its so expensive!!

[davidmolliesmum]

the las two years running we've managed to get fantastic deals for florida, firstly at pop century £2000 for 4 of us and this year £2300 for villa and car for 4 of us.
i've been trawling the net since we got back trying to book for next year and all the prices i'm getting are over £4600!!!!

so was just interested to see.....

who you prefer(agent) to book with why?

do you book flights etc seperate?

or do you book last minute?

HELPPP!!!!!!!

 

[wayneg]

9 times out of 10 I book everything seperate but never rule out a Virgin Package or Flydrive.
Very difficult as we can only go in School hols but always seem to find something.
This August managed to get a free flight out with miles just paid for return flight. for flight and hotel for 24 nights it started off at £496 each but now added a 4 night cruise and changed our last 3 nights to Animal Kingdom Lodge. Now costing £730 each
17 nights Country Inn and Suites, 4 night cruise and 3 nights AKL.
Never paid more than £533 in school hols for a flight or £350 term time. but it gets harder to find the deals every year.

 

[jen_uk]

Ive just priced up 2 weeks in June next year with TCD and it comes out as about £2200, staying in a hotel on International drive including car hire. Your best bet is just to price up with loads of different companies, you will defintely find it cheaper than £4000.

 

[beauncoltsmum]

We went with travel city direct in september and it was very reasonable. I know what you mean about the prices. We want to go in january and its gone up loads.

 

[katiec]

I have just booked 2 weeks with Airtours - at Thomas Cook Shop. We are going 17 April - the week after Easter for 2 weeks. We have paid £2100 for premium Thomas cook flights, 14 day ultimate ticket and 2 day Universal ticket, and I4 car hire and Gold insurance.
They price matched the internet prices for the car and tickets and took a little more off on top too!
OK - its not a Virgin flight and we're at the Ramada Inn, I-Drive, but we're going and I have more spending money in my pocket.

I looked at all the options, booking separately etc,but I was more than happy with this price and i've got it all in the one place too.

I would love to have stayed on site and flown Virgin PE, but this way I can have 3 holidays a year!

Happy hunting.

 

[bazzanoid]

What are your dates / requirements etc? Is it 4 adults or 2+2kids? I'll do some digging tomorrow morning and see if I can turn anything up - tell me everything you need and i'll do me best

 

[Lizzybear]

I'm finding the flights are quite pricey right now.. Paid a bit more than we'd planned for California but I didn't want to risk waiting as we have fixed dates and the west coast routes don't seem to go as cheap last minute as Orlando (last September the flights were crazy cheap, I wished we'd waited but you live and learn!) We did a package with VH but in future i'll be booking stuff separately unless there is a package deal I can't refuse. I've done it all myself this year and i'm almost certain I couldn't have got a better price if i'd gone for a package. I did flights through Opodo, hotels through ebookers, expedia and hotel's own websites (I used tripadvisor to see which site had the cheapest deals and usually it was ebookers except for the Vegas deal I got on expedia) and car hire through uscarhire. Also the young driver's surcharge for me is a pain, but only for one more year!

 

[Little Flower]

i went to get quotes for AKL for 2 weeks next June and was given a £1000 discount from Thomas Cook!!!!! The price they've quoted is less than we paid in 2006!!

It is definately worth trying them but i think today is the last day of the huge discounts

 

[davidmolliesmum]

What are your dates / requirements etc? Is it 4 adults or 2+2kids? I'll do some digging tomorrow morning and see if I can turn anything up - tell me everything you need and i'll do me best

hey bazzanoid.....
2 adults and two kids, they'll be 5 and 3 when we travel..... pretty flexible with dates, from 22 june onwards right thru july for 2 weeks????

Thanks very much!!!!

 

[Claire L]

hey bazzanoid.....
2 adults and two kids, they'll be 5 and 3 when we travel..... pretty flexible with dates, from 22 june onwards right thru july for 2 weeks????

Thanks very much!!!!

Also which airport you want to fly from has some bearing on price. Does the £4600 include any car hire or hotel/villa costs?

Claire

 

[davidmolliesmum]

i went to get quotes for AKL for 2 weeks next June and was given a £1000 discount from Thomas Cook!!!!! The price they've quoted is less than we paid in 2006!!

It is definately worth trying them but i think today is the last day of the huge discounts

WOW! that is a good discount! we've used the same thomas cook for 3 years now, think its about time i got a good discount! AKL would be a dream to stay at....the kids would just love that!

 

[Claire L]

Just found 24th June for 2 weeks at Pop Century flying from Gatwick with VA is £3015 inc transfers but no car hire.

Claire

 

[davidmolliesmum]

Glasgow.... travelled from manchester last year and was a total nightmare! so would prefer glasgow again(like this year!)

the£4600 was not including car hire, have usually always found it cheaper to do the car hire seperate.

so only really looking for price for 2 ad 2 kids flights & accom?

easier said than done......??!!


Thanks Claire!

 

[Claire L]

Glasgow.... travelled from manchester last year and was a total nightmare! so would prefer glasgow again(like this year!)

the£4600 was not including car hire, have usually always found it cheaper to do the car hire seperate.

so only really looking for price for 2 ad 2 kids flights & accom?

easier said than done......??!!


Thanks Claire!

If that was from VH it may be an upgraded flight as they are showing some dates as having sold all economy seats.

Claire

 

[bazzanoid]

hey bazzanoid.....
2 adults and two kids, they'll be 5 and 3 when we travel..... pretty flexible with dates, from 22 june onwards right thru july for 2 weeks????

Thanks very much!!!!

No probs... will run them tomorrow A.M. and see what i can turn up from Glasgow.... any particular size car?

 

[Claire L]

After August 5th(ish) keep checking the VA website for flight only as they will release their direct sales about 336 days before departure so for the return flights add on the 14 days for the return flight.

Claire

 

[davidmolliesmum]

i've been searchin various sites like fly globespan, thomas cook, first choice etc to no avail. may have to just window watch at the travel agents for a good deal coming up!!

thanks Claire!

 

[davidmolliesmum]

After August 5th(ish) keep checking the VA website for flight only as they will release their direct sales about 336 days before departure so for the return flights add on the 14 days for the return flight.

Claire

thank you!! i will keep you posted!!

 

[Little Flower]

WOW! that is a good discount! we've used the same thomas cook for 3 years now, think its about time i got a good discount! AKL would be a dream to stay at....the kids would just love that!

The TA managed to get it down to £2800 for 14 nights at AKL - that was for the two of us but no car hire

 

[bazzanoid]

Ok.... not a lot out there at the moment... as Claire said, best to wait till 336 days out from the flight date, that way you can get better deals