Virgin Holidays Packages where to buy

asimon

Hi all,

I'm looking at a Package holiday via Virgin Atlantic Airways website to Florida, using there Fight and Hotel option, staying in a
Orlando Area Standard Home 3 bedrooms Villa to sleep 6, may go for more bedrooms

From peoples experiences/knowledge, would I get a better deal direct via Virgin, I would go to a Virgin Atlantic travel agent to do the booking rather than online, or would it be better going to a via high street travel agent or an independent travel agent that sell virgin holidays

Westin

Virgin Holidays now only sell direct so you will not find that a normal travel agent sells their holidays.

You can book via the telephone or on their website, they also have a number of retail shops. A few in big city locations they call ‘v-rooms’ and are on the high street. Others are in Tesco, Debenhams or Next stores. There is a location finder on their website.

Online can be slightly cheaper. I think the retail stores make a charge to organise and book the holiday for you.

Other operators and good travel agency’s will also be able to sell you a similar villa/flights package. Not a Virgin Holiday but on Virgin Atlantic flights.

peachyprice

You would get a better deal booking flights and villa separately.

Mermaid89

As above, booking "DIY" is cheaper. Bare in mind that Virgin Holidays and Virgin Atlantic are separate entities so if you book a flight with VA you will not be entitled to Virgin Holiday perks such as the V-room etc.

asimon

Thanks for you replies, having done some more research , well my son did, found better deal via British Airways site, but as mentioned above I think I will go to a travel agent and see what deals I cant get with flight via Virgin or British Airway, I prefer not to fly via a charters airline.

Normally I would do book my flight separately via searching skyscanner, and hotel via search site and compare with going direct, when its me and my wife.

However as this is a family holiday, whereby we will need to stay in a villa, I just feel it be preferable doing it via a travel agent.

I'd would appreciate any thoughts, subsidence etc., I'm base in London any recommendations of best travel agents to use, or experiences booking large family holiday to Florida, staying in a villa

jackieblack

Florida is one of the easiest places to arrange a DIY trip for. There is absolutely no need to use a travel agent.

Westin

With regard to villa choices I would recommend paying a little more for the next category up from ‘standard’. Operators call them different names like Gold/Executive/Platinum, but I feel you get a much better villa by only paying a little more, especially if split between several of you in the house.

The ‘standard’ and even some of the upgraded villas are allocated on arrival. You could end up on the periphery of the area in somewhere like Southern Dunes. Another option would be to research and pick a named villa development. There are some better than others. A good travel agent may have some ideas or you could also ask on theDibb which is a popular site for Orlando holidaymakers. Some of these newer villa developments have amazing facilities like a water park, onsite restaurant and bar, kids clubs etc (Encore Resort at Reunion).

If you are comfortable using a travel agent then nothing wrong with that. Whilst you could DIY possibly for less, it does take a lot of the work and agro out of organising the family and the trip.

To your new point on BA, just watch for and factor in their high price of preassigning seats on the aircraft.

Back to Virgin Holidays, another advantage of booking with them which someone else pointed out was some of the exclusive benefits and add-ons that you can arrange. You could for example use (paid for) v-Room departure lounge at Gatwick or Manchester. They also have early park admission at Universal Orlando. May be relevant or of value to you.

Finally, I wouldn’t discount the charters. TUI and Thomas Cook fly from many U.K. regional airports as well as the major ones. TUI also have more legroom in the economy cabin than BA and VS.

Happy planning.