DFDS high charges for changes to booking (1 Viewer)

Aug 19, 2013
2,920
4,215
Wells, Somerset
Funster No
27,611
MH
Elddis 115
Exp
since 2004
I contacted DFDS to ask them to explain their high charges for changes to booking. The reply follows:

We work on flexi fares which means the price of the crossings change depending on how busy they get. If you book your crossing well in advance it will be cheaper because the outgoings for the ship are not as high. However as the passenger and vehicle volume increase, the ships costs go up, more weight equals more fuel, more passengers equal more refreshments/staff etc. so to make sure the ship turns a profit so it can still run, the prices have to match the outgoings so the price will increase on the crossing as more people book up. (underscoring is mine, see later comments)

If you book early and the crossing costs £30.00 for example, then 3 months later you wanted to change the date and the price of the crossing had gone up to £40.00, if you made the amendment online you would need to pay the difference in fare class, if you were to make it over the phone there would be a £10 amend fee, unless you booked a flexi ticket which amendment charges do not apply. Also on a flexi ticket if you wanted to amend the date within a 72 hour period, either before or after, you could change your date of travel over at the check-in with no additional cost, even if there was in increase in fare class, however if you made the change over the phone for within this 72 hour period you would need to pay any addition in fare class. On a flexi ticket you can also cancel your booking, more than 48 hours prior to departure, and receive a full refund for your booking.

The crossings are cheaper when booked in advance as the outgoings don't appear as high when people first book, so we do reccomend people to book well in advance for their desired travel dates as you will get the best price possible."

Re the first paragraph, I was charged 3 times the original amount, yet the ferry was nearly empty. Therefore it should have been cheaper, if it is dependent on passenger volume.

Flexi bookings are much dearer, so barely worth it. And regarding booking early, this is often torpedoed by the various offers from various carriers that come up nearer the travel dates.

I still see no point in booking months ahead, when it's highly likely that some other factor will occur needing a change to the booking, with its consequent swingeing charges. And I never book the return until a few days before, when I know from which direction I will be approaching the channel. And then I can take my pick of the prices, and the consequential costs such as distance to the port, amount of nights of further accommodation, etc

Above all it is the resentment of being stung.
 

Shovelheadrob

Free Member
Jul 13, 2014
60
111
Funster No
32,399
MH
Soon to be 5th wheeler
Exp
On & off for 20 years
So by their reckoning if only one place was booked they would make a greater profit as it would use less fuel & require less staff, I'd love to see their business model. Also if that's the case why did they stop the Harwich/ Esbjerg crossing, they told us it was because volume of traffic had reduced to a point where it wasn't viable, we always paid the extra to use the flexi system as when we do work in Denmark things often change.
 
Oct 1, 2013
7,487
19,763
Lanzarote
Funster No
28,377
MH
Nil by mouth
Exp
Lots
Their ship. Their rules.

Read the rules before you book.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Jun 17, 2012
2,919
9,817
North Essex
Funster No
21,517
MH
Autotrail Delaware
Exp
>12 but <13
Call me Mr Thicko, but surely the more customers the more the income? Bums on seats etc.
Shame you didn't ask them why they have almost doubled their prices in the last year or so?
Unless of course they will get less passengers and their profits go up based on their reply to you?????
 

lou020

LIFE MEMBER
Oct 5, 2010
488
355
huddersfield
Funster No
13,984
MH
autotrail chieftain
Exp
since 2010
DFDS are very expensive now, i was going to cancel my CC subs until i enquired about ferries this year.
caravan club were over £100 cheaper to book through them rather than direct on dfds site.
My ferry link were the cheapest by far.
 

john kyte

Free Member
Dec 17, 2013
60
42
Salisbury
Funster No
29,403
MH
Ex ambulance
Exp
15
On a booking that I made recently ,DFDS was £60 cheaper than Pand O and £22 cheaper than My ferry
What I dont understand is why its cheaper to go Dover -Dunkirk than Dover-Calais

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Jun 17, 2012
2,919
9,817
North Essex
Funster No
21,517
MH
Autotrail Delaware
Exp
>12 but <13
On a booking that I made recently ,DFDS was £60 cheaper than Pand O and £22 cheaper than My ferry
What I dont understand is why its cheaper to go Dover -Dunkirk than Dover-Calais

Less popular route I guess ?
My MH is 7m long, this was dearer last year with DFDS than P and O as well as My Ferry compared to the years before
I went out with My Ferry and back with P and O.
DFDS does seem cheaper with the smaller vehicles sometimes though.
 
OP
OP
Dorwyn
Aug 19, 2013
2,920
4,215
Wells, Somerset
Funster No
27,611
MH
Elddis 115
Exp
since 2004
On a booking that I made recently ,DFDS was £60 cheaper than Pand O and £22 cheaper than My ferry
What I dont understand is why its cheaper to go Dover -Dunkirk than Dover-Calais
That's because it is longer and costs more in fuel, there is less competition and . . . hmmm, nor do I. Perhaps because it is less popular they wish to encourage users. It won't be me.

Of course they don't like a monopoly, unless it's they who have it.
 

Judge Mental

Funster
Deceased RIP
Sep 2, 2009
6,650
5,883
Sarth London
Funster No
8,272
MH
Possl 636 FR panel van
Exp
1994 and beyond...
another good reason for using tunnel frequent traveller scheme..have change some crossings 4 times (at no cost)

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Aug 18, 2011
12,091
17,897
derbys
Funster No
17,808
MH
AUTOSLEEPER SYMBOL
Exp
since 2007.Tugger before since 1970
On a booking that I made recently ,DFDS was £60 cheaper than Pand O and £22 cheaper than My ferry
What I dont understand is why its cheaper to go Dover -Dunkirk than Dover-Calais

Should imagine the docking costs are lower in Dunkirk. BUSBY..
 

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Funsters who are viewing this thread

Back
Top