Weekend bookings something has to be done

Banff
Banff Forum Participant Posts: 108
First Comment
edited May 2018 in UK Campsites & Touring #1

the club has just  lost a fortnight booking because the Friday is not available , 

how much money are the weekenders losing the club ? 

Glad to see that the issue of weekend bookings has been highlighted in the clubs magazine this month, about time , now the club might do something about it at last !

easy just put a few pitches aside for the weekenders because half of them wait until they see what the weather is like and then just don’t turn up so why let them clog up the system 

the reply but I Work and can only go away at weekends, so do I work but sometimes go to work from my caravan so no excuses 

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Comments

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,064 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #2

    Hiya Banff, hadn't realised it was that time of year already...............

  • peedee
    peedee Club Member Posts: 9,389 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #3

    Glad to see that the issue of weekend bookings has been highlighted in the clubs magazine this month, about time , now the club might do something about it at last !

    Not read the magazine yet Banf, but the Club has known about this problem for years and hasn't done anything about it so they must think or know that they are not losing money by it? undecided

    peedee

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,431 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #6

    It is not as easy as that. There are at least three types of campers at weekends.

    Yes there are the weekenders, Friday to Sunday

    Then there are the people like myself who like to stay (roundabout) midweek to midweek

    Then there are the people who go to work Monday to Friday and take their whole weeks off in weekly chunks. But, like I did, would arrive on the Saturday and to make full use of my time away would leave on the Sunday.

    All these make weekends very popular. We all pay the same fee and no one group should have an advantage over the others. What you are suggesting will give you that advantage? Why?

    The real problem is that the club is popular and the only way round it is to book early

  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Posts: 9,402 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #7

    Deja vu all over again! wink

  • milliehull
    milliehull Forum Participant Posts: 4,762 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #8

    laughing

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,149 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #9

    It wouldn’t seem right not to hear Banff's cheery voice every now and then. Happy days.smile

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,867 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #10

    The Club, thus far, have always said they give all members a fair and equal chance to book pitches on sites. If you start to set aside pitches for one reason or another you are as likely to upset other people as you are leaving things as they are. Assuming there is a bit of time before your trip I would book the dates around the non available Friday and keep an eye for cancellations, I have found that often works. The only other workable solution I can think of is the extend the 72 hour cancellation period to 4,5,6 or 7 days which might concentrate the mind of those that book and then cancel at the last minute. Even that could be harsh on those with a medical problem or similar.  

    David 

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited May 2018 #11

    As I may? wink have already posted in the years we have been members, we do not book sites on what was frenzy day,unless it is a "honey pot"where we "need?" to be at a specific time, otherwise a phone call to a site that shows a day or two not available,has apart from less than a dozen times always been "productive"when wanting periods longer than afew days over a w/end, so any one who posts that they have "lost out" are just out for a Whinge for just the sake of itundecided

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited May 2018 #12

    I knew someone would say that ...... wink

  • Fysherman
    Fysherman Forum Participant Posts: 1,570
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    edited May 2018 #14

    Don't want to bore anyone but in the 70's and 80's the club kept 25% of all pitches free from any kind of booking to accomodate those members who preferred to use their units as "tourers" and come and go as they please.

    As the club moved towards ever more sophisticated methods in order to maximise pitch occupancy this fell by the wayside (much to the annoyance of members like myself with an aversion to booking anything beyond the night before)

    I wonder if the increasing numbers of Motorhomers might encourage the club to look at keeping non booked pitches again?

     

  • PITCHTOCLOSE
    PITCHTOCLOSE Forum Participant Posts: 658
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    edited May 2018 #15

    Best part about booking is the no charge and 72 hrs cancellation,you would be a fool not take advantage of it,now twelve months in advance👍

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,830 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #16

    Tomorrow Friday? The glorious first of June?  Over 100 Club sites have vacancies at just 24 hours notice. 

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,311 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #17

    easy just put a few pitches aside for the weekenders because half of them wait until they see what the weather is like and then just don’t turn up so why let them clog up the system

    Not sure what you are getting at here. Are you suggesting that other than those set aside pitches, members can only book midweek, or full weeks. Given that the flexibility of the CC's booking terms is one of its major advantages over the competition. Why would it want to do that.

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,431 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #18

    I'm not sure either Steve.

    So, out of say 100 pitches, a few 5? are only for weekenders? the rest for longer stayers? would the other 95 really get filled up?

     

     

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited May 2018 #19

    I wonder if the increasing numbers of Motorhomers might encourage the club to look at keeping non booked pitches again?

    I doubt it personally.  In the 70's and 80's the club may have kept 25% of all pitches free from any kind of booking. I have no idea. However we are 30 years later and caravanning has become far more popular in that time.Also there is a large retired caravanning population that adds to those actually touring outside constraints of work etc. Leave 25% of weekend days that cannot be booked and they will have close to 25% of their pitches empty at weekends I suspect.

  • Navigateur
    Navigateur Club Member Posts: 3,880 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #20

    Seems like possibly the worst idea ever.  Say 5 pitches are set aside for "weekenders" what happens when the sixth (and subsequent) weekender turns up?  Where do they go?  Don't say "To another site" - in parts of the country that's fifty miles away, and why would they not already be full.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited May 2018 #21

    I suspect that the honey pot sites would get filled perhaps. Presumably the reason why C&CC have minimum booking periods and particularly so on the likes of Braithwaite Fold at Bowness etc

  • KeefySher
    KeefySher Forum Participant Posts: 1,128
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    edited May 2018 #22

    Next weekend 8-10 June there are 152 CAMC sites with pitches available. The following weekend there are 164 CAMC sites with pitches available. Both have availability at some of the honey pot sites.

    The first weekend shows one site with 133 available pitches of 241, which with my simple sums is only 55% occupancy, currently.

    The second weekend shows a different site with 159 available pitches of 282, which by my simple sums is only 57% occupancy, currently. 

    Certainly far from full. Somebody with time could do a tally over the year and produce some data on the myths or otherwise. After all we are in the period of big data tongue-out

    How many sites are there on the network?

    With the new one year ahead booking system available it can't be that difficult to play the system and get full holidays on a CAMC site if required. You can book 21 consecutive days in July, August and September shortly, to meet most requirements. Possibly overlapping the months to make full use of the system. Just remember to cancel 72 hours before and no one is any the wiser.tongue-out

    You could of course, go elsewhere if you don't like the CAMC offering, as so frequently pointed out on this forum cool

  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Posts: 9,402 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #23

    "easy just put a few pitches aside for the weekenders because half of them wait until they see what the weather is like and then just don’t turn up so why let them clog up the system "

    I can never understand the logic behind this type of statement. Banff - there are two possible scenarios as far as I can see; either

    - everyone turns up and you have nothing to complain about, it's just bad luck that they booked before you. Or

    - loads of them cancel or don't show (your claim) so, you have nothing to complain about, turn up anyway because there'll be loads of pitches for you to choose from! smile

     

  • Fisherman
    Fisherman Forum Participant Posts: 2,367
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    edited May 2018 #24

    I dont see a problem either. Looking to go away mid next week and probably over the next w/end. Plenty of places, so much so that I see no need to advance book.

  • rovinmad
    rovinmad Forum Participant Posts: 102
    First Comment
    edited May 2018 #25

    I went with your second scenario once.  We wanted about eight days but the Friday or Saturday was fully booked.  No problem says I, there'll be cancellations. So we went anyway.  I explained to the wardens on arrival.  Just come and see us they said.  So we did.  We kept asking right up to the night before our booking finished.  Come before 12 tomorrow they said.  

    So we packed up and left in the morning.  It's no good to us finding out at 12 that we need to be off then anyway.

    What I do wonder is if the staff have any incentive to fill up places.  I believe that if that had been a site run by its owners then they would have made more of an effort even if it was only to let me know that no cancellations had been made.

    I can see both sides to this argument but I do think there is something a little bizarre about a business choosing to sell one item in preference to say nine or ten of the same.

  • PhilHeller
    PhilHeller Forum Participant Posts: 267
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    edited May 2018 #26

    Was the letter in this months magazine not blaming it all on motorhomes?

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,149 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #27

    Probably.

    We seem to be blamed for everything at times from the weather to the milk going off. frown

  • huskydog
    huskydog Club Member Posts: 5,460 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #28

    Oh, someone who reads the magazine, respect to you cool

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,431 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #29

    yes some rubbish about being easier to set up? Not much in it I think?

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,149 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #30

    Ooooh! I’ll get my kettle on quicker than you any time. tongue-outlaughinglaughinglaughing

  • huskydog
    huskydog Club Member Posts: 5,460 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #31

    Oh yes they are winksealed