Tourist deplores company’s communication after fire
TOURISTS who were travelling on the bus that burst into flames and destroyed possessions near Cromwell earlier this year say communication from their tour company continues to be scarce.
On January 3, a bus caught fire while parked at the Jones Family Fruit Stall, 5km west of Cromwell. Luckily, nobody was inside.
The Travel Corporation owns the Trafalgar and AAT Kings tour brands, whose customers were travelling on the bus.
Since the Otago Daily Times published a story about angry passengers last month, more passengers have told the newspaper how frustrated they are at The Travel Corporation’s lack of communication.
AAT Kings managing director Hans Belle said affected guests had a dedicated point of contact within the brand.
‘‘Our guests are always our No 1 priority and this has been the case since this unfortunate freak accident occurred.’’
But a bus passenger, Roberta Ward, of Sacramento, California, told the ODT they had received little communication from their dedicated contact.
Prof Ward said until last month’s article, they had received only one email from a company contact in California, saying to go through homeowners’ insurance first, then the travel insurance the Wards bought from Trafalgar.
She said that after the article, a woman from The Travel Corporation in Australia said she could be contacted if the passengers had not been reimbursed for destroyed items.
‘‘This communication came after almost all the burning bus group had been reimbursed by private insurance and had gone through months of haggling,’’ Prof Ward said.
Prof Ward called the bus fire a ‘‘very demoralising and depressing experience’’.
Her husband lost his passport and she lost her jewellery.
‘‘[It] left me depressed and traumatised for some time after we returned home.’’