Has the volcano made you rethink how you book your holiday?

[Elise79]

For Disney trips we'll always to DIY as we're DVC members. We both have credit cards for just in case situations.

For other trips it would depend on the price.

We are the same being dvc members we have no choice but to do DIY. In this situation I don't think being on a flydrive would have helped much.

TBH we would DIY anyway as it's usually a lot cheaper and we always have a credit card on us in case of emergencies.

 

[AlexJB]

Originally I was planning a trip to WDW just before my graduation in July this year, with the original dates we would be getting back two days before I was due to graduate. I never gave this a second thought, until the volcano erupted...

I'm sure there's only a small chance of it erupting again, but for me I couldn't take the risk, after a 4 year degree course I would have been gutted at missing my graduation, so we decided to go straight after graduation instead now. It means slightly more money, and travelling in peak time..but I don't particularly mind as it is giving me peace of mind and I can enjoy the trip without worrying about missing out!

 

[disneyholic family]

I'm glad you got home However this is absolutely GUTTING to read: flying home on Wednesday after a 96 hour delay sounds like heaven to us. We have flights for tomorrow - a nine day delay for us It's not the financial side of it (we'd need to be out here for several more weeks before we'd make up the difference we'd have spent by booking a package), it's just so frustrating that those who haven't been out here as long as able to go home before us. We know why, and we're glad you got home, but it's just gutting.

i'm sure i would also be very upset by this...

 

[disneyangel]

I'm glad you got home However this is absolutely GUTTING to read: flying home on Wednesday after a 96 hour delay sounds like heaven to us. We have flights for tomorrow - a nine day delay for us It's not the financial side of it (we'd need to be out here for several more weeks before we'd make up the difference we'd have spent by booking a package), it's just so frustrating that those who haven't been out here as long as able to go home before us. We know why, and we're glad you got home, but it's just gutting.

We found the same situation in Europe with Ryanair and found people being delayed for only 2 days on the same journey whereas ours was 10 !!!

I have to say I was more than a little upset and eventually we gave up waiting and came back under our own steam -we were lucky in Europe that we had that option.

Hope you are home soon too

PS We heard fabulous reports of those who travelled with Thomson's !!

 

[Kath2003]

i'm sure i would also be very upset by this...

We're not upset, we're just frustrated. It doesn't seem to matter when you originally got 'stranded' as to when you're allocated a seat back home: it's just what happens to be available when you reach the rebooking centre. Anyway, hopefully we are coming home today (9 days late). We need to go back to work

 

[igk]

We were stranded for 6 days in Los Angeles, and arrived back yesterday morning.
It was DD's birthday during that and we took her to Disneyland.

Anyway we were DIY and flew American Airlines, so aren't covered by EU rules. Our Trip insurance like nearly every other one didn't cover us either.
We paid per night (for 6 extra nights) about £90 hotels, £25 car hire, £60 food, plus other things so about £200/night*6 ~£1200, PLUS £500 for 3 day Disneyland park hoppers*4 ironically the day we left DL were offering stranded Europeans a free day's entry! (I gather WDW did too)

Anyway back on topic, I would definitely book DIY again, but would pay a little bit more for more protection, but not much. If I'd been booked with a EU airline they might have put us up, but I would have preferred the flexibility to do what I want rather than be stuck in an airport Motel 6 or somewhere. So yes if BA offers the same price as AA then I'll book BA, but I probably would have anyway. I'll hunt around next time for insurance policies and check the cover more carefully, but wouldn't pay a fortune for a better one.

The thing I learned was to pay for DIY flights with a credit card, but that was from Aloha Airlines going bust 2 years ago and leaving me out of pocket...

 

[PaulaSB12]

To be honest the stupid single room suppliments are what keep me going diy. The holiday I have booked this year includes park tickets, premium economy flights there and back and 2 weeks at the Beach Club. I costed this out with virgin and working on the same but having to fly economy on the way back it worked out at £1800 more. I know peace of mind is one thing but £1800 for peace of mind??????????????

 

[wayneg]

I costed this out with virgin and working on the same but having to fly economy on the way back it worked out at £1800 more. I know peace of mind is one thing but £1800 for peace of mind??????????????

I just priced up on Virgin, 3 adults for 21 days next August OKW free DDP, Full size car & 21 day tix £8426.25
DIY this year we are doing
21 days OKW free DDP & 21 day tix £2,723.38
3x Biz class flights £3,512.62
Car £197.50 (25 nights)
Total £6,433.50

I know costs will probably increase for next years DIY elements but not so much, £2,000 cheaper than Virgin and Biz class flights instead of economy. Virgin are way OTT for me just now.

 

[VailaTigger]

I'm glad you got home However this is absolutely GUTTING to read: flying home on Wednesday after a 96 hour delay sounds like heaven to us. We have flights for tomorrow - a nine day delay for us It's not the financial side of it (we'd need to be out here for several more weeks before we'd make up the difference we'd have spent by booking a package), it's just so frustrating that those who haven't been out here as long as able to go home before us. We know why, and we're glad you got home, but it's just gutting.

So sorry to hear that you have been delayed so long hope you get home soon!

The only reason we got away so quickly was because we had already boarded the plane for our original flight home when they cancelled it. So... we'd cleared immigration, and the green cards had been removed from our passports... the US Immigration service wanted rid of us!

Safe flight home, and I really hope everyone else gets home soon, I've been thinking about you all.