Virgin and Early booking discount!!

[DisneyBB]

A few weeks ago we booked 6 flydrives to Orlando for feb05. We booked them early because the broucher offered us an early booking discount. The price was meant to be £419 and we got it for £369 plus 10% off for FV. Well the new price on the web site is £349! for the same dates and times. The wording made me feel as if I was getting it cheaper by booking it early, when really if I had waited just few weeks it would have been better. I phone Virgin Travel Store, who basically said tough luck! and VH who said that's how it goes. The price in Feb04 was £349 so they knew it was going to be that price as it is everyyear. It would have been fine if we were travelling on the 11th Feb05 and not the 3rd as flights for that time have gone up to £479. Maybe next time I should just wait and see what happens.

Very unhappy!!!

 

[KayleeUK]

Not good DisneyBB

 

[Found Nemo]

It's a pain, but the reverse is that if they INCREASED their prices in between you booking and their new brochure coming out, they cannot then phone you up and ask you to pay the extra.

So I guess it's swings and roundabouts- a bit like that annoying moment when you buy something in a shop and then see it cheaper a week later!

 

[SidB]

Unless something major happened they would never put their prices up. Put quite simply, they price holidays/flights at the maximum they think they can for the route and market sector. If the demand is below their forecast they will start discounting earlier. If demand remains high, the price remains high. They are in the business of making money after all.

If somebody gets the same holiday as you cheaper, good luck to them. If you weren't happy with the original price you shouldn't have booked it.

 

[DisneyBB]

Well yes I have learnt my lesson. I assumed "early booking discount" meant that if I booked early enough then it would be cheaper than when the broucher comes out. If it had been just called a "discount" and no mention of "early" then yes I thought well that's the way it goes. I assume in future that early booking discounts are not what they seem. If I had wanted to go on Feb 11th then I would have got a really good deal by booking early, but anything before the 4th feb worked out dearer by booking early. I should have guessed this would happen as in 04 the prices were £349 for a flydrive for 3rd feb the same as 05.

Oh well live and learn.