Travel City Direct & Virgin any Differences

DrStragelove20

Hi looking at booking a holiday to Orlando with either of these, Virgin seems more expensive, are there any differences?
eg booking Universal with Virgin gives early bird access does TCD?

poet123

If you stay at any Universal resort you get the same benefits whether you book via an agent or independently.

I am just about to book for next June, but I am doing it independently.

DrStragelove20

we plan to stay at Disney but Virgin still offer early bird to universal

poet123

Then I doubt that TCD will be able to do that, I was under the impression that you only got those benefits if you stayed at a Universal hotel. We have been before with Virgin and that wasn't the case then we had to stay at RPR to get them. I have just looked at TC and their price worked out at over £1100 more for a flydrive for a family of 3 than I can do it for booking independently.

meer53

If you mean early access to the Universal parks, i wouldn't consider that a selling point really. We've been to Universal and IOA at all times of the day and never had a real problem. Certainly not worth paying more for !

I'm with Poet123, avoid the big travel agents, you will get it cheaper somewhere else.

We're going again in 2013 and have booked with Charter Travel, they beat every quote we'd had. Been with them before so we trust them.

poet123

meer53 wrote: »

If you mean early access to the Universal parks, i wouldn't consider that a selling point really. We've been to Universal and IOA at all times of the day and never had a real problem. Certainly not worth paying more for !

I'm with Poet123, avoid the big travel agents, you will get it cheaper somewhere else.

We're going again in 2013 and have booked with Charter Travel, they beat every quote we'd had. Been with them before so we trust them.

I think it depends when you go. We have been in July and August and stayed at a Universal hotel for 2 nights each time and it was worth it to us for the front of line passes then.

We are going in late June this time, we will probably use Charter Travel for flights, but I always do my own accom because we like specific locations for villas and specific amenities in them. Plus we usually do a split of Orlando and Gulf Coast.

Never used Charter before but they have been very responsive to emails good to hear you are happy with them.

meer53

poet123 wrote: »

I think it depends when you go. We have been in July and August and stayed at a Universal hotel for 2 nights each time and it was worth it to us for the front of line passes then.

We are going in late June this time, we will probably use Charter Travel for flights, but I always do my own accom because we like specific locations for villas and specific amenities in them. Plus we usually do a split of Orlando and Gulf Coast.

Never used Charter before but they have been very responsive to emails good to hear you are happy with them.

Next July will be our 5th visit. Been with TCD before and had no problems but that was before they were taken over by Virgin. We booked our villa through https://www.floridabees.co.uk as we like to specify where we are staying. Then we contact Charter Travel for the rest. Always cheaper doing it this way. Have paid more this time as having to go in school hols i'm afraid

poet123

meer53 wrote: »

Next July will be our 5th visit. Been with TCD before and had no problems but that was before they were taken over by Virgin. We booked our villa through www.floridabees.co.uk as we like to specify where we are staying. Then we contact Charter Travel for the rest. Always cheaper doing it this way. Have paid more this time as having to go in school hols i'm afraid

We are able to go in June after my son's last GCSE exam, which is the sticking point atm for booking. The school cannot say exactly what date the exams will end as the timetable is still provisional.:(

Charter Travel and Virgin flight prices were identical, so I may do it all independently yet.

peachyprice

poet123 wrote: »

We are able to go in June after my son's last GCSE exam, which is the sticking point atm for booking. The school cannot say exactly what date the exams will end as the timetable is still provisional.:(

Charter Travel and Virgin flight prices were identical, so I may do it all independently yet.

If it helps, and you want to play it absolutely safe, the official school leaving date for year 11's is always the last Friday in June.

poet123

peachyprice wrote: »

If it helps, and you want to play it absolutely safe, the official school leaving date for year 11's is always the last Friday in June.

Thanks for that, but co incidentally;) that is the day the flights go up!!

We actually want to go on the 26th which is the Wed, but we are not sure that the last exam scheduled (which for my son would be the 24th) will not be moved when the TT is confirmed. I doubt it will, but sods's law makes me think differently. I think we will probably risk it, as the exam is an extra GCSE which, if the worst happened, he could sit in November. I just need to be brave and book now!!