The Truth about sanparks Booking system

Information and Discussions on Management Issues in SANParks
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Flutterby
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Re: The Truth about sanparks Booking system

Post by Flutterby »

It definitely pays to keep checking availability. We often get the camp we want a month before our trip. \O


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Alf
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Re: The Truth about sanparks Booking system

Post by Alf »

SP must just admit that the demand are too high when bookings open and they can't cope with the huge demand

Then they must come up with a solution O**

=O: =O:


Next trip to the bush??

Let me think......................
Heksie
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Re: The Truth about sanparks Booking system

Post by Heksie »

I started phoning at 7:25 on Wednesday. Only got through after 293 phonecalls at 8:35... and then had to hold on for 30 minutes... but I got my booking for July next year.


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nan
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Re: The Truth about sanparks Booking system

Post by nan »

well done Heksie \O


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Flutterby
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Re: The Truth about sanparks Booking system

Post by Flutterby »

You must have a lot of patience Heksie! \O


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Bushcraft
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Re: The Truth about sanparks Booking system

Post by Bushcraft »

with 10 operators going, it would be a superhuman achievement!
There aren’t 10 operators going RP.

Include all the operators from all the satellite offices and the number of operators in those offices all online at the same time. There are more than 100. Key camps are fully booked in less than half an hour.

SANParks still have something suspect going on, hence the availability section isn’t viewable until a day after bookings open. This allows them to pull moves behind the scenes in my opinion as when the availability was viewable at the same time bookings opened they got caught many times with key units “booked” prior to the official opening. I have sent these screen dumps to Joep and Hester without response. The response seems to be this new jippo to hide the viewing until the next day.

The Cow and I were on the phone from 7:25am. The Cow phoned every satellite office in the country a number of times also, including Skukuza camp, Nelspruit, Ezi booking, etc. The lists of all these numbers are on the SANParks website, so we were fully prepared. After 9am we gave up and I’m now slowly picking up pieces of accommodation to try and put something together.

Why don’t they open the bookings 2 years in advance and then those who are organized can be permitted to be organized.

I can book 2017/2018 trips already, so SANParks, allow me to do so, don’t frustrate me and piss me off by forcing me into an equation where planned trips with key units is never possible.

For example

SANParks, I want an FU4V at Lower Sabie in 2018 for specific dates, please tell me how I can secure those dates under your current system.


You can't under your current system!! Is another organisation run this way 0*\


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Mel
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Re: The Truth about sanparks Booking system

Post by Mel »

Bushcraft wrote:SANParks still have something suspect going on, hence the availability section isn’t viewable until a day after bookings open. This allows them to pull moves behind the scenes in my opinion as when the availability was viewable at the same time bookings opened they got caught many times with key units “booked” prior to the official opening.
Totally agree on this one! And it's making me furious because even if I manage to get through by telephone I cannot make amendments myself anymore when the order of units I would like to have, has become unavailable because they are gone to people faster than me. Instead I have to rely on the agent I'm talking to and by the time I have explained my preferences to them and they communicate the availability to me, the next set of units is gone. Infuriating!


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Flutterby
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Re: The Truth about sanparks Booking system

Post by Flutterby »

Just saw this on FB:

‎Sean de la Harpe-Parker‎ to SANParks - Kruger National Park
4 hrs ·
There is a company busy snapping up all the Kruger Park accommodation in peak periods, as well as securing all cancelled accommodation at these peak times too. They are then reselling it with a price premium over what you and I would pay if we booked it directly online. Now being a travel agent, this company also benefits from a massive discount from Sanparks of up to 30% on all accommodation booked, which doesn’t make sense why they are still adding at least 10% to the rack rate we pay. I know agents may book accommodation and benefit from discounted rates but I’ve never seen them advertise the accommodation for MORE than what we the public would pay if booked directly from SANPARKS. I also know that these agents release what they haven’t sold in order to get their full refund. This then allows us to make last minute bookings. This company is now also taking this away from us and holding us to ransom with a price premium. As if we were not already struggling to find accommodation in Kruger, this new algorithm developed by the agent (probably some kind of app that grabs whatever comes available) has seriously compromised us, the general public. I have sent emails to SANPARKS and received zero feedback. The idea of my post is not to name and shame. Whilst this activity is most certainly not ethical, it may be legit. I would simply like some answers and believe we should all be informed as we are their stakeholders.


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Richprins
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Re: The Truth about sanparks Booking system

Post by Richprins »

It is, as he says, not ethical but legit, SANParks makes more money, by ensuring all available accomm is booked, so why should they care? \O


Please check Needs Attention pre-booking: https://africawild-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=322&t=596
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Re: The Truth about sanparks Booking system

Post by RobertT »

I think I know who he is talking about but think he has got it wrong. I have seen them advertise a couple of times and the prices look right. What this Sean guy is probably not taking into account is some of the accommodation is for people above the base rate ie, if base rate was for 2 people but the accommodation cancelled was booked for 3, they are charging the price of the cancelled accommodation with the 3 people as that is what the person cancelling is wanting to get back.


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