Package or flights/hotel separately?

[joemo]

Hi, I need some advice please.

Well we have been to Orlando 3 times and our fourth trip is in March (we go over Easter), always done it through Virgin as a package.

We like to stay in Disney (although we have now started doing 10 nights Disney/4 nights Universal). No car hire.

I assumed that a package would be cheapest as we get the 10% frequent Virgins discount, and when I priced flights/transfer/hotel before booking the first time it was.

Now I booked for March 2008 in December 2006 and got what I thought was a good price for 10 nights at POFQ and 4 nights at the HRH. Just out of interest I priced our exact same holiday just now via Virgin Atlantic and the Disney and Universal websites and it came out £400 cheaper - that’s without having the Frequent Virgin discount!

BA flights were a further £300 cheaper - that’s a grand total of £700 I could have saved!

I am shocked! Have I been getting it wrong all these years?

Could someone please explain/reassure me…what’s going on?

Thanks!

 

[PaulaSB12]

I am doing it myself for next year, I want to get flights with virgin and in july they are about £547 so I am hoping for the same with august (miles + money) the holiday for 2 rooms at CSR (waterview) is £3171 so if I can get the flights I want it will be a total of £5906 (but my sister wants to pay for her own flight) with Virgin holidays the cheapest would be just under £7000 and that isnt with insurance as I usually go with someone else for that.

 

[wayneg]

Packages are usually the most expensive way to go, there are exceptions if tour ops want to shift holidays, we have had a package for Oct half term cheaper than seperate but usually school hols like Easter you get stung with the package. While kids are at school packages can be cheaper.
I just posted in another thread this afternoon. We have just returned from 25 nights at Courtyard by Marriott, full size car, Virgin flights for 3 people, £2,700 total, Virgin wanted £4,700 for the package. £2,000 saving but was helped a lot with Miles and Money flights.
It is sometimes worth cancelling a package to book sepaerate but make sure before you cancel and lose you deposit.
Personally I think Virgin package prices have got stupid, but thats for offsite hotels never price onsite anymore as we love the location of courtyard at £25/night.
Edit, forgot to say, I have booked Virgin Miles and Money again for next Easter, fly out Easter Saturday for 14 nights cost us £410+ 2,000 miles. Same flights this Easter were £291+2,000 miles so they have gone up a lot for next Easter.

 

[Claire L]

I find flydrive good value, although this October I am doing it all myself!

Although I did find VH cheaper for our New Year trip last year as WDW rack rates were still the hoghest they can be when we arrived and that rate would of stayed for the entire trip, with VH we just ahd peak season supplements on 3 of the nights. I am glad we did this as AP rates were near to nothing for Jan 1st onwards so we did save a fair bit by doing it all with VH.

Claire

 

[rpbert1]

first time i booked package with Virgin, last year i booked flydrive and booked my own stay at Universal RPR.
this year i have booked for next June 30th for 3 weeks.
Flights British Airways from Dublin -London -Orlando return- 3X £385=£1155

Car rental full size with Insurance and all taxes £384

Hotel 3 weeks at RPR free upgrade to Suite i have a Loews Platinum =£2200
Couting hotel stay same price as this year when Triple A rates come out,works out a grand total of £3739 which is quite a saving if i was to book a package

 

[wayneg]

You got me wondering how much if I had booked package for next Easter with Virgin. 4 of us going for 2 weeks, 2 bed Condo, full size car with platinum ins. £4,963.10
Booked it myself but I believe a better condo than Virgin is offering, £2,516 then adding a 4 night Disney cruise for £1,600 total £4,116.
£2,447 cheaper, pays for the cruise and our food for 2 week.

 

[Jakey Rowling]

I am shocked! Have I been getting it wrong all these years?

Thanks!

Yes most probably but there are a few exceptions as others have said.
For the most part you pay for the simplicity and convenience of a package deal.

 

[fuse04]

You got me wondering how much if I had booked package for next Easter with Virgin. 4 of us going for 2 weeks, 2 bed Condo, full size car with platinum ins. £4,963.10
Booked it myself but I believe a better condo than Virgin is offering, £2,516 then adding a 4 night Disney cruise for £1,600 total £4,116.
£2,447 cheaper, pays for the cruise and our food for 2 week.

When you book it yourself do you book direct with the hotel, say Courtyard, and fly with Virgin Atlantic?

thanks
Fuse

 

[wayneg]

When you book it yourself do you book direct with the hotel, say Courtyard, and fly with Virgin Atlantic?

thanks
Fuse

Never book direct with hotel, thats an expensive way of doing it. I priced up Homewood suites on another thread today Direct on Hiltons site it was £83/night, Alpharooms.com was £40/night. I use numerous sites Hotelopia, Alpharooms, Hotel Mart USA, Airline Network I have about 40 sites in my faves plus use comparison websites to scan a few more.
Last time I booked Homewood suites it was over £100/ night direct, I paid £22 with Airnet. Courtyard usually comes up at around £25-26/night unless its Easter, I found that most expensive week to book Courtyard.

 

[disneyholic family]

Never book direct with hotel, thats an expensive way of doing it. I priced up Homewood suites on another thread today Direct on Hiltons site it was £83/night, Alpharooms.com was £40/night. I use numerous sites Hotelopia, Alpharooms, Hotel Mart USA, Airline Network I have about 40 sites in my faves plus use comparison websites to scan a few more.
Last time I booked Homewood suites it was over £100/ night direct, I paid £22 with Airnet. Courtyard usually comes up at around £25-26/night unless its Easter, I found that most expensive week to book Courtyard.

on your recent trip, who did you book courtyard with?

if you book through these sites, what is the policy for cancellation?
can you cancel at all?

 

[Ann B]

At the moment we find that we are slightly cheaper booking with VH as we have 2 children classed as teens. With VH they get a cheap fare, but with VA i need to buy 4 adult tickets. This can make quite a difference.

I don't think that you can generalise about which is best - it is just what is best at that time for your party.

 

[PaulaSB12]

At the moment we find that we are slightly cheaper booking with VH as we have 2 children classed as teens. With VH they get a cheap fare, but with VA i need to buy 4 adult tickets. This can make quite a difference.

I don't think that you can generalise about which is best - it is just what is best at that time for your party.

When I try going with virgin it puts 2 of the teenagers as adults and only one as a teenager.

 

[wayneg]

on your recent trip, who did you book courtyard with?

if you book through these sites, what is the policy for cancellation?
can you cancel at all?

This trip was booked with Alpharooms. I think the rate was £27/night then I got 3.5% cashback because I booked it thru my rpoints account (great website, I have another £187 to claim back now) so brought it down to about £26.
Here is their cancellation terms, starts with 20% but increases nearer you get. http://www.alpharooms.com/webpages/cobrand/0/Terms.aspx
All the sites vary, some let you cancel upto day before you travel with no fee, others charge a flat fee like £25, some a %. The US sites tend to be better for cancelling but its not something that I really look at.
Some let you pay a deposit then balance a few weeks before you go, others you pay upfront. Never had to cancel a hotel so no experience.
Only thing I have ever cancelled was a flight for my Mum when she passed away, she was going to Florida with us, booked the flights with Expedia and they said no refunds under any circumstances, I emailed US Airways who were fantastic, told Expedia to refund me and sent me a very nice email, 4 of us still went so I was annoyed with Expedia's attitude.

 

[joemo]

Many thanks for all the replies.

Ironically we will probably be booking the 2009 trip with VH anyway as I have about £500 of Tesco Clubcard points saved up, which will be £2,000 off the total cost!

 

[Pinklepurr361]

I booked for 23 March 08 in Jan 07 as we are stuck to school holidays and at the time I didn't want to risk waiting until the flights were available to book direct with VA, plus we couldn't afford to pay for everything up front - we needed to save! We got a 10% discount when booking.

We booked a Fly Drive with VH and accomodation at Windsor Hills separately, but I can't bring myself to look and see if we could have got a cheaper deal by waiting and shopping around more.

I too am saving my Tesco vouchers, not doing too well so far though!

 

[wayneg]

accomodation at Windsor Hills

We arrive at Windsor Hills on 22nd March until we go on cruise on 30th, after cruise 2 nights at Fairfield Inn, Marriott village.

 

[Pinklepurr361]

I booked for 23 March 08 in Jan 07 as we are stuck to school holidays and at the time I didn't want to risk waiting until the flights were available to book direct with VA, plus we couldn't afford to pay for everything up front - we needed to save! We got a 10% discount when booking.

We booked a Fly Drive with VH and accomodation at Windsor Hills separately, but I can't bring myself to look and see if we could have got a cheaper deal by waiting and shopping around more.

I too am saving my Tesco vouchers, not doing too well so far though!

Temptation got the better of me. I've worked out (quite roughly) that I have paid about £400 more for booking with VH rather than doing everything separately. Your not the only one!

 

[Pinklepurr361]

We arrive at Windsor Hills on 22nd March until we go on cruise on 30th, after cruise 2 nights at Fairfield Inn, Marriott village.

Might see you there then! We're there 23 Mar - 2 Apr in a really lovely townhome.

 

[wayneg]

Might see you there then! We're there 23 Mar - 2 Apr in a really lovely townhome.

We prefer a hotel but we are taking DS's friend so need 2 bedrooms. Booked this condo, hope it is OK. http://mymagichome.com/

 

[pixiepower04]

I priced up VH, Thomas Cook Signature, First Choice, Cosmos etc for 18/9/08 for 21 nights adding on their tickets (to get the free dining) and they were all roughly about £700 more expensive than doing a DIY and i'm expecting to pay about £1500 for flights (2ad, 2 ch).

I was going to use my Tesco Vouchers against VH but doing a DIY without the £400 vouchers still comes out cheaper so i'll use my vouchers for the hotel the night before and the day we come back and then maybe a trip to DLP another time.

I find it really hard to swallow anyone charging more than Disney for their tickets, VH were charging and extra £11 per adult and £6 per child.

I expect to be paying around £4500 for 3 weeks at Caribbean Beach (2 adults, 2 children) with free dining, flights, 21 day tickets, 4 park flex tickets and car hire.

This is only £500-£600 more than staying at All Stars which was the original plan but I wanted the free dining and figured we'd spend at least £600 on food so we've saved a huge amount of money doing it DIY.