 Poster: A snowHead
|
@Eggfried100, The flight supplement usually varies by airport - e.g. it's not Scottish half term, so the flight supplements from there may differ to those from England.
Feb half term is an expensive week. Easter and Xmas are much cheaper alternatives with school holidays.
The airline industry globally is fundamentally unprofitable over the economic cycle (particularly so at present!), so whilst you might think the prices are outrageous, the reality is they aren't covering the cost of capital.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| Eggfried100 wrote: |
... already loaded the cost of the holiday.
If we went in the 19th Feb ... £310 p/p more than the following week.
...flight supplement increase of £150 appears outrageous to me.
... some families may have to miss out on their holiday next season.
...take their kids out of school and risk paying the fine !!! |
Have you ever thought that you could do a ski holiday without a TO? Booking a year in advance is now certainly much more risky than it used to be, and probably gambling somewhat on the TO delivering your chosen holiday when they consolidate the flights/resorts/accommodations a month before departure.
You can thank that nice Mr Gove for the school holiday fine thingy. Given the amount of time school pupils have missed over the past year I doubt that 5 more days spent skiing is going to make a lot of difference to the eventual "grades" or whatever they are "given". "Education" has been hit hard and will take years to resolve with student learning, progress, and teacher assessment led by donkeys.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
I'd have to agree with @skimastaaah about only looking at TOs.
I'd recommend to @Eggfried100 that if you're having trouble booking via the TO route, then try and see how much the alternatives of
(a) self-drive/self-cater and
(b) fly-drive/self-cater
would be. Many apartment and chalet owners will be happy to get individual reservations for next season, where they'd not be happy to take a block-booking with a TO. I'm not guaranteeing (a) and (b) will come out better, but it seems worth a try if you want the peace of mind of having everything booked now. You just have to be clear about what the cancellation/reschedule Ts+Cs are i.e. no penalties or at least deferral for 12 months etc.
All those hotels, apartments and chalets haven't gone away. They're still there, but it looks like the owners and TOs are in a sort of 'hot potato dance' - everyone wants the business but no one wants to take the risks. No provider wants to commit to a TO, only to have the TO pull out a block booking (like they did this season) at the last minute. And many TOs can't endure a repeat of this season, when they sold loads of packages to the public (just as if everything was like 2018-19) and then had to hand all the money back and/or deal with the administrative fallout of everything being cancelled.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
@LaForet, and @skimastaaah, Agreed.
I normally organise things myself and usually at a price that is comparable or slightly less than a TO. As for next season, I've got accommodation and flights booked for January/February at similar prices to this season's aborted attempts. Accommodation can be cancelled at no charge up to two weeks before and the flights can be redeemed for vouchers. Whilst the TOs continue to self limit there will be plenty of accommodation available at reasonable prices.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Indeed, agree with all the foregoing. Disappointed to see how many TOs aren’t offering much flexibility either - either insisting next season will be business as usual or flexibility to move up to 12 weeks before. That’s too long in covid times. I booked a sunny holiday for October and the deposit is tiny, balance is due only 4 weeks before and can be moved up to 3 weeks before. But this kind of flexibility doesn’t seem to be contemplated by many ski TOs. When we had to pull out of this season our TO (several years repeat) tried to impose a hefty rebooking fee per person claiming they had changed their T&C. We too are booking independently from now on.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Thanks for your replies. I really don’t have a problem with the price of the holidays increasing. Its quite understandable. It’s been a tough year for all in the ski industry. It’s the variance in the flight supplements that I find crazy.
My kids have long since flown the nest and I can travel whenever is convenient for me. I just feel for those restricted to peak times. Not just because of the cost, but to pay top dollar AND have to endure the ridiculously long lift queues that half term weeks often have just takes the biscuit.
I am lucky enough have two trips next year using vouchers for cancelled trips over the last two seasons.
I do appreciate that cost can, and often is saved by independent driving/train/flight and organising things yourself. But from the stress I have had over the last year chasing refunds, I prefer for next season to keep things as simple as possible by booking with one of the larger T/O’s just in case it all goes wonky again.
I had literally just arrived in La Plagne last March as they shut the resort down. It was shocking to see the amount of people who were literally evicted from their hotels on the Sunday morning. Those without cars had no way of getting out as there wasn’t nearly enough available transport to get them to airports or train station. With France due to be locked down on the Tuesday they were literally stuck there. Can you imagine being in that situation with a couple of young kids if you had travelled by train.
At least Inghams got us home on the Monday. Admittedly to the wrong airport, but we did get home. We also (eventually) got a voucher for the cost of the holiday, which many who also arrived for that week didn’t get as it was classed as ‘Curtailment’ not a cancellation.
I’m not willing to risk that until things calm down a bit. So it’s a T/O for me for the foreseeable future.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@Eggfried100, it's a fair point! I guess that experience really stays with you. In a way that ours (changing terms/going back on agreement in our case - albeit not nearly so harrowing) has too I suppose.
I like to think that closures in that sudden way you experieced - truly awful for those caught up in it - will never happen again in quite so dramatic a fashion. Good to know you were properly looked after by Inghams. Sounds like they have earned that loyalty!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
| bambionskiis wrote: |
| We’ve booked for Canada at Christmas, where we should have just returned from. Crystal and Inghams prices were stupid, so we’ve gone for a small tailor made holiday company instead and are paying slightly less. Their terms and conditions are very straightforward - something that’s now as important as price to me. |
Which company?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
