TTG Asia tries to book tickets for the London Olympic Games from the authorised reseller in Hong Kong
TTG I would like to visit London and watch the Olympic Games. What do you have?
China Travel Service (Hong Kong) We have a handful of Games tickets left, but our FIT packages offer round-trip airfares and a wider choice of Games tickets. Prices range from HK$28,000 to HK$30,000 (US$3,600-US$3,860) for a round-trip airfare and one event.
TTG How about the Games’ opening or closing ceremony?
CTS Only the VIP category is available but it costs more. Let me check it for you. (Returns a minute later) The price will be about HK$67,000, which includes the admission ticket, food and drink, plus a seat in the VIP box.
TTG That sounds a bit expensive. What do you recommend if I simply want to have a taste of the Games? I’ve got seven days in the UK.
CTS There are standard FIT packages with a choice of Games from July 31 to August 11. Tickets are still available for most of the days and you may pick one according to your schedule. Our partner airlines are Cathay Pacific, Virgin Atlantic and Hong Kong Airlines. (He patiently lists all flight timings.)
TTG I live in Sai Kung. How can I book a package?
CTS You may book at any of our branch offices. Would Causeway Bay or Sheung Wan be better for you? Otherwise, you can make a booking by phone and we can email you an order form. Can I have your email address? (After giving him my email address, the line goes dead, and I call the hotline again to ask for the same travel consultant.)
TTG Is there anything I have to pay attention to after booking the package?
CTS All official Games tickets won’t be ready until July, so we will issue a voucher with your name, and you can redeem the ticket in July. Please note that the ticket won’t carry your name so please don’t lose it. We also advise you to pay attention to the flight date and time as the air ticket cannot be changed.
TTG I may need your help to book a hotel, what would you recommend?
CTS We have a few hotel partners in the UK but we don’t have room allotments, so it would take us about a week to check the availability and room rate. It may be more efficient if you book it by yourself. You may also visit our website.
TTG This would be my first trip to the UK. Do you have a groundhandling service that you can provide while I am there?
CTS Sorry we don’t because CTS doesn’t handle much outbound traffic to longhaul destinations.
TTG Do you have any brochures about the Games? How can I find out about transportation to the venues?
CTS We advise you to visit the official website.
Verdict I didn’t have to wait long to get connected, and the staff was knowledgeable about products on offer. However, he was not able to give me any useful travel tips for my stay in the UK. CTS could have leveraged on the Games to offer supporting products such as local tours or groundhandling services. By the way, I am still waiting for the order form.
This article was first published in TTG Asia, April 20 issue, on page 8. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.
