Prices changed on First Choice website

jon200

A particular holiday in Fuengirola was total price of £297 earlier this afternoon on the First Choice website, this was for 2 people self catering.

I couldn't book earlier as i had to wait for my boss to give me the ok to take the time off.

I just checked the website again and the price has gone up to £291 per person! Why would they put the prices up by almost double and what are the chances of me getting the earlier price if i go down the the branch tonight?

dzug

It MAY be worth clearing your cookies and trying again. It's possible you (your computer that is) has been noted as interested and therefore might be willing to pay more....

Or it could be they've sold a few more holidays and feel demand is high enough to put the price up

jon200

Thanks for the reply.

If you're right about them selling a few and putting the prices up, would i be likely to get the original price if i go to the store tonight and have a moan?

dzug wrote: »

It MAY be worth clearing your cookies and trying again. It's possible you (your computer that is) has been noted as interested and therefore might be willing to pay more....

Or it could be they've sold a few more holidays and feel demand is high enough to put the price up

bagand96

All tour operators use a fluid pricing system. This means prices for their holidays can change very quickly, and at times seem random.

For example if a particular holiday has very few bookings, they will lower the price to generate interest and new bookings. On the flip side, if a holiday is doing well with bookings they will increase the price. "Supply and demand".

It may be that they were offering a very good price on that holiday and a got a good few bookings, and that is why the price has increased. I have no idea of the actual inner workings of their pricing system, but it could be automated, so if lots of people booked, the computer may have registered as a mass of demand and increased the price to match. Like I said, that is hypothetical, I don't know how automated their pricing system is, if at all!

I echo dzug and advise you to clear your cookies and try again, or even on another computer. It may be that a cookie is regstering your interest in that holiday and thats why you are seeing an incresed price. It has happened before, I think at one time even Amazon tried it on CDs!!

With regards to a First Choice agent, I doubt they can to much. The price in the system will be the price for everyone, on the FC website, their travel agents, or any travel agent. It will vary +/- a few quid (web discounts, special agent offers etc), but generally the price will be in the same ball park. A FC agent may be able to offer you some discounts, but I doubt they could authorise such a discount (nearly half) from what is in the system.

jon200

Tried deleting my cookies and no change, i'm extremely disappointed about missing out on this holiday.

bagand96

All is not lost...

Try having a look around the net at other operators, or look at flight and hotels separately to see if it can be done for a good price. You may be still able to pick something up for similar money... unless the FC price was absolutely rediculously cheap... in which case it may have been a system/pricing error?

If you leave your dates/airports/destinations I'm sure a few here wouldnt mind having a wee look for you...

lou29

The same thing happened to me last year. I found a really good price on their site but waited to show other half, the price had changed by £500. I was really dissapointed but I checked the site at different times over the next few weeks and the price had gone back down again.
The same thing also happened to me this year on the Airtours site price changed by £1000. :eek: But checked back a few weeks later and it was back down again so I booked. So I would just keep checking theii site over the next few days.
Hope this helps

Incapuppy

Could someone please explain a little more about the issue with cookies and how my interest in a holiday is being registered thus possibly making the price go up?

I am planning on booking a fairly last minute holiday this year as OH has to go away soon with his job for anything from 6-12 weeks. Such is the nature of his work that it will only be safe to book once he has landed back in the UK as his return to the UK could be delayed further at any point.

There are a couple of holiday packages that I am interested in and I do find myself checking the latest prices maybe a couple of times a week just to try and get an indication of how the holidays are selling - ie: if the prices started to rise quite a bit I would presume that the holidays are selling better and that decreases my chance of getting a better last minute offer.

Am I doing myself a complete disservice? I have to say that the prices have fluctuated over several weeks maybe +/- £50 per person but nothing drastic.

It sounds a bit pathetic I know to keep checking up but I can't help myself as I just enjoy doing it and looking forward to the possibility of a nice holiday.

What concerns me is that even if I clear my cookies regularly or try my hardest not to take a peep at the holidays until my OH gets back, will the fact that I have looked at them so many times affect the price that is indicated to me by the website even last minute when I am in a position to book?

This all looks a bit daft to me now I have written it down, but I would be really grateful if anyone could shed any further light on this situation - even if it is 'stop looking at holidays and get a life' lol.

Many TIA x

PS: Its not to say that I am desperate to get a last minute deal with one of these particular holidays - if they aren't available then such is life I am quite happy that we will be able to get a similar suitable alternative when we are in a position to book - I am just really curious as to how this whole cookie registering interest/price going up thing works and whether it is a fairly common practice.

budgetflyer

All this cookie clearing is a bit of an urban myth IMO .
Prices change based on demand and availability.. I dont believe they can alter the price on an individual basis. In fact it is more likely to lose a sale than gain one if that was the case.

chuckley

thats y u gotta jump on things like flites n that when u see em, coz they wont be the same later.

bagand96

Could someone please explain a little more about the issue with cookies and how my interest in a holiday is being registered thus possibly making the price go up?

The theory goes that when you look at a holiday the tour operator website, they place some information in a cookie containing what holidays you've looked at, and even how many times. Then, when you go back another time the website can see that information and then maybe increase the price as you are an "interested" party.

Its worth saying that it has never been proven any of the UK tour operators, or any other UK site that I'm aware of, use this practice. It is a THEORY, the only time i've heard of it for real is Amazon trialling it a few years back in the US. They soon ditched the practice.

All this cookie clearing is a bit of an urban myth IMO .
Prices change based on demand and availability.. I dont believe they can alter the price on an individual basis. In fact it is more likely to lose a sale than gain one if that was the case.

I also tend to agree, for the fact I've never seen any actual evidence of it happening. I would always try clearing cookies, just in case, but I've never known it. The Tour operator pricing systems are so fluid that I can't see it being much use to them.