Has anyone else realised how much Travel Agents/Companies overcharge?? I just have...

blue_monkey_2

Well, back from Florida, trying to book another week so we can do some Xmas shopping and see the things we have missed (if I have a good week with work this week anyway!!)

So, looked on the Virgin Website (decent luggage allowance, Thompson have 15kgs total pp - are they on another planet??), anyway, one week in Animal Lodge in Savannah Room - room only basis, with flight in and out 1st week in December, Sat in and Sat return, no extras like food plans or tickets - total cost on Virgin Website £2910.65 with 5% discount added or £3047 if I call in as I won't get the discount. We don't (make that won't) drive out there and usually get transfers but we have asked to make our own arrangements as we will get the Magical Express for free as staying in Disney (yet no discount offered for making our own arrangements). On the breakdown they are charging us £2169 for our accomodation costs.

So, like the good MSE I am, I have been having a look around and I found THE SAME flights on Travelocity for £1312 or on Virgin Atlantic for £1292. The accomodation for the Animal Lodge on Expedia is £1109.75 - transport to and from the airport is free via Disney!! That means we could book for £2401.75 yet Virgin want to charge us over £3000!!! Plus the difference in price for the Accomodation is going to be over £1000 POUNDS from the Virgin/Expedia price.

I have to confess to being totally shocked as I would have thought a package would SAVE you money. I have Tesco vouchers I am saving for a big holiday in a few years time but I think the lesson learnt here is if you have no other incentive then DIY and bypass the Travel/Agents companies and see what else you can save. I am still shocked at the overcharge - that is admission tickets for all of us for the week in Disney - I wonder how much they overcharged us for those last time! It just makes me so mad!! Just what do they do extra for that £600 - we could not even contact them when we was in resort anyway so the rep side was pretty next to useless so I am sure we are not paying for this. I feel totally ripped off now!!

Felix

That's how they earn their living and pay for the office, the website, the staff. You have done the leg work and cut out the middleman, what's new?

ampersand

blue_monkey wrote:

I have Tesco vouchers I am saving for a big holiday in a few years time QUOTE]

Forgive my chopping.
I'm sure you are aware, but have you checked the dates on your vouchers? I suspect you can ask for them to be re-issued with a more distant date(08000505555-Free Call, Mr T CS).
I say this because I left my vouchers in France last month - they haven't turned up chez A since. I phoned and kind girl said 'No problem', having verified they'd not been used.
It's worth a call?

blue_monkey_2

Forgive my chopping.
I'm sure you are aware, but have you checked the dates on your vouchers? I suspect you can ask for them to be re-issued with a more distant date(08000505555-Free Call, Mr T CS).
I say this because I left my vouchers in France last month - they haven't turned up chez A since. I phoned and kind girl said 'No problem', having verified they'd not been used.
It's worth a call?

Ah really, that might be interesting - this thing is though, I have thought about it and I have £800 here now I was going to save for 2 years and then book the holiday for a year later so that if we could afford it we could upgrade the accomodation and pay cash. What kind of annoys me is that I'll have to pay £1000 to Virgin for the 'privelage' of them finding me the holiday which I can do for myself when I could spend the vouchers elsewhere. I might as well just get myself a good savings account to be fair!!

That's how they earn their living and pay for the office, the website, the staff. You have done the leg work and cut out the middleman, what's new?

Yes, I realised this but I did not realse they overcharged by so much to be honest - £1000 on accomodation for a week is a complete joke. Expedia must be making money and are charging £1000 less for the same accomodation - so are Virgin being more than a little greedy? It seems the only saving is on the Flight price. I was going to give Virgin a call this morning and ask them for a costing to see if the internet price is incorrect and tell them what I can get it fr and see if I can batter down the price - if it works then I'll let you know!!

The thing is - the flights are with Virgin anyway so surely they are making money out of the flight already so why add so much to the accomodation??

budgetflyer

Blue-Monkey, are you sure you are comparing like for like?
The Savanah view lodge is around £350 dearer than a standard room in Animal Kingdom.

Edit- expedia are miles cheaper than anyone else

blue_monkey_2

Yes, the same room, both are Savannah View. Just come back and stayed for a night wgile we was there so wouldn't consider a standard room overlooking the car park!! However, the additional cost on Expedia is about £20 a night where as Virgin are charging £350 for the room upgrade which is £50 a night!! It is cheaper to book through Disney themselves.

I am sure the other companies must be making money as well so it seems to me that Virgin are just plain greedy. It set me wondering - does every family get charged more than £500 than is they done a DIY package? It also annoys me that being a non-driver we do not get the cost of the car hire deducted from our price as they give a car for free and this must be paid for so for everyone who does not hire a car and makes their own arrangements, this 'fee' goes into their profits. I have not really given it a thought before but now I have found out I am pretty mad.

Even booking into Pop Century for a week is £600 less if you DIY. Reluctant to stay there as it is rubbish but if only going for a week want to have the added luxury of having the Extra Magic Hours and then get away from the parks while it is busy.

Dumyat

yeah I always research well and check all the options. sometimes a travel company is a better deal, often its not.
we went to a centre parks type place in holland for half the price Hoseasons wanted in their brochure. the park actually did a discount if you booked two weeks...something Hoseasons didnt pass on.
this year we are off to florida all in (villa/pool/car etc) for much less than I was quoted for a fly drive at the travel agents.

minimacka

Me and my family have booked our own holiday for the past 3 years, its so much cheaper. I book my flights first when they are cheap and then look through the holiday brochures to see where we would like to go, and to also make sure there are english familys there (so my kids have friends to play with) then i go about booking the room via med hotels or alpha rooms etc. The most i have saved is about £400 when we went to Salou 3 years ago, this year I have saved about £300. I go on holidays uncovered to read the reviews of the hotels that we stay at and have not yet chose a bad one.
:j

budgetflyer

This year we are doing DIY with a twist.I did the research, flights, accom and transfers but because theres other non family involved, and I dont want the hassle if anything goes t1ts up, Ive went into a good local independant and got it all wrapped up with ATOL protection. Because of their bulk buying they have sliced another £70 off the total. We have cut OVER A GRAND (33%) off what similar packages they had in their system from tour opps,with the added benefit of private transfers instead of getting the usual tour opp school bus

The other benefit being the TA also gets a nice £150 commission, so we are helping local business as well

Mizz_Pink

I have just booked accommodation with Alpharooms.com for £428 for a week in Lanzarote half board in a 5* hotel for 2 people. Thompson online wanted to charge over £800 EACH :eek:

I havent booked through an agent for years.

Sam_Bee

Don't tar everyone with the same brush.

You won't be able to undercut one of the holidays I organise via online or DIY. FACT.