Plakias Forums
Plakias => Holiday Companies => Topic started by: Colin & Sandra on January 17, 2011, 12:38:36 PM
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Hi
Anyone else noticed that over the the last weekend both Olympic and Thomas Cook have slapped a £30 per head "price adjustment" on this summers bookings. I can't find anywhere on their websites to explain what its about, I have emailed Olympic and will post their reply if I get one.
All the best
Colin & Sandra
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Hi
Anyone else noticed that over the the last weekend both Olympic and Thomas Cook have slapped a £30 per head "price adjustment" on this summers bookings. I can't find anywhere on their websites to explain what its about, I have emailed Olympic and will post their reply if I get one.
All the best
Colin & Sandra
Are you saying this is for new bookings only or all bookings? I put my booking ref. nos. into the Olympic website and they came up with the prices agreed, although according to the Olympic brochure there are some conditions under which they can apply a surcharge post booking. To my knowledge they haven't done this during the time I have been buying from them.
It was only a week ago that they were advertising double online discount.
Mike
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Hi
Anyone else noticed that over the the last weekend both Olympic and Thomas Cook have slapped a £30 per head "price adjustment" on this summers bookings. I can't find anywhere on their websites to explain what its about, I have emailed Olympic and will post their reply if I get one.
All the best
Colin & Sandra
Are you saying this is for new bookings only or all bookings? I put my booking ref. nos. into the Olympic website and they came up with the prices agreed, although according to the Olympic brochure there are some conditions under which they can apply a surcharge post booking. To my knowledge they haven't done this during the time I have been buying from them.
It was only a week ago that they were advertising double online discount.
Mike
Only on new bookings, I have been watching the prices throughout Jan. hoping to pick up a bargain
Colin & Sandra
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I'd guess VAT - fair enough really.
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VAT is not payable on package holidays, so the price adjustment would be Olympic putting the price up!
I checked the website today and there is no "price adjustment" on my booking but I did notice that the flights have been changed from Monarch to Travel Service Airlines , a Czech airline. I rang Olympic and they said that they would not be using Monarch but that they have not finalized arrangements with Travel Service Airlines and it may well change again!!! They hoped to keep the same time slots but couldn't guarantee this and of course they have the "right" to change your flight times by 12 hours and pay no compensation.
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VAT is not payable on package holidays, so the price adjustment would be Olympic putting the price up!
I checked the website today and there is no "price adjustment" on my booking but I did notice that the flights have been changed from Monarch to Travel Service Airlines , a Czech airline. I rang Olympic and they said that they would not be using Monarch but that they have not finalized arrangements with Travel Service Airlines and it may well change again!!! They hoped to keep the same time slots but couldn't guarantee this and of course they have the "right" to change your flight times by 12 hours and pay no compensation.
A Google search revealed the following.
http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/articles/201...ff+website.html (http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/articles/2011/01/06/35684/monarch+steps+up+pressure+on+olympic+to+take+flights+off+website.html)
Mike
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I checked the website today and there is no "price adjustment" on my booking but I did notice that the flights have been changed from Monarch to Travel Service Airlines , a Czech airline.
That makes me more inclined to consider using Olympic - Monarch is the grottiest airline I have ever travelled on (and I am old enough to remember DanAir!).
Roger
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VAT is not payable on package holidays, so the price adjustment would be Olympic putting the price up!
I checked the website today and there is no "price adjustment" on my booking but I did notice that the flights have been changed from Monarch to Travel Service Airlines , a Czech airline. I rang Olympic and they said that they would not be using Monarch but that they have not finalized arrangements with Travel Service Airlines and it may well change again!!! They hoped to keep the same time slots but couldn't guarantee this and of course they have the "right" to change your flight times by 12 hours and pay no compensation.
I think you will find that package holidays are subject to VAT. When insurance premium tax was 5%, it was suddenly increased to 17.5% for holiday insurance, due to some operators offering extremely cheap holidays with "compulsory", very expensive holiday insurance. The recent VAT increase would not account for £30 on Olympic prices however!
The Olympic search for replacement airlines is interesting, but where would the necessary landing slots come from at the large airports, particularly Gatwick. I am very interested, since I am due out of Gatwick to Heraklion in September.
Mike
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VAT is not payable on package holidays, so the price adjustment would be Olympic putting the price up!
I checked the website today and there is no "price adjustment" on my booking but I did notice that the flights have been changed from Monarch to Travel Service Airlines , a Czech airline. I rang Olympic and they said that they would not be using Monarch but that they have not finalized arrangements with Travel Service Airlines and it may well change again!!! They hoped to keep the same time slots but couldn't guarantee this and of course they have the "right" to change your flight times by 12 hours and pay no compensation.
I think you will find that package holidays are subject to VAT. When insurance premium tax was 5%, it was suddenly increased to 17.5% for holiday insurance, due to some operators offering extremely cheap holidays with "compulsory", very expensive holiday insurance. The recent VAT increase would not account for £30 on Olympic prices however!
The Olympic search for replacement airlines is interesting, but where would the necessary landing slots come from at the large airports, particularly Gatwick. I am very interested, since I am due out of Gatwick to Heraklion in September.
Mike
Mike,
Vat is charged on the profit margins not the total price for flights/accommodation outside of the UK, so any increase in VAT makes a very small difference to the cost.
http://www.iwantsun.co.uk/beach-holidays/2...-rise-says-abta (http://www.iwantsun.co.uk/beach-holidays/2011/01/11/package-holidays-exempt-from-vat-rise-says-abta)
I googled it and above is one of the serach results.
I'm not so much concerned about the Flight Operator but like you the time slots. Having booked for a flight leaving at 0900 I don't want to end up on a "Night Flight" which are horrendous!
Grahame
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Mike,
Vat is charged on the profit margins not the total price for flights/accommodation outside of the UK, so any increase in VAT makes a very small difference to the cost.
http://www.iwantsun.co.uk/beach-holidays/2...-rise-says-abta (http://www.iwantsun.co.uk/beach-holidays/2011/01/11/package-holidays-exempt-from-vat-rise-says-abta)
I googled it and above is one of the serach results.
I'm not so much concerned about the Flight Operator but like you the time slots. Having booked for a flight leaving at 0900 I don't want to end up on a "Night Flight" which are horrendous!
Grahame
[/quote]
Grahame,
I agree that whatever VAT is chargeable on, the rise cannot amount to £30 on an Olympic holiday.
Like you, I booked a morning flight (from Gatwick) and the Olympic site is still quoting the Monarch flight times, but showing Travel Services as the carrier and a £27 surcharge for a morning flight
I'm trying to draw up a contingency plan in case Olympic don't survive through to September.
From its website, it looks like Travel Services is owned by Icelandair!
Mike
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Olympic website now showing flights operated by Strategic Airlines.
They are an Australian company!
The plot thickens.
Grahame
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Olympic website now showing flights operated by Strategic Airlines.
They are an Australian company!
The plot thickens.
Grahame
Strategic does not operate any flights out of UK:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Airlines (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Airlines)
http://www.flystrategic.com.au/ (http://www.flystrategic.com.au/)
If this actually comes to pass then I imagine Stategic will be finding aircraft available for charter, but Olympic have been selling holidays by taking seats on charter flights and I doubt they have the customer numbers to be able to charter aircraft themselves.
I have a great feeling of foreboding.
Mike
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Olympic website now showing flights operated by Strategic Airlines.
They are an Australian company!
The plot thickens.
Grahame
Strategic does not operate any flights out of UK:
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Airlines[/url] ([url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Airlines[/url])
[url]http://www.flystrategic.com.au/[/url] ([url]http://www.flystrategic.com.au/[/url])
If this actually comes to pass then I imagine Stategic will be finding aircraft available for charter, but Olympic have been selling holidays by taking seats on charter flights and I doubt they have the customer numbers to be able to charter aircraft themselves.
I have a great feeling of foreboding.
Mike
Lets hope things don't go to pot, we bit the bullet yesterday and booked for Kostas in June with the January offers on the Thomas Cook website, we thought we might have a bit more protection than booking direct with Olympic. The Airline out of Humberside now is
Fly Hellas who I've never heard of before
Colin & Sandra
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"The Airline out of Humberside now is Fly Hellas who I've never heard of before"
Fly Hellas appears to be part of Viking, judging by the flight number. Manchester is also showing Fly Hellas and Strategic Airways for its flights, along with Jet2. We are booked for August with Olympic to Kosta Chryssoula, so also have more than a passing interest in this. Anyway, let's not be doom merchants and keep our fingers tightly crossed for great holidays all round. (Crossed fingers might excuse the odd typing mistake on the forum.)
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Wow - just caught up on lots of posts (I've been neglecting the site for a while). Have been trying to plan a long haul holidy for May but we're no closer to making a decision. I think I might sneak a Plakias option into the mix but looks like booking independently might be the best option. A few years back we managed to lose 13 hours when Olympic changed the flights in 2 stages. Hope Olympic don't have problems - some of their late deals have been very good in the past.
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Hope Olympic don't have problems - some of their late deals have been very good in the past.
Not only will a lot of members of this forum be agreeing with these sentiments, but the long-suffering accommodation and taverna owners in Plakias will as well. Although I have never availed myself of their late offers, I hear they can be very good as long as you only want to go for one week.
Mike
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Yes, the price hikes are across the board to every destination from every package company. We have already booked with Olympic for the Costas again, did so in September last, and I won't annoy you by telling the price, suffice to say it was a lot lower than prices today, but we are paying the same for 1 week that we paid for 2 weeks in 2008! Prices are unbelievable! In 2009 we went to Lesvos, Petra, and loved it (but then I do love Ouzo) but , again prices have gone through the roof for that destimation this year (and last). In 2010 we went to Cuba, Cayo Guillermo, for 2 weeks, all inclusive, and the total cost was a a lot less than Plakias or Lesvos for 2 weeks, but we needed to see Plakias one last time before prices and travel insurance costs prices us out of any holidays.
Arriving 14th June for 1 week - how will we fit it all in? Sirocco for evenings, Livicon for drinks, Myrthios at least one evening, On The Rocks for drinks, Kyma for lunch Pitta souvlaki - the list of must do's is endless.
And yes, I have seen the reference to the new airline Strategic Airlines, and, according to that website they are operating in Europe.
Lets hope it all stays in bed and that we can get back to Plakias in June.
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Olympic website now showing flights operated by Strategic Airlines.
They are an Australian company!
The plot thickens.
Grahame
Not good news if this quote taken from an airline pilots forum is true
"Just heard that Olympic have secured two aircraft from Strategic Airlines for their summer programme.
Strategic Airlines, isn't that the airline which had its French AOC revoked by the DGAC on safety grounds ? Seems the airline had a few Kelloggs cornflakes tokens left and traded them in for an AOC in Luxembourg. The French market is understandably up in arms and fails to understand how Luxembourg could possibly grant an AOC to Strategic, just weeks after the French CAA had revoked their French AOC."
Olympic obviously did find an airline that thought their rates were acceptable! "
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Wow - just caught up on lots of posts (I've been neglecting the site for a while). Have been trying to plan a long haul holidy for May but we're no closer to making a decision. I think I might sneak a Plakias option into the mix but looks like booking independently might be the best option. A few years back we managed to lose 13 hours when Olympic changed the flights in 2 stages. Hope Olympic don't have problems - some of their late deals have been very good in the past.
Has anybody else seen this from Olympic ?
http://www.olympicholidays.com/information...m#axzz1ERFnv4cf (http://www.olympicholidays.com/information/single-travellers.htm#axzz1ERFnv4cf)
can't see anything for Plakias, but, have found this :-
starting 26th April to Doras.
Manchester Heraklion 26-Apr-2011 10:45 16:30 Strategic Airlines STU3246
Heraklion Manchester 10-May-2011 17:45 19:50 Strategic Airlines STU3247
2 weeks for 2 people sharing £286
2 weeks for 1 person £312
1 week 2 people sharing £269
1 week 1 person £279
Anyone been that early? if so is anything open ?
Jann
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Olympic website now showing flights operated by Strategic Airlines.
They are an Australian company!
The plot thickens.
Grahame
Flight times by Strategic airlines now showing as 0955 from Gatwick.
When you do a "dummy" booking no flight supplement is shown. On my invoice for the same flight on the same day, I'm paying £19 supplement! Do you think Olympic will refund this supplement (ha ha !)
Grahame
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Just a quick update on the Gatwick /Iraklion flight times from Olympic. We booked last september expecting the usual 09.00 Monarch flight, but, after a couple of false starts, it seems the Strategic Airlines flight is 11.25 departure, almost two and a half hours later, and I am concerned about arrival time in Plakias, given the extended transfers from Iraklion and the 'round the island' route. Then check in at Kostas, a shower would be nice, but will the bars and restaurants still be open I wonder?
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Just a quick update on the Gatwick /Iraklion flight times from Olympic. We booked last september expecting the usual 09.00 Monarch flight, but, after a couple of false starts, it seems the Strategic Airlines flight is 11.25 departure, almost two and a half hours later, and I am concerned about arrival time in Plakias, given the extended transfers from Iraklion and the 'round the island' route. Then check in at Kostas, a shower would be nice, but will the bars and restaurants still be open I wonder?
Interesting. I checked my booking online at Olympic and this shows my flight as STU2250 (Strategic?), departing Gatwick at 09.55, arriving Heraklion at 15.50.
From memory the 9am flight used to result in arrival in Plakias at around 6.30pm so I would have thought that a 11.25 departure would still arrive in time for a first meal, albeit a little later than my usual eating time.
For me personally, a 11.25 departure would allow me to travel to the airport by train rather than pay the exorbitant prices for airport parking.
Mike
ps. Olympic seem to be using Easyjet now for some of their packages.