Discounted ferry fares extended to late bookings

Changes mean that passengers can book offers up until the point of departure

Discounted fares have been made available to Isle of Man ferry passengers until the point of departure.

Under the changes the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company has removed the previous 24 and 48-hour restrictions on accessing offers for foot passenger and vehicle bookings.

The the government-owned ferry operator said the change was in response to feedback from a recent survey of passenger views.

Welcoming the change, Treasury Minister Alex Allinson said it would offer the public "greater value".

Last month, the ferry operator ran a week-long survey to gather views on issues including the convenience of current sailing times and routes, reliability, quality and customer satisfaction.

Focus groups were also held in July to gather perspectives on passenger experiences to help shape the services offered in future.

'Transparent pricing'

A spokesman for the Steam Packet said the extension of the availability of offers meant those travelling could "now secure discounted offer fares even at the last minute".

It would provide "greater flexibility and convenience", but the option of standard fares for with travel plans may need to be changed would remain.

While the immediate change was something that could be implemented "swiftly", the firm was "continuing to analyse the survey results and assess further opportunities to enhance the passenger experience", he said.

The ferry operator was "committed to acting" on passenger feedback and more updates would be rolled out in future, he added.

Allinson said there was "always a balance to be struck" and it was important the company "remains able to operate without requiring a subsidy from taxpayers".

However he said politicians had to "leverage government’s ownership of this lifeline service" to "maximise the benefits for our economy and community to deliver transparent pricing with fares and freight costs that offer the best value".