One room – four different rates

Stockholm. The congress pillar of European Cities Marketing is shaking and the American DMAI (Destination Marketing Association International) sees good chances in Europe. For the second time it will be staging its CEO Forum Europe, this time in Stockholm. The conference hotel is the Radisson SAS Royal Viking Hotel. DMAI has negotiated a special rate. Great, I think, and visit www.royalviking.stockholm.radisson.com. I enter the dates: 16 to 18 October 2008, one single room. The price: SEK1,895 (EUR200.21) for the first night and SEK1,195 (EUR126.22) for the second. Average: SEK1,545 (EUR163.11). OK, I understand: this is yield management in practice. So triumphantly I enter “D-M-A-I” under “promotional code”. Price per night: SEK1,695 (EUR179.07)! I’m a bit surprised but then opt against the conference rate and make a normal booking. But now it doesn’t work and I cannot find the compulsory field I have supposedly failed to complete. I cancel and send a normal e-mail to reservations. The reply comes 20 hours later. Reservation Agent Mikael asks for a hefty SEK1,895 per night. I rebel and demand the website rate! Another 20 hours later, Agent Anne sends a mail offering me SEK1,895 and SEK1,195. I accept with a grin. Eight hours later colleague Monika writes that she needs my credit card number as a guarantee. Not wanting to send it by e-mail, I phone her at the call centre. Monika is already gone, but Margareta can help me. And how was your week?