I’ll have to admit to being caught up in the frenzy when Lastminute first came on the scene. They were pioneers of the dotcom bubble, yet somehow they managed to ride out the storm.
Back then, lots of people thought they had a good idea. They certainly had a great name - although there is still an association with booking late, and right now I’m trying to plan ahead.
Back then, lots of people said they’d been to the site, but few people said they’d bought anything from them. I have bought a couple of flights from Lastminute.com in the past, but right now I’m trying to get some concert tickets. I’ve bought a fair few of these this year, but am getting a little bit fed up with paying all these booking fees, so I thought I’d try going through a site that we theoretically have an arrangement with. I tried them last night for hotels in Antigua, and (admittedly just like 3 of the big four), they were useless at that too.
Last time I booked concert tickets through Lastminute.com was back in 2005. I remember them dragging me through several really annoying screens, and I remember getting so frustrated that I decided I would stick with them until I could confirm the booking - whatever it takes. I guess most users would have clicked away by then, but stubbornness was kicking in big time.
So I’ve just found out that Elton John is playing at the new O2 Arena - it should be a great night, but I’d still like to show my “support” to a site we work with. Lastminute doesn’t even have the event listed. Last week, they kindly informed me about new Prince tickets - 3 hours AFTER they had gone on sale.
So I hope they can pull their socks up, but in the meantime, it is back to See Tickets or Ticketmaster for concert tickets, and Expedia for hotels.