Overbooking makes HD1 sailing ‘direct’

By Joel de Woolfson

HD FERRIES inadvertently overbooked its service yesterday.

A computer glitch in the reservations system allowed too many to be taken. Rather than disappoint the extra customers, HD1 missed the usual Jersey stop out of its run to St Malo and was due to make an extra trip there after unloading everyone from Guernsey.

That would have resulted in Jersey passengers being delayed for at least an hour-and-a-half. ‘We are letting the vessel leave Guernsey half-an-hour earlier than normal at 5pm and it will arrive in St Malo an hour-and-a-half later,’ said Max Carling, director of route manager Ship & Fly, earlier yesterday. It will then go on to Jersey and that service will operate slightly later.’

An HD Ferries spokeswoman said that instead of turning the extra bookings away, the company changed its service to accommodate passengers.

‘There was a software problem on our reservation system which resulted in extra bookings going through,’ she said.

‘So we put on this additional service. I would have thought this would be considered a good thing. Rather than leave our passengers high and dry because of this glitch, we went out of our way to accommodate them.’

She said the company was trying to put its customers first.

‘We are always very open and honest,’ she said. ‘One would hope that our Jersey customers would be understanding.’

Mr Carling said passengers were given the option to travel on the midday service to Cherbourg instead.

‘The demand for HD Ferries’ service has far exceeded the capacity of the vessel,’ he said.

‘This underlines HD Ferries’ future commitment to Guernsey and it’s nice to see the company pulling out all the stops to accommodate demand.

‘It would have been the easiest thing in the world for HD to say that once it was full, it’s full, but they have gone out of their way to accommodate customers.’

Mr Carling said that he hoped yesterday’s events would be the first step towards a permanent direct service to St Malo from Guernsey.

HD1 has suffered a catalogue of problems during the past year, including crashing into a Condor vessel, its ramp licence being taken away while it was docked in Jersey and a vital component being lost in transit.

But customers have been very understanding of these teething problems, Mr Carling said.

‘I think that if Condor and Emeraude had historically found the route easy, people would have been less tolerant,’ he explained.

‘But people remember the difficulties that those companies had in the past and are understanding of the problems that can arise when operating in these treacherous waters. Also, if people don’t support HD Ferries, then there will be a monopoly in the market and no one wants that.’