have blah, blah, blah............rather than POINTING [IT] OUT TO THEM!

 

[Lorenzoid]

I think you should politely ask them "if" they "may" have blah, blah, blah............rather than POINTING [IT] OUT TO THEM!

You got it. Fortunately, I plan to run the wording past my wife, who is good at adjusting my tone

 

[divad]

You got it. Fortunately, I plan to run the wording past my wife, who is good at adjusting my tone

Wife good...Man bad.