Virgin Fly-drive cheaper than flight-only?

[koru]

Am I missing something here? A fly-drive seems cheaper than just a flight.

I'm planning two weeks in Orlando next Feb, for me, wife and 2 kids. Cheapest Virgin flights I can find (Airline Network): £1762, including tax and surcharge.

But according to the Virgin Holidays website a fly-drive holiday would be £1387. That definitely includes surcharge and I assume taxes. So, by agreeing to have a rental car (which I won't use), I will pay a quarter less!

I assume they can't make me use the car?

Perhaps it is cheaper because they hope to recoup the difference via rip-off prices for the insurance on the car. With Airline Network, I can rent an intermediate car, including all insurance and an extra driver, for £276; to get the same with the Virgin Holidays fly-drive, I would have to pay an extra £50 to upgrade from compact to intermediate and £336 for insurance. So, I'm £110 better off by just declining the "free" car and paying for another one.

However, even if I took their car and insurance, they still wouldn't recoup the £375 I save on the flights, so I'm wondering if there's a catch that I missed.

(BTW, I do realise my other option would be to pay £50 to upgrade the Virgin car but buy the insurance elsewhere (£100), and just pay the tax and airport fees when you pick up the car (about £100, I think). This might be a touch cheaper than £276, but not a lot.)

thanks

koru

 

[snookhams]

We have booked flydrive's twice with Virgin including the free car only - declined the insurance and did not collect the car - we hired a people carrier from airline-network and had no consequences from Virgin at all!

 

[Goofyish]

Last two trips we have had a Virgin Flydrive and not used the included car with no problems

The other bonus of booking a flydrive over a flight only is that you can book flydrives as soon as the brochures come out and not have to wait until 11 months before you trip.

 

[koru]

That's reassuring. Thanks.

Can't believe how much cheaper it is, though. They must count on making a lot from most fly-drivers paying for the insurance and from add-on excursions and hotels.

 

[wayneg]

This is similar to me for Xmas. I decided to take their car and Insurance because I got a discount for being in frequent virgin holiday club so the cost was very similar either way I did it.
Basically they are run as 2 different companies. Virgin Holidays have to transfer your booking details across to Virgin Atlantic, so prices differ greatly sometimes. Last Oct we did a package without car but with hotel for 3 weeks. 2 Adults and 1 ch. cost £1,600ish flight only was £2,100. So I saved £500 and a free hotel for 3 weeks.
Always check both sites.

 

[arieliwish]

This might be me being a bit thick, but I've just priced a fly drive on VH for 2 ad, 1 teen, 1 ch for aug 07, no car upgrade, no ins, and it came out at 3088!!

Thats about the same as with accommodation!!!

Help, is it just me!?!?!

Lynn

 

[Miffy2003]

This might be me being a bit thick, but I've just priced a fly drive on VH for 2 ad, 1 teen, 1 ch for aug 07, no car upgrade, no ins, and it came out at 3088!!

Thats about the same as with accommodation!!!

Help, is it just me!?!?!

Lynn

That price sounds about right to me, unfortunately. Often for the holidays with cheaper accommodation the flydrive price is hardly any different to the fly plus room price.

 

[koru]

This might be me being a bit thick, but I've just priced a fly drive on VH for 2 ad, 1 teen, 1 ch for aug 07, no car upgrade, no ins, and it came out at 3088!!

Thats about the same as with accommodation!!!

Help, is it just me!?!?!

Lynn

That sounds about right for fly-drive in early-mid Aug. I would have thought adding accommodation would cost more.

 

[nibby]

We go to St Lucia every year with Virgin and book our own accommodation. We've always booked fly-drive with Virgin holidays as it works out cheaper than booking with Virgin Atlantic and we never bother using the car