 Poster: A snowHead
|
Based on experiences last week, 3 tips which I hope are useful to someone:
1. If you have an infant (0-2), and are going skiing - well good luck to you  . No, seriously....if you have an infant (0-2) and are going to a hotel/resort which offers free child places, the call centre can put your infant through as a child (2-11). This a.) saves you £39 infant charge, and b.) gets you the extra seat on the plane/coach. This was suggested to me when I rung up to pay the extra to buy a flight seat for our infant (who will be almost 2 then and already seems too big and active to possibly go on a lap!), so I was pretty pleased about that.
2. If you are booking through the call centre rather than online, perhaps because you need to do something funny like above, they will still apply the £50 per person online booking discount if you ask.
3. All Crystal/Thomson prices and availability *should* be the same. However the Crystal website dropped availability for one week i wanted, and increased the price for another, whilst the Thomson website kept the previous availability and prices. So just be aware that if something odd happens on one, look at the other!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
JimiHendrix, you will also get a luggage allowance for a child and will not for an infant - so another bonus. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
| JimiHendrix wrote: |
2. If you are booking through the call centre rather than online, perhaps because you need to do something funny like above, they will still apply the £50 per person online booking discount if you ask.
|
Yes, I've done that, when I got half way through a booking before being called away for 5 minutes, and it then aborted my session, but didn't release the "reservation" which was for the last single room in that property.
| Quote: |
3. All Crystal/Thomson prices and availability *should* be the same. However the Crystal website dropped availability for one week i wanted, and increased the price for another, whilst the Thomson website kept the previous availability and prices. So just be aware that if something odd happens on one, look at the other! |
Why "should" they be the same?
I know they are part of the same group, and often share staff in resort. But theoretically, they are run as separate operations, and each have their own allocation of rooms, and of flight seats (even when they use the same hotels, which they often don't).
So I would always assume that they are likely to have different rates and availability, and check both.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
JimiHendrix, why did i not think of that idea when my kids were under 2!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| Quote: |
Why "should" they be the same?
|
You're right, there's no business reason why they "should" be the same.
However they have one call centre, with the same people taking Crystal and Thomson calls. The same booking database underpins both companies. Yes I think within that database they can make certain hotels/rooms available to one or both companies (which enables them to have their own, but easily transferable, allocations), and they can probably set a different price for each company for a room/week.
But yes, you're right, a good starting point to assume they'll be different, particularly in the late booking season. I just made the point because based on the brochure prices being identical, I had incorrectly assumed that same week, same hotel, same flight, sister company = same price. Incidentally the price difference I was quoted was in the rather sneaky area of room supplements (and a huge difference of £230 for the 3 of us) - I'm still not sure if this was a genuine price difference or an error at the call centre.
| Quote: |
you will also get a luggage allowance for a child and will not for an infant - so another bonus
|
Just as well, with ski boots in my case I have a right palaver staying below 20Kg, let alone child paraphenalia!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
JimiHendrix, it was probably an error. They are one and the same and very rarely do their prices differ. They have the same staff in the Uk, their management is the same, their contracting staff is the same, their purchasers are the same. They are just different trade names basically. All the chalets in reality come under the Crystal umbrella. The purchase everything now as a group. the allocation of flight seats is pooled between the brands so when you book 20 seats off the say LGW INN that will show across both brands. there are the odd anomolies when they will hold back some flight seats for specific properties but that isnt a brand brand issue it is an issue of chanelled distribution.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One other tip, the onlinie booking discount only applies to two people per booking, so if you have 4 people make two bookings to get the ful discount
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| nbt wrote: |
| One other tip, the onlinie booking discount only applies to two people per booking, so if you have 4 people make two bookings to get the ful discount |
But you do still get the discount (or half of it) when booking for one. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| Nickster wrote: |
JimiHendrix, it was probably an error. They are one and the same and very rarely do their prices differ.
|
Sorry, but that is just not true.
IME, prices usually differ, even on those relatively rare occasions that the two arms actually have the same properties.
Each of them even carries quite a few resorts not used by the other, never mind proeprties within a resort.
I just went to the two sites and put in the same search - Mayrhofen for 10th Jan 2009, "Any South-West" in the depatrure airport. Every price was different for both the Hotel Obermair and the "Strass Snow Homes". Those were the only two properties listed by both sites at the moment for that date. All other properties were only listed by one site.
Changed it to Neiderau - Club Hotel Vicky is the only one available on both sites, and again every price is different.
Changed it to Zermatt. Again, most properties different - Chalet Echo the only one on both - every price different.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| alex_heney wrote: |
| Nickster wrote: |
JimiHendrix, it was probably an error. They are one and the same and very rarely do their prices differ.
|
Sorry, but that is just not true.
IME, prices usually differ, even on those relatively rare occasions that the two arms actually have the same properties.
Each of them even carries quite a few resorts not used by the other, never mind proeprties within a resort.
I just went to the two sites and put in the same search - Mayrhofen for 10th Jan 2009, "Any South-West" in the depatrure airport. Every price was different for both the Hotel Obermair and the "Strass Snow Homes". Those were the only two properties listed by both sites at the moment for that date. All other properties were only listed by one site.
Changed it to Neiderau - Club Hotel Vicky is the only one available on both sites, and again every price is different.
Changed it to Zermatt. Again, most properties different - Chalet Echo the only one on both - every price different. |
Sorry Alex, it is true. I have just done the same and every price is exactly the same - various prices are given but if all the details are exactly the same then the price will be the same. You have to have not only the same departure airport but also the same arrival airport and the same times where there are more flights on the same route on a particular day. You have to ensure that you also select the same rooms. As both brands operate say BRS into INN and SZG so the prices will differ depending on which route you pick but if you pick the same it will price the same unless they decide to market differently which is very occasional. I guess your confusion is that they quote about 10 prices for the sam if you ust select "any south west" likewise for Zermatt you have flight options for GVA and SIR so there will be a variety of prices.
The inventory of stock (where they both feature the same property) is exactly the same they pool off the same database and have the same yield dept. When one room is booked via CRY one room will also disappear of the TSL system.
I work with them (unfortunately) on a dailly basis and have seen there system operate behind the scenes at the HQ in Kingston.
It is true to say that each does carry different resorts though and different properties. I am referring to when the same are carried across both brands. They always perceived TSL to be a higher thought of brand than CRY and hence they will often have the better hotels and then you have CRY Finest feature the creme de la creme or more often than not the slightly better than S**t.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
Blimey, Alex,
Went to Niederau in '74. Club Hotel Vicky, now is it?
Was nicknamed 'Stalag' Vicky then due to the uncompromising attitude of the Komandan..... sorry, propriator.
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
| Nickster wrote: |
| alex_heney wrote: |
| Nickster wrote: |
JimiHendrix, it was probably an error. They are one and the same and very rarely do their prices differ.
|
Sorry, but that is just not true.
IME, prices usually differ, even on those relatively rare occasions that the two arms actually have the same properties.
Each of them even carries quite a few resorts not used by the other, never mind proeprties within a resort.
I just went to the two sites and put in the same search - Mayrhofen for 10th Jan 2009, "Any South-West" in the depatrure airport. Every price was different for both the Hotel Obermair and the "Strass Snow Homes". Those were the only two properties listed by both sites at the moment for that date. All other properties were only listed by one site.
Changed it to Neiderau - Club Hotel Vicky is the only one available on both sites, and again every price is different.
Changed it to Zermatt. Again, most properties different - Chalet Echo the only one on both - every price different. |
Sorry Alex, it is true. I have just done the same and every price is exactly the same - various prices are given but if all the details are exactly the same then the price will be the same. You have to have not only the same departure airport but also the same arrival airport and the same times where there are more flights on the same route on a particular day.
|
tat is what I was looking at yesterday.
But when I do the same thing today, they are indeed coming up with the same prices.
| Quote: |
You have to ensure that you also select the same rooms. As both brands operate say BRS into INN and SZG so the prices will differ depending on which route you pick but if you pick the same it will price the same unless they decide to market differently which is very occasional. I guess your confusion is that they quote about 10 prices for the sam if you ust select "any south west" likewise for Zermatt you have flight options for GVA and SIR so there will be a variety of prices.
|
Yes, but I was looking at where the flights were the same when I compared prices.
Honestly, the results coming up yesterday were different to the results coming up today!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
alex_heney, we'll call it evens then.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
