unbundling shock

Well, I have to support Virgin Holidays. We used them for a package holiday to Tobago and have just booked to go to Cuba in January. I also found the PE upgrade at £254 good value. With the 10% FC discount, the Airport transfers and Visa's included I was unable to book the trip separately for cheaper.

I am a cautious traveler so the security of the Virgin brand tips it for me.

The Frequent card does get you 10% off and I guess that helps to even out the price.

The VH site (and cringe-inducing TV adverts) regularly offer 10% discount to any Joe Soap who cares to book with them online, so where's the benefit in being a member of their much vaunted FVC? ?|

Well, I have to support Virgin Holidays. We used them for a package holiday to Tobago and have just booked to go to Cuba in January. I also found the PE upgrade at £254 good value. With the 10% FC discount, the Airport transfers and Visa's included I was unable to book the trip separately for cheaper.

I am a cautious traveler so the security of the Virgin brand tips it for me.

I don't think there was any criticism meant per se over the VH product but that for some people for some trips the pricing was way over and above what they could get by booking seperate flights / hotels using other sites.

But it is horses for courses and some people like the additonal security buying a package brings even if it is more than seperate purchases.

When booking for Florida in September last year for this April VH was very expensive as they had no Y availability left. With 5 of us that added £2,500 to the total cost which instantly blew them out.
VS had seats to sell though (as L) but it seems VH was not allowed to sell them.
Now I know this all to do with fare buckets etc but it does seem bizarre from the customer point of view that VH won't sell seats when they are available.

The Frequent card does get you 10% off and I guess that helps to even out the price.

The VH site (and cringe-inducing TV adverts) regularly offer 10% discount to any Joe Soap who cares to book with them online, so where's the benefit in being a member of their much vaunted FVC? ?|

The fact they wrote to me and offered 15% made a big difference.

I don't care whether I book with or without VH, but for my holiday next month I saved a couple of thousand by booking with them.

[Decker]

Horses for courses. Sometimes VH are cheaper than VS other times not. We mix and match.

When booking for Florida in September last year for this April VH was very expensive as they had no Y availability left. With 5 of us that added £2,500 to the total cost which instantly blew them out.
VS had seats to sell though (as L) but it seems VH was not allowed to sell them.
Now I know this all to do with fare buckets etc but it does seem bizarre from the customer point of view that VH won't sell seats when they are available.

VH and VS arn't the same company. VH will buy an allocation of seats from VS (usually the cheaper buckets) When they sell those they will have to go back to VS for more but if VS don't have any of the cheapoer fares left to sell they will have to move up the buckets and there will come a point when it becomes too expensive to VH (and its customers)

So it wasn't that VH wern't allowed to sell the 'L' fares but that they sold all the seats that had bought from VS and didn't want to buy any more.

VH and VS arn't the same company.

Perhaps at a short arm's length, but VS and VH do report their figures together, it is effectively one company.

[mitchja]

VH was also initially set-up to sell seats on VS, although VH has evolved somewhat since then.

It's only a few years ago now that VH only sold packages using just VS flights.

shock horror addendum: We had a bit of a farce with VH as they did not appear to know whether they were working with Dollar or Alamo and even on the FV Club all the information was wrong including the price of adding on the Clubhouse at LGW. Umpteen time I pointed out their errors and inaccurate online data.

Cutting a long story short, for the first time in 15 years we took the hire car bundle price of £266 (all this cost associated with a *free*car!) along with the holiday - but had to liaise with Alamo re the short-circuited pick up process - lo and behold on their website I could have HIRED the car direct with the entire VH bundle included for a lower price. No wonder People say they walk past the VH hire car collection and hire direct at MCO.

We always take a "diy" approach.

Price is a major issue; flexibility and avoiding reps another.

Price example VH fly drive for 2 £3000 in PE (man to mco) plus car insurance.

VS PE flights about £1900; car hire about what? £250 a week all in?

You do need to consider what happens if things go wrong though.

http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/ ... el-rights/

I've never booked a holiday using a 'holiday company' before because I really don't believe that I'd save anything by using them, plus I enjoy booking things independently. I also somehow feel that if I sort it all out myself and choose a bad hotel, at least it's my fault!

I have used VH a few times especially when I am taking my little nephew, knowing its all sorted in a package is quite reassuring.

When its just me and the other arf it more fun putting a trip together seperately.

To be honest what suprises me more is how shocked a lot of people are at VH's high quotes especially out of a preview brochure or for booking 16 months in advance, its well known VH is not cheap out of sales and that prices quoted for bookings way in to the future will be based on "rack rates", some people
( not the OP ) then rant on all sanctimonious about the evils of Virgin and how people will vote with their feet, how very dare they rip us off yada yada. Almost like lets get one of those really high VH quotes and then post it on a forum like we didn't know any better and everyone will be fabulously horrified and indignant.

I usually make my own arrangements these days but there is one very simple reason why many use VH packages (and other TOs). When you book your holiday, you pay a fairly small deposit and then don't pay the rest until less than three months before you go away. Not everyone is in a position to pay for their flights up front and whilst it might cost a bit more, it is convenient for many.

Also, as noted above, a lot of people prefer the added security of a package knowing that if things go wrong, somebody will sort it out for you.

This will be my first time to the States so took a lot of time researching DIY v Travel Agents.

After 3 long months of looking I finally booked with TCD. They match a price I got for a villa, Virgin flights ( because they are direct ) and car upgrade from the net. Virgin was asking £5347, TCD £ 4364 and came away booked and a happy lady for £3465

Its now going to be a long 12 months wait but Im sure it will be worth the wait.

Its now going to be a long 12 months wait but Im sure it will be worth the wait

I am sure it will! Where are you going to?

Hi Stephen,

We are going to Orlando. Hoping the new planes are flying out of Manchester by then.

We are going to Orlando. Hoping the new planes are flying out of Manchester by then.

Old or young you will have a lot of fun.

PM me if you want any tips.

As things stand, VS75 (the earlier flight) will be the new A330, but of course things can change.