Has anyone booked with Sunshine.co.uk; trading name of Hays Travel?

poor_johno

Seen a really good deal online at sunshine.co.uk.

I'd like to know from experience if they can be trusted? They dont seem to be ATOL covered but are ABTA, and when I called they said we can only book online.

Any advice is much appreciated! Thanks

delwynshd

Sunshine have been around for a while, you still have to be carefull when booking online with these independent agents in my opinion. I dont think the margins they are making now will keep alot of these small companies in business very long

Packages are the way forward in my opinion

Del

poor_johno

delwynshd wrote: »

Sunshine have been around for a while, you still have to be carefull when booking online with these independent agents in my opinion. I dont think the margins they are making now will keep alot of these small companies in business very long

Packages are the way forward in my opinion

Del

Yeah fair enough Del, I am dubious for that fact.

Then again I'm planning on going away next Friday, what could go wrong in such short time......naive?

delwynshd

Nothing by next Friday I shouldnt imagine

You'll be fine get it booked if your happy with the cost

Del

apt

I've booked accommodation with Sunshine and had good service. You can also get 7% cashback via topcashback etc., although only on accommodation, not flights.

k0nstantine

I booked a 3 star all inclusive hotel with them a few years back, but had a phone call a day or two before we were due to travel saying that the accomodation actually wasn't an ai hotel, but was self catering.
They offered us the original hotel at the original price, or told us we could be upgraded to a sister hotel than was 4 stars for no extra cost.
After checking out the hotel online (reviews) we opted for the upgrade and had a great time.

carmel11

Surely, Hays travel are a highly reputable and well established company.

sparklylime

We wen't a sunshine.co.uk holiday last year, all was going well with no problems til we got stuck with the volcanic ash cloud. When we got in touch to ask what was happening, how to get home etc they basically said thats not their problem. So I think if all runs smoothly they are probably quite good but any problems crop up and you're on your own.

poor_johno

Thanks guys!

1456best

Be very carefukl with such companies .If the holiday is not classed as a "package holiday" and instead is a dynamic one where they merely act as agents you may find that they are indifferent if a problem arises , such as delayed flights and being given unsuitable hotel room. .ABTA are often unhelpful in situations where travel companies act as agents , especially so where the supplier used by the agents is not ABTA registered.
It is disgraceful that travel companies can evade compalints by clients because of the confusion as to what is a package holiday.