Author Topic: Stella pensions  (Read 10991 times)

Offline Alex&fran G

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« on: January 25, 2006, 10:55:26 PM »
Can anyone help,I was given an email address last year by stellabut dont seem to be able to get a reply she gave me  brokalak@otenct.gr can anyone see a possible error .Regards Alex G
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Offline John R

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« Reply #1 on: January 26, 2006, 08:27:09 AM »
Quote
Can anyone help,I was given an email address last year by stellabut dont seem to be able to get a reply she gave me  brokalak@otenct.gr can anyone see a possible error .Regards Alex G
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=5296\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Yes - you email  brokalak@otenet.gr you have nct instead of net in your otenet

I cut/paste the above from a reply from Marcos so it should be ok.

Have a great time - we are booked in during September

Offline Alex&fran G

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« Reply #2 on: January 26, 2006, 11:52:54 AM »
Quote
Quote
Can anyone help,I was given an email address last year by stellabut dont seem to be able to get a reply she gave me  brokalak@otenct.gr can anyone see a possible error .Regards Alex G
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=5296\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Yes - you email  brokalak@otenet.gr you have nct instead of net in your otenet

I cut/paste the above from a reply from Marcos so it should be ok.

Have a great time - we are booked in during September
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=5297\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Hi John, Thanks a million,enjoy yourselves in september,regards Alex.
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Offline Regulars since 1992

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« Reply #3 on: January 30, 2006, 04:18:53 PM »
John,

Graham & Sue here.  We haven't contributed since last Oct, but have been reviewing the forum regularly.  Could you please remind me of the tel. no. for ringing Stella's son about bookings.

Like you, we've been regular autumn visitors (to date always Oct Half Term Week) and have probably stopped at Stella's maybe 10 times over the last 12 years or so, booking via First Choice.  Like a home from home.  Following First Choice's withdrawal and with Sue giving up full time teaching this July we will for the first time in 26 years be able to go away outside of school holidays (I'm already semi-retired) and we're thinking of going to Plakias for the week commencing Tues 3 Oct.  Our local airport is Leeds Bradford and for the first time ever in our memory there's a flight to Crete (Heraklion) from there this year (May - Oct), daytime Tuesdays.  The charter airline is Astraeus, whom we've never flown with and I'm not sure about their quality, but they are selling seats via Airtours and Thomas Cook as well as other outlets.  Best online price I've found to date for the two of us return is £418 all in with Airtours.

Could you please also remind me about your preferred car hire options.  Wherever else we travel I tend to book a car via Holiday Autos as their prices don't seem bad and I also get an additional discount as a member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists.

Look forward to hearing from you.  Many thanks.

Graham

Offline John R

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« Reply #4 on: January 30, 2006, 08:22:22 PM »
Quote
John,

Graham & Sue here.  We haven't contributed since last Oct, but have been reviewing the forum regularly.  Could you please remind me of the tel. no. for ringing Stella's son about bookings.

Like you, we've been regular autumn visitors (to date always Oct Half Term Week) and have probably stopped at Stella's maybe 10 times over the last 12 years or so, booking via First Choice.  Like a home from home.  Following First Choice's withdrawal and with Sue giving up full time teaching this July we will for the first time in 26 years be able to go away outside of school holidays (I'm already semi-retired) and we're thinking of going to Plakias for the week commencing Tues 3 Oct.  Our local airport is Leeds Bradford and for the first time ever in our memory there's a flight to Crete (Heraklion) from there this year (May - Oct), daytime Tuesdays.  The charter airline is Astraeus, whom we've never flown with and I'm not sure about their quality, but they are selling seats via Airtours and Thomas Cook as well as other outlets.  Best online price I've found to date for the two of us return is £418 all in with Airtours.

Could you please also remind me about your preferred car hire options.  Wherever else we travel I tend to book a car via Holiday Autos as their prices don't seem bad and I also get an additional discount as a member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists.

Look forward to hearing from you.  Many thanks.

Graham
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]



Hi - nice to think Stella will get some return custom

To Phone Marcos ring   00302832031956

His email is brokalak@otenet.gr but Alex above emailed me only a few minutes ago to say that he didn't get any replies to his emails. He did however speak to Marcos via that number and arranged everything to his satisfaction. Seems that Marcos HAD received his emails but had not (yet) replied to them. Marcos can be a bit slow and unassuming but is reliable in the end.

I have rebooked our flights direct with a scheduled flight by BA from Manchester airport. SO cheap that it was worth losing my deposit for a previously booked flight.. These BA scheduled flights are something quite new. Cost us £273 return for two of us (not each) and we are giving ourselves an extra 3 days setting off on Tuesday 26 September and coming back on Friday 13 October. My abandoned ticket was with airtours from Newcaste - could still sell it to you cheap ( full price less deposit) if you wanted to fly from there !! - as long as we could transfer it.

Re car hire. We have had good service from Anso in Plakias for years but for the last two years have hired form Caravel info@caravel.gr and found them VERY satisfactory and cheap. Met at airport a 3am in morning with no problem at all and left the car there at 1am on our return. This year we might give Alianthos a try - their insurance (covers underside of car) looks more than excellent but we haven't made our minds up yet - at least there is plenty of choice from excellent car hire people. Caravel insurance might be just as good. Both give 100% waiver - zero excess in all circumstances.

[a href=\"http://www.ansotravel.com/]http://www.ansotravel.com/[/url]
http://www.caravel.gr/
http://www.alianthos-group.com/

Last year Caravell charged us 300 euro for two weeks hire  -plane to plane

Driving from Heraklion airport to Plakias and back at night time could not be simpler - no traffic and we knew our way well. Airport right alongside main E/W highway.

Hope the above helps

Looks as if we will meet up at Stella this year. One other couple from our gang has rebooked during the same period.

John R
« Last Edit: January 30, 2006, 08:44:53 PM by John R »

Offline Mike G

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« Reply #5 on: January 31, 2006, 10:58:54 AM »
It sounds as if these new BA chartered flights are having a real impact on prices for independent travellers. I wonder if they will last or are just "loss leaders".

They could alter the balance between independent vs. package deals and have other effects on Plakias. What does anyone else think?

Mike

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« Reply #6 on: January 31, 2006, 11:37:29 AM »
John,

Many thanks for your detailed response - the flt & car hire info + the contact details for Stella's son much appreciated.

After missing out on Stella's/Plakias last autumn we'll definitely be back this Oct as I've just booked us flts on your GB Airways operated BA scheduled route from Manchester.  Just sneaked in on the last day of BA's January Sale and in short have purchased the two return flts for a 10 day stay (out Tues 3 Oct and back Fri 13, same as you) for a total (not each) of £229 all in - excellent value with the charter airlines from Man offering me something similar for over £400.  

Leeds Bradford is a lot nearer for us and avoids the need for us taking our own car/car parking costs etc, but, as with you, Airtours have lost my potential business too (1 wk return with Astraeus from LBA was £418 and 2 wks £478, on a worse airline with worse legroom and no meals incl).

If BA continue their aggressive level of pricing to Crete, it's bound to take trade from the likes of First Choice and Airtours as awareness amongst independent travellers increases.    

Appreciated your offer re your Newcastle tickets, but obviously not required.  Manchester is closer for us anyway.

Look forward to seeing you at Stella's next Oct!

Best regards

Graham

Offline John R

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« Reply #7 on: January 31, 2006, 03:57:30 PM »
Quote
John,



Leeds Bradford is a lot nearer for us and avoids the need for us taking our own car/car parking costs etc, but, as with you, Airtours have lost my potential business too (1 wk return with Astraeus from LBA was £418 and 2 wks £478, on a worse airline with worse legroom and no meals incl).

If BA continue their aggressive level of pricing to Crete, it's bound to take trade from the likes of First Choice and Airtours as awareness amongst independent travellers increases.   


Look forward to seeing you at Stella's next Oct!

Best regards

Graham
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=5318\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


Wonderful - see you at Stella - and on the return flight !! Glad my flight info was so useful to you.

Re car parking - if you have any tesco clubcard vouchers then these can be exchanged at 4x their value for airport parking. We have a pile of these vouchers so are getting our parking in effect "for free" Our £80 parking cost us £20 in Tesco Clubcard vouchers.

John R

Offline George

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« Reply #8 on: January 31, 2006, 04:52:18 PM »
Re car parking - if you have any tesco clubcard vouchers then these can be exchanged at 4x their value for airport parking. We have a pile of these vouchers so are getting our parking in effect "for free" Our £80 parking cost us £20 in Tesco Clubcard vouchers.

John R

Good on ya John, the parking fees at airports have been silly prices for too long, if you can get one over on them, good for you.  

george g...

Offline John R

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« Reply #9 on: January 31, 2006, 07:44:50 PM »
Quote
Good on ya John, the parking fees at airports have been silly prices for too long, if you can get one over on them, good for you.  

george g...
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=5320\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

It's not really getting one over them - all quite legit. Purple parking airport scheme is in league with Tesco and it is all in the Tesco Clubcard scheme booklet. For anyone reading this - it all has to be arranged in advance - you cannot just turn up at the car park with clubcard vouchers. Anyone who shops at Tesco and gets clubcard vouchers - just read the booklet and you can arrange  some VERY cheap airport parking at almost any UK airport.

If only you could swap the vouchers for the BA flights to Heraklion. I have lots of airmiles bought via Tesco Vouchers - I wonder............?

Now everybody here knows where we shop !!!!!!!!!

John R

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« Reply #10 on: January 31, 2006, 07:57:35 PM »
Thanks for the car parking tip, John (not that we have a Tescos locally unfortunately).

Graham

Offline John R

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« Reply #11 on: January 31, 2006, 08:11:16 PM »
Quote
It sounds as if these new BA chartered flights are having a real impact on prices for independent travellers. I wonder if they will last or are just "loss leaders".

They could alter the balance between independent vs. package deals and have other effects on Plakias. What does anyone else think?

Mike
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=5317\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I don't know whether they are loss leaders or not but they are considerably cheaper than the normal Charter flights. I was originally booked to fly from Newcastle with Airtours 26 Sept to 10 October. As you will see above we are now going from Manchester at a cost so cheap that it was worth sacrificing my £150 deposit with Airtours !! If only I had waited !! - but the total cost is still MUCH cheaper than the balance which I owed Airtours. They also allowed me to book outward and incoming flights separately and with them flying on Tuesdays  AND Fridays I could extend my stay for a few days for no extra flight cost. There is no restriction such as only  two or three week vacation periods. Their flight booking system is VERY flexible. In addition to this they have online checkin where we choose our own seats and printout our own boarding passes and use their quick luggage checkin facilities. They say their seat pitch is greater than most. They allow 23kg luggage allowance per person + 6kg hand luggage which is more than airtours and most other charter flights I think. I got my tickets by return post rather than nervously wait till 2 weeks before the event.

What is even more fascinating is that when I did a dummy booking with BA from Newcastle to Heraklion for the same dates I got return flights from Newcastle to Heraklion via Gatwick (BA Domestic flights from Newcastle to Gatwick) and the cost was still cheaper than flying with Airtours Charter from Newcastle.

Will be interesting to see what they are like next year as you say

At the costs they quote we could not go as cheaply via a package and flying from the North of UK I have NEVER EVER been able to say that before.

For those flying from Gatwick with BA the situation must be even better than that which I describe above.

John R

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« Reply #12 on: January 31, 2006, 08:40:55 PM »
After my experience with BA today I fully agree with all John says about the excellence of their online booking system and subsequent online checking-in/seat selection/self printing of boarding cards etc procedures when the time comes.

Long may this level of service quality and the low pricing continue!

Graham

Offline Mike G

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« Reply #13 on: February 01, 2006, 01:54:24 PM »
The BA situation is puzzling as they are not known for being the instigators of lower prices, in fact the reverse having been led by the low cost airlines for at least 10 years.

I like the sound of the higher weight allowances and increased seat pitch, being 6' 3". I resent beng asked to pay extra for extra legroom when a) they used to be free and available to tall people and b} it's not my fault I'm tall.

Re. the Tesco vouchers I wasn't aware of this. Which Gatwick car parks are part of the scheme? I have always thought parking prices are a rip-off but it is so convenient for very early morning flights. Virtually £100 for two weeks!!

Mike

Offline John R

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« Reply #14 on: February 01, 2006, 03:07:28 PM »
Quote
.

Re. the Tesco vouchers I wasn't aware of this. Which Gatwick car parks are part of the scheme? I have always thought parking prices are a rip-off but it is so convenient for very early morning flights. Virtually £100 for two weeks!!

Mike
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


First you need some clubcard vouchers :-

Start by going to :-

[a href=\"http://www.purpleparking.com/tescopage1.htm]http://www.purpleparking.com/tescopage1.htm[/url]

I did a dummy run for my 17 days 26 Sept tilll 14 October parking at Gatwick and came up with :-

BCP Ltd Park and Ride
Car Park Details
Located approx. 10 mins from both terminals   £ 139.95    


APH Gatwick Park and Ride
 Car Park Details
Situated approximately 10-15 Minutes from Gatwick Airport  £ 107.35    

For 139.95 you need £35 worth of Tesco Clubcard Vouchers
For £107.35 you need £27 worth of Tesco Vouchers.

VERY good value if like me you shop at Tesco, collect the vouchers and don't spend them at face value back in Tescos.

John R