Latest posts for the topic "Lastminute.con, Ice Lolly and others"

Lastminute.con, Ice Lolly and others

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 23:00:06 GMT

Anyone have any experience with them

I seem to type in my search criteria and get some bargain prices, then go to the check the price page and it can be more then doubled. GBP299 for Canada, but then when it came to the price on the calendar thing it was closer to GBP600. Finland GBP230 when it came to checking the price GBP530!

Icelolly also come up with great prices only when you phone to book it is for 5 sharing and if there is two of you it's double.

Anyone else find this frustrating!

Re:Lastminute.con, Ice Lolly and others

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 09:45:44 GMT

Its quite simple - the usually tell you the price based on the number of people sharing the accommodation. I don't use any of these sites anymore, but tend to find the better bargains either with Igluski, Telextet Holidays, or www.catered-ski-chalets.com as well as the tour ops own websites.

Its a bit like Ryanair using the sites you mention - you can't commit without knowing the price, but its usually a lot higher than you initially hope for.

Re:Lastminute.con, Ice Lolly and others

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 10:45:49 GMT

I know but if you type in a search for two people and the site comes up with a price it should be possible to book at that price

It is like going to Tescos buying a bag of sugar for example that has a price on it of GBP0.90 and being charge GBP1.50 because the price is based on buying 5 bags

To be fair to Icelolly it does not ask you for the number of people travelling but their site does not indicate what the price is based on

Re:Lastminute.con, Ice Lolly and others

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 10:29:08 GMT

Bonfire wrote:I know but if you type in a search for two people and the site comes up with a price it should be possible to book at that price

It is like going to Tescos buying a bag of sugar for example that has a price on it of GBP0.90 and being charge GBP1.50 because the price is based on buying 5 bags

To be fair to Icelolly it does not ask you for the number of people travelling but their site does not indicate what the price is based on

I completely disagree. Mind you, I have been in sales and marketing for 20 years so I probably would.

Its called "Headline Pricing" - you show a price that attracts interest, and then add in all the other bits and pieces.

I found a holiday to Greece this week online on Teletext Holidays - GBP159 for 10 nights in Halkidiki, and I did a trip advisor review on the hotel which got excellent ratings, so phoned up to price the holiday (knowing that transfers and baggage allowance at least would be extra). Unfortunately, this package was based on using a Ryanair flight so they wanted GBP30 extra pp per bag, and there were no transfers as this was not a tour op chartered flight, so it meant a taxi transfer at GBP180 or hiring a car, thus more than doubling the initial price I had seen! I think thats a good example of how bad it can be when you initially see an advertised price, but i think you're statement that "it should be possible to book at that price" is incorrect as that is not in fact the actual cost of the holiday for what you need.

This is why if I am looking for a package, I find it best to use the tour ops as they include all this for you (mostly!) although there may be flight supps or fuel surcharges to add for instance.

Re:Lastminute.con, Ice Lolly and others

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 17:42:26 GMT

Although I like putting my hols together and especially like road trips, skiing it tends to be package holidays and that is what I was looking for at Last minute

I have done sales in the past. If I told someone the price is GBP500 then asked them for GBP1000 I would have sold nothing and that is what last minute are doing.

Re:Lastminute.con, Ice Lolly and others

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 17:54:10 GMT

I was booking a Thomson's package ski holiday on the internet once, and it went up by about GBP200 per person while I was in the middle of booking it! I went into our local office to complain about it, and they said that happens to them sometimes as well. It seems Head Office changes the prices and they can do that even when someone is in the middle of booking it. Mind you, prices can also come down like that, as well.

Quite a few times I have seen the advertised price, on Last Minute etc. and then tried to book it and found it had gone up. I always imagined it was because they had sold out of the ultra cheap offers. It's happened to me a couple of times with aeroplane tickets as well. I got seats one day and the next day they'd gone up by GBP250 each! It seems the ones I got were on special offer and once those ones were sold the price went back up to the standard price (for exactly the same quality of seat).

Ally

Re:Lastminute.con, Ice Lolly and others

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 18:36:03 GMT

I am aware prices can or up or down, but they only went up when I checked them, do another search and they would be down again.

Re:Lastminute.con, Ice Lolly and others

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 19:45:06 GMT

Bonfire wrote:I am aware prices can or up or down, but they only went up when I checked them, do another search and they would be down again.

Oh, sorry Bonfire, that's completely different! As you said, there must be something very wrong there. Have you tried contacting them to ask them about it?

Ally

Re:Lastminute.con, Ice Lolly and others

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 20:23:40 GMT

No, there is nothing wrong, its the extras they dont add in to the headline price.

Re:Lastminute.con, Ice Lolly and others

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 01:31:51 GMT

It depends what you are selling and how

If I am buying a package there should not be any extras unless they are upgrades.

Your the one who started the Thomson/Crystal ski carriage thread and now your saying their is nothing wrong with extra charges!

Re:Lastminute.con, Ice Lolly and others

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 12:49:54 GMT

Bonfire wrote:It depends what you are selling and how

If I am buying a package there should not be any extras unless they are upgrades.

Your the one who started the Thomson/Crystal ski carriage thread and now your saying their is nothing wrong with extra charges!

You've totally lost me now!

Look, these are 2 totally separate things. Ski carriage is an optional extra for which there is a charge....I have not once baulked at the charge, but started that thread for clarification on exactly what the operators say IS ski carriage. The cost was never an issue, and its totally irrelevant to this thread.

You seem to have a bee in your bonnet about holiday prices, and the extra you get charged. Without sounding patronising, let me explain once again how this works:

Basic holiday price is often advertised, for example flights and accommodation. This is the price you are likely to see on a website and enquire. Lets say for this exercise the holiday is advertised at GBP500pp.

Add on to that baggage (which may be another GBP15 or so according to which airline they use)

Add on to that in flight meals if you want them (between GBP10 and GBP20pp depending on the airline)

Add on to that transfers (these are often not quoted as included, and are likely to be another GBP25 to GBP30pp)

Add on to that any fuel supplements applied to the flight advertised (have a guess at what these might be but lets say these are GBP10pp)

Add on to that your own options which you have worded as "upgrades" (for example ski carriage, prebooked seats on the flight, private transfers, etc)

Therefore, you end up with something like this:
Advertised holiday price GBP500
Baggage on the flight GBP15
In flight meal GBP15
Resort transfer GBP30
Fuel supplement GBP10
Ski carriage GBP30

Total: GBP600

Your initial advertised price of GBP500 has increased to GBP600, because of the additional items you require to add. In an ideal world, you'd get the GBP600 price advertised and book what the whole package includes, but GBP600 probably wouldn't get you to look at it in the first place!!!!

Unfortunately, when you buy a package there will be extras, like it or not I am afraid.
Hope this helps.

Re:Lastminute.con, Ice Lolly and others

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:27:06 GMT

If I go to buy a car I do not want to be told that the car is in fact GBP500 more then the list price as the list price has no wheels included, it is fine to be told I can have better wheels for an extra GBP500 that is my choice.

If I go to a web site and opt for a package I should be able to buy that package at the price advertised, it is fine to be told I need to pay for extras such as ski carriage, meals on the plane but the basics should be included that is flight, transfers, room, if it is not it is not a package and should not be advertised as such.

Just booked a package to Livigno with Iglu ski and paid the same price as advertised + ski carriage, I have no problem paying the extras

Sorry had to edit put the edited bits in italic

Re:Lastminute.con, Ice Lolly and others

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 16:30:18 GMT

Bonfire wrote:If I go to buy a car I do not want to be told that the car is in fact GBP500 more then the list price as it has wheels included, it is fine to be told I can have better wheels for an extra GBP500 that is my choice.

If I go to a web site and opt for a package I should be able to buy that package at the price advertised, it is fine to be told I need to pay for extras such as ski carriage, meals on the plane but the basics should be included that is flight, transfers, room, if it is not it is not a package and should not be advertised as such.

Just booked a package to Livigno with Iglu ski and paid the same price as advertised + ski carriage, I have no problem paying the extras

Your a bit fiery,Bonfire :wink:

Re:Lastminute.con, Ice Lolly and others

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 17:05:34 GMT

Ian Wickham wrote:

Bonfire wrote:If I go to buy a car I do not want to be told that the car is in fact GBP500 more then the list price as it has wheels included, it is fine to be told I can have better wheels for an extra GBP500 that is my choice.

If I go to a web site and opt for a package I should be able to buy that package at the price advertised, it is fine to be told I need to pay for extras such as ski carriage, meals on the plane but the basics should be included that is flight, transfers, room, if it is not it is not a package and should not be advertised as such.

Just booked a package to Livigno with Iglu ski and paid the same price as advertised + ski carriage, I have no problem paying the extras

Your a bit fiery,Bonfire :wink:

I go up in flames on some subjects on others I just sit back and smoke although not in enclosed public areas these days.

Re:Lastminute.con, Ice Lolly and others

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 17:26:48 GMT

Bonfire wrote:

Ian Wickham wrote:

Bonfire wrote:If I go to buy a car I do not want to be told that the car is in fact GBP500 more then the list price as it has wheels included, it is fine to be told I can have better wheels for an extra GBP500 that is my choice.

If I go to a web site and opt for a package I should be able to buy that package at the price advertised, it is fine to be told I need to pay for extras such as ski carriage, meals on the plane but the basics should be included that is flight, transfers, room, if it is not it is not a package and should not be advertised as such.

Just booked a package to Livigno with Iglu ski and paid the same price as advertised + ski carriage, I have no problem paying the extras

Your a bit fiery,Bonfire :wink:

I could read the smoke signals :D

I go up in flames on some subjects on others I just sit back and smoke although not in enclosed public areas these days.

Re:Lastminute.con, Ice Lolly and others

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 22:33:09 GMT

Bonfire wrote:If I go to buy a car I do not want to be told that the car is in fact GBP500 more then the list price as the list price has no wheels included, it is fine to be told I can have better wheels for an extra GBP500 that is my choice.

If I go to a web site and opt for a package I should be able to buy that package at the price advertised, it is fine to be told I need to pay for extras such as ski carriage, meals on the plane but the basics should be included that is flight, transfers, room, if it is not it is not a package and should not be advertised as such.

Just booked a package to Livigno with Iglu ski and paid the same price as advertised + ski carriage, I have no problem paying the extras

Sorry had to edit put the edited bits in italic

Should being the operative word. But 9 times out of 10 you can't. Deal with it.

Re:Lastminute.con, Ice Lolly and others

Sun, 20 Mar 2011 11:25:00 GMT

I am Tony I go elsewhere.

However in the same way ski carriage is not standardised you deal with that.

Re:Lastminute.con, Ice Lolly and others

Sun, 20 Mar 2011 22:10:59 GMT

Bonfire wrote:I am Tony I go elsewhere.

However in the same way ski carriage is not standardised you deal with that.

I'm trying to!