Flight Change! ✈️

bex88

@elsien Currently Gatwick to Verona, Verona to Gatwick. The transfer is quoted at £275 from Thomas cook, Privately it will still likely be around £200+.

Stansted is much more preferable for us, and I'm thinking actually the best option would be to cancel and rebook to get the Stansted & Ryanair flights, but it's a matter of if somehow I can get our room again, or transferred as the type I picked is now sold out. I will email the lady again and ask about the hotel room.
Going to Stansted, for their advertised flight time which is 12:50, would also mean I would save a little anyway as wouldn't need to stay overnight near the airport. which I had already booked with Holiday extras for Gatwick.

@Luci You are recommending this? ^ Taking a refund and re-booking? I was told and also read online that it's anything over 6 hours is classed as significant.

@Caz3121 I understand, that's very annoying :( I hope if there are further changes that they are not big ones.

Edit: Hit a problem - I looked at if I were to rebook and many rooms are sold out, our room type is unavailable and the price is nearly £200 more with the cheapest room (which is just a small double room, no good for us. I currently have a room with 1 bedroom and sofabed in the living area) and with adding on the breakfast and overhead cabin bags, to match my original listing. So unless they can hold the room for us we currently have, I can't see how I will work out with minimal price difference.

I have emailed the lady back about this, so I will await to see what she says. I have said that I can't afford to pay that for a transfer also, so unless TC can cover that, it's not really an option. And that I want to keep the holiday as a package, because I want the added security.

luci

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82052484#Comment_82052484

Obviously, you would check first that you can rebook at the same or a lower price, or with a better itinerary, before accepting a refund. Any change to a package holiday with a tour operator is normally 12 hours or more (not 24 hours as I originally said) before it is classed as a major change. A change direct with an airline is likely to be less, but will depend on the individual airline's T&Cs.

TELLIT01

If you have booked a package it normally includes transfers between airport and hotel. If they change the flight time they will change the pick up time from the hotel.

TheShape

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82053464#Comment_82053464

From checking the Thomas Cook website, they don't include transfers with their package holidays.

bex88

No I didn't pick to include transfers as they are very expensive and was advised that using the trains and buses is fairly good and simple.

Pollycat

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82053464#Comment_82053464

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82053503#Comment_82053503

Companies like TUI and Jet2 generally include transfers with package holidays (as well as hold luggage).

It's the companies like Thomas Cook (not the old company), Love holidays, On the Beach etc that don't.

la531983

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82053619#Comment_82053619

"generally" is the operative word.

Jet2 dont offer this on most of their city break destinations. Athens being one example, I used them in October, although making own way into the city from the airport isnt too tricky from there.

I suspect TUI are the same for some destinations also.

Worried_fool

Would it not be possible to keep the outbound flight and get a refund for the flight home? That way you would still have a package, and could come home on Ryanair to Stansted.

Personally I have never booked a package, and never needed the extra protection… I therefore suggest keeping the hotel booking and getting a refund for the flights so that you can book your own. Check your insurance and consider whether that would be an acceptable substitute for the protection that a package gives.

Oh: use Google Maps to see times for public transport. That should tell you whether it is possible to get to the airport in time for the morning flights that TC have suggested.

la531983

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82054042#Comment_82054042

First bus is at 0558 to Mori (arrives 0630), four minute walk, then a train to Verona (0659, arrives 0801), a walk to the bus station (7 minutes) and then another bus to Verona Airport @ 0810 that gets in at 0826.

Thats a tight connection in Verona between train and bus.

A suggestion - get a taxi to the train station at Mori for their first train of the day to Verona @ 0602. This gets you into Verona train station at 0715, which would leave plenty of time to get the 199 bus to the airport which leaves every 20 minutes at xx10, xx30 and xx50. The 0730 one would be the first one you would be able to get.

Pollycat

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82053982#Comment_82053982

It certainly is the operative word.

Jet2 do provide transfers to Lake Garda holidays.

And 22kg luggage.

That's why it's important to not just look at the headline price and assume you've got a bargain.