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Post by yorkshiremouth on Feb 5, 2022 8:56:48 GMT
I’m a bit surprised we don’t have a thread on this already.
Many years ago (about 20-25) I visited Greece for the first time. I went with my mate and his other half (I was the third wheel) and they booked it. It was DIY, but because they booked everything, I didn’t have anything to do with it.
Since then, I’ve only ever booked a package holiday.
I just wondered what different people’s experiences have been. Anyone only go DIY? Anyone switch regularly between the two?
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Post by balddave on Feb 5, 2022 14:04:18 GMT
We have for many years booked flight and accommodation separately, however this year we’ve booked a package with jet 2, when taking into account hold luggage, airplane seat and transfers it’s working out to be a substantial saving.
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Post by kelso on Feb 5, 2022 14:24:51 GMT
One major advantage is that if things go wrong, particularly with travel, then it is up to the company to sort it out, relieving you of a load of stress.
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Post by cariad23 on Feb 5, 2022 14:56:38 GMT
we prefer to book flight accommodation seperately,i think you feel like a traveller than a holidaymaker.Also far better accommodation choice. one year we booked scheduled flights from heathrow to kalamata for stoupa for £115 each return in july , heaps more legroom than thomas cook alternative at the time. even with the taxi cost 120 euro return trip (60 mins eachway) it was over £600 cheaper than a package to the same place and because we booked direct aircon included. we never use the coach transfer even on a package because it takes too long to get everyone on and the reps give a silly speech like you are 3 year olds who have never travelled before. However in these strange times when holidays being cancelled moved etc it is probably safer to book a package, instead of having to negoiate refunds or date changes with airlines accommodation. Also it depends on your age and health, if you are likely to need assistance of rep or have a major health issue you may be safer with package. (not that they were much use to Dennis last year) If you are both familiar with using internet on your phone if you need to change flights etc i would say in normal times not a package. I was in mykonos travelling independently with easyjet which had several flights in a week , they cancelled a flight home 2 days before ours gave immediate refund, but they had no obligation to get people home it was up to them to source another flight, alot of the passengers hadnt got smart phones or a clue just went to the airport and started shouting !
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Post by yorkshiremouth on Feb 5, 2022 14:59:00 GMT
If you book DIY, how do you book?
Online?
Do today’s travel agents - like physical TUI and Jet2 stores - book anything other than their own flights and holidays?
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Post by dennisn on Feb 5, 2022 19:51:20 GMT
In the olden days, before you lot were born, my then wife and I went on Flight Only with Thomson to Corfu (and once to Sicily). Back then, they weren't allowed to do Flight Only to some destinations, so to cover themselves, they said accommodation would be provided, but it would be basic, perhaps even dormitory or camping. We always took a copy of the page in their brochure which said so. When we landed, the rep greeted us with "Ah, you're Flight Only aren't you, finding your own accommodation". We said "No, we're accepting your accommodation". It inevitably took some time to get through, they often would ring head office, and in the end, agreed we could have accommodation. They never ever had dormitories or campings, so they had to put us up in some spare accommodation that they had. It was always a spare villa and in Sicily it was a complete house right on the beach, two floors, two bedrooms, full kitchen, loadsa furniture, door entry phone, 14 paces to the sea.
They don't do it now of course. I was in Corfu when Excel went bust - we had gone flight only Easyjet with our own choice of accommodation. It worked out dearer than package, but it was the place we wanted. Excel clients and reps were all left high and dry in total confusion, even those covered by ABTA were in difficulty because there was nobody there to deal with them. Before internet of course.
I'm too old to bother with the business of hunting down flights and accommodation now. But I confess if our accommodation left TUI (she's put her second villa on Booking.com I think), I guess we'd go flight only and book direct with her. Vera's daughter does it all the time, few days here and there, and gets good deals. There's a secret that she and Vera's son are going to surprise us by being in Skiathos this September, Jet2 and Hotel Arco in Aghia Paraskevi, done separately. Grandson let the cat out inadvertently, shame really, but that's life.
My own belief is that booking flight and accommodation separately instead of package is dearer, but I have little proof of that. And Cariad makes a very good point that things going Base over Apex are the responsibility of TUI etc (they did in the end sort me out last year, but it wasn't a good experience - would have been OK if only they had told me in advance that they had sorted it out, but I struggled to survive in a vacuum of communication). Incidentally, whilst I am reasonably capable to deal with that sort of thing on the Internet, Vera isn't and she would have been stuck if I had been incapacitated.
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Post by balddave on Feb 6, 2022 8:33:02 GMT
On my first visit to Skiathos,1998, we went to meet friends from the UK who owned both the jailhouse restaurant and the banana bar in town. The couple who ran the jailhouse had arranged accommodation by the airport. We could not get flight only at a decent price so we ended up booking a package to Skopelos that worked out cheaper, on arrival we had to tell the rep, I think Manos, that we didn’t require the package rooms .
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Post by cariad23 on Feb 6, 2022 11:41:45 GMT
i usually book straight on airlines site, and try to book hotels own web page that way they get all the money if you use booking .com they charge commission. i had never considered BA but a guest at hotel tipped me off if you book within a week of flights being added you get early bird deal, ridiculousy cheap our flight was over £200 each more expensive by the time we went. the hotel gave us their e mail address, you get loads extras booking direct free safe aircon. BUT if i got run over for example i dread to think of my husband sorting out insurance flights back etc, he used to be very capable but years of me doing it all because im faster typing etc he plays helpless card. Even if i book package i do it online so much easier to change than ring travel agents, most travelled agents havent had the years of experience travelling i have and probably never been to the places i want to go. My favourite travel company was Kosmar so much choice and flexibility. I was in Kefalonia when it went broke it was chaotic, but luckily for once we had booked late good deal with Tui. I wish more airlines went to skiathos because the flight only prices with tui and jet 2 make it quite expensive to book independently. If we get 6 numbers id love to charter private jet, I,ll give all the forum friends a lift !
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Post by yorkshiremouth on Feb 6, 2022 11:50:52 GMT
Thanks everyone.
Over the next few years, I'm going to be visiting - alone, or with SWMBO - maybe a bit more often. or certainly for the odd cheeky week here and there.
I've caught to AirBnB bug a bit - there are some great deals out there. It's nice looking.
I thoroughly appreciate, and over the years have completely signed up to, the notions of (a) package holidays often being cheaper, even to the point of being cheaper than a standalone flight, and (b) even when DIY is cheaper, there's often not a lot in it, and these savings must be balanced against the 'security' benefits.
Nonetheless, like many of us, I've got to know a lot of Skiathos like the back of my hand over the years. If you klonked me over the head right now, and I woke up on a plane that had just landed at JSI, with nothing booked, I'm sure I could find somewhere and survive quite easily.
And there's something else. With AirBnB there appears to be quite a few very nice houses/flats, which is something quite different to a self catering room in a hotel. A bit more like 'living there', only for a limited amount of time, rather than 'staying as a tourist'.
In three or four years we'll be retiring, and able to spend longer on our breaks; perhaps 3-4 weeks, or even longer at a time.
Anyway, whichever route we take, I think it's nice to have the choice. I think I opened the thread to find out what people's experiences have been. As I say, I know about the potential pitfalls of Covid/earthquakes/Godzilla suddenly causing holidays to be cancelled, but I wanted to hear of people's genuine, real-life (rather than theoretical) experiences of the pros and cons.
So please feel free to continue.
One thing, how have people found last-minute flight shopping? Much discount? Too risky?
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Post by yorkshiremouth on Feb 6, 2022 11:54:46 GMT
i usually book straight on airlines site, and try to book hotels own web page that way they get all the money if you use booking .com they charge commission. i had never considered BA but a guest at hotel tipped me off if you book within a week of flights being added you get early bird deal, ridiculousy cheap our flight was over £200 each more expensive by the time we went. the hotel gave us their e mail address, you get loads extras booking direct free safe aircon. BUT if i got run over for example i dread to think of my husband sorting out insurance flights back etc, he used to be very capable but years of me doing it all because im faster typing etc he plays helpless card. Even if i book package i do it online so much easier to change than ring travel agents, most travelled agents havent had the years of experience travelling i have and probably never been to the places i want to go. My favourite travel company was Kosmar so much choice and flexibility. I was in Kefalonia when it went broke it was chaotic, but luckily for once we had booked late good deal with Tui. I wish more airlines went to skiathos because the flight only prices with tui and jet 2 make it quite expensive to book independently. If we get 6 numbers id love to charter private jet, I,ll give all the forum friends a lift ! I have told SWMBO that if we got a big win, we'd be buying a villa, and we wouldn't tell the kids. I'd spend a bit of time sorting it to our spec/needs, then when it was ready, we'd tell the kids we were going on holiday - only for us to turn up at the airport and have a private jet waiting for us. Not every time (unless we won VERY big), but I'd love to se their faces.
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Post by cariad23 on Feb 6, 2022 12:08:14 GMT
I,d love to surprise my in laws with a chauffer driven car to the airport and private jet, as struggling on standard airline plane, airport proceedures would be too difficult for them now with dodgey knees etc ,and they have treated us to some fantastic holidays over the years and shared with them, nile criuise african safari, and sorrento to name a few.
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Post by yorkshiremouth on Feb 6, 2022 13:08:00 GMT
I see with the flights you have to pay extra for baggage allowance.
But I can't find this on Jet2, do you get hand luggage for free? If so, what weight?
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Post by cariad23 on Feb 6, 2022 17:25:52 GMT
We used them flight only to Madeira yes you get usual hand luggage , plane comfortable good legroom good choice food. We avoid hand luggage just small bag with newspapers kindle etc . I don’t want to be dragging hand luggage round airport, and one case each to handle no stress
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Post by dennisn on Feb 6, 2022 19:04:10 GMT
That’s all very well, but do they do Baileys?
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Post by balddave on Feb 6, 2022 19:06:55 GMT
In answer to your question YM, jet 2 cabin baggage 10kg, they are our airline of choice, great legroom, attentive hostesses, reactive if you have a question etc, and my favourite, a cup holder in the seat back
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