P & O Ferries Loyalty schemes

[Aitch]

Have just received a letter from P & O this morning, in respect of the loyalty Schemes including 'Homeowners'. It now appears that this is finally being done away with, and points must be used before 5th September 2005 or they will be lost. Bookings must be made by 11th April for this.

Apparently they want to develop a "new, simpler, low cost airline style pricing policy for implementation during 2005.Price will vary according to demand so they say."

Further info from the P & O website. I wonder how their pricing structure will compete against BF if they continue to run the Portsmouth/ Le Havre route after this?

[robinwolf]

Hi,

Thanks for your notice on the homeowners loyalty scheme. Reading the P&O web site it is full of all the usual "rubbish" you always seem to get when a Company decides to back out of something it basically can not or is not prepared to run. So us loyal travellers can just join the crowd and have no benefit for loyalty. This will encourage us to shop around & could cost P&O in other ways. It seems odd they should scrap this after just one year ( too expensive).

The homeowners scheme has been good to me, may be it has spoilt me with the free day cabins and the points that have resulted in many free trips. I will remember 2004 as perhaps the best year for good value travel.

Your post drew me to the P&O web site and I noticed the free day cabins to LeH are still being offered. I booked two trips before Chritmas for 2005 and was told £30 each way for day cabins to loyalty members. I have called P&O this evening and they were pleased to adjust my booking to offer the day cabins. So I have a small gain in that respect.

Robin Wolf

I am not sure what the P&O policy is any more or how competitive they will be, I guess only time will tell.

 

[Baz]

I have for over 15 years used the various loyalty schemes provided by P&O, in years gone past some of the schemes or incentives were excellent value. However, in latter years the picture has changed and I strongly believe that the schemes now on offer are just to keep their toes in the water and at the same time looking over their backs.

 

Travel to France has changed dramatically over recent years with air prices falling from both the low cost carriers and the national airlines and now with low cost ferries like Speedferries beginning to have an impact. The whole fare structures for carriers will have to change to suit current trends and we will see losers and winners, such as sea routes closures and air destinations changing form year to year. Nothing will stay the same and it would be unwise to think that ones preferred port or airport will always be served. There are bargain fares to be had especially at the current time for both air, sea and rail which really should be considered now perhaps without outlaying large sums  for block bookings and I suspect as the year continues further changes will prevail.

 

Baz