Term Date Woe

[joolz1910]

I booked my flights/accommodation for Aug 16-30 2015, assuming that my children's schools would be back the 1st or 2nd Sept. I have just realised that they are back on 7th September, I can't believe it as this would have saved us money if I had known.

 

[Ware Bears]

I'm assuming you've booked a package or flydrive so could you not amend the dates?

 

[mgsquared]

Any chance it is enough savings to cancel and lose deposit/rebook? Or cheap enough to add on days? ^_^

 

[Laurafoster]

Oh no What a shame.

Can you amend the booking at all?

 

[BudgieMama]

Gutted!

Although, on the plus side, well done on your school have the dates out. I can not for love nor money find out when we are back in September 2015 (and I work there!) The 1st is my 30th birthday, and I wanted to do some planning!

 

[stephensmum]

My school gave us then last year. I am allowed 3 extra days, so able to go on 27 August , got direct flights for 480 each.

 

[joolz1910]

I booked a flydrive with Virgin with a £750 deposit. HRH (paid in full)from 16-18th and OKW 18th-30th.
Gutted.

 

[Sam1]

Could you not change your flydrive? I know you wanted longer originally, so you could look at adding a couple of days on, rather than changing the full flight. We booked a flydrive with Virgin and changed the end date to add two days on and didn't get charged any admin fee, even though the price came down.

 

[maclondon]

yep you can change at any time.

 

[joolz1910]

Could you not change your flydrive? I know you wanted longer originally, so you could look at adding a couple of days on, rather than changing the full flight. We booked a flydrive with Virgin and changed the end date to add two days on and didn't get charged any admin fee, even though the price came down.

yep you can change at any time.

Seriously? I could change the fly drive? I assumed I couldn't. That has given me something to think about!

 

[Sam1]

Yes, give them a phone. You could end up either saving money or having longer there, or both!

We changed our return flight and added two nights at The Hard Rock and it was still cheaper than the original flight with that included. We didn't get charged any admin fee at all and the price on our invoice actually went down.

 

[joolz1910]

Yes, give them a phone. You could end up either saving money or having longer there, or both!

We changed our return flight and added two nights at The Hard Rock and it was still cheaper than the original flight with that included. We didn't get charged any admin fee at all and the price on our invoice actually went down.

That would be amazing! Checked the website and there are no flights showing available so will give them a ring. If it worked out, I could either have 2 extra days at HRH at the beginning or 2 extra days at OKW at the end. Will keep my fingers crossed.

 

[scoobydooby]

I was also really excited to be able to use that golden first week of September in 2015 until I reused DS exam results come out on 20th August which nuggets up my plans! So we now have to fly out in August 1st. Will cost a load more

 

[joolz1910]

I was also really excited to be able to use that golden first week of September in 2015 until I reused DS exam results come out on 20th August which nuggets up my plans! So we now have to fly out in August 1st. Will cost a load more

Booo
And I thought I was being so clever booking flights way in advance...

 

[joolz1910]

I phoned yesterday and it won't be possible to amend the date until the flights go on general release.

Would it be better to ask during the Virgin sale at Christmas? She didn't mention amendment fees but did say that I would have to pay the flight price difference. Tbh, if there is a charge to amend, it might not be worth it as I will also have to book accommodation so I have to consider what an extra 2/3 days is worth.

 

[Sam1]

We didn't have any charge to amend ours. I don't know whether that was because we only changed the return flight, but we had no charges at all when we did it. We originally booked before the flights were released as well, but I kept watching the flight prices as they were released then changed them in the sale.

You can check by doing online quotes nearer the time to see if you'd benefit from changing, then just phone up if you see flights cheaper.

Yeah, you'd have to book accommodation, but the saving you might make might pay for that, it did with us. You can't really say what you'd save until the flights are released though, but it's definitely worth checking at the time and when they have a sale on. I don't know what flight prices are like for September, but if they were cheaper when you booked, they're probably cheaper in general.

 

[joolz1910]

We didn't have any charge to amend ours. I don't know whether that was because we only changed the return flight, but we had no charges at all when we did it. We originally booked before the flights were released as well, but I kept watching the flight prices as they were released then changed them in the sale.

You can check by doing online quotes nearer the time to see if you'd benefit from changing, then just phone up if you see flights cheaper.

Yeah, you'd have to book accommodation, but the saving you might make might pay for that, it did with us. You can't really say what you'd save until the flights are released though, but it's definitely worth checking at the time and when they have a sale on. I don't know what flight prices are like for September, but if they were cheaper when you booked, they're probably cheaper in general.

Thanks - I will be keeping an eye on flight prices as soon as they release them! I only want to change the return date. The balance doesn't have to be paid until next June, so I have quite a lot of time to play with dates/prices. I wouldn't really want to cancel completely and lose £750 but if a glitch came up...who knows?

 

[Sam1]

We changed both the outbound and the return flight completely when we went last year, but we didn't lose the deposit because if you rebook they add it on to your new booking. You have to pay another deposit, but you don't lose the first one if you rebook with them. We did get charged an admin fee of about £35 per person that time though, although we argued a bit and got it waived in the end so we lost nothing.

We were fully expecting the same to happen again this year, but they said no because we were just adding on a few days and only changing the return flight there was no admin fee and no need to cancel. I think the fee and cancellation might come when you start messing with the outbound flight just. I'll keep my fingered crossed for you, hopefully you'll find a cheaper flight that pays for the extra days!

 

[joolz1910]

We changed both the outbound and the return flight completely when we went last year, but we didn't lose the deposit because if you rebook they add it on to your new booking. You have to pay another deposit, but you don't lose the first one if you rebook with them. We did get charged an admin fee of about £35 per person that time though, although we argued a bit and got it waived in the end so we lost nothing.

We were fully expecting the same to happen again this year, but they said no because we were just adding on a few days and only changing the return flight there was no admin fee and no need to cancel. I think the fee and cancellation might come when you start messing with the outbound flight just. I'll keep my fingered crossed for you, hopefully you'll find a cheaper flight that pays for the extra days!

Thank you, that would be amazing if that happened.
So, if I found a completely different flight (with them) for next August, I could rebook and they would transfer the £750 deposit already paid to the new booking? Will definitely be watching flight prices over Christmas...

 

[Sam1]

Thank you, that would be amazing if that happened.
So, if I found a completely different flight (with them) for next August, I could rebook and they would transfer the £750 deposit already paid to the new booking? Will definitely be watching flight prices over Christmas...

Yes, unless it's changed since last year you're allowed one departure date change without losing your deposit. They'd want to charge an admin fee per person (which you have to pay straight away there and then, there's no getting out of that), but they applied a discount and we got our final amount reduced by the same amount, so didn't really pay it.

It's worth keeping your eye on the flight prices and sales though - we did it just before christmas, on the 22nd of December, when they seemed at their lowest.