Plakias Forums
Plakias => Where to stay => Topic started by: Alex&fran G on January 25, 2006, 10:55:26 PM
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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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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
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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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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
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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] ([url]http://index.php?[/url]act=findpost&pid=5314\")
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.caravel.gr/)
http://www.alianthos-group.com/ (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
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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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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
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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
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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
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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...
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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...
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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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Thanks for the car parking tip, John (not that we have a Tescos locally unfortunately).
Graham
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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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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
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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
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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] ([url]http://index.php?[/url]act=findpost&pid=5325\")
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
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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.
Mike
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The prices may be low compared with Charter flights but are probably not all that low compared with lowcost airlines like Ryanair or Easyjet IF indeed they did that sort of journey.
I have often thought that the Charter flight prices were a ripoff when I discovered that on occasions a flight only on say First Choice cost the same as a package holiday using that same flight.
John R
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Having travelled widely for the last 25 years we've rarely used BA as they've never been known for their low pricing. However, let's enjoy what they've started offering re Heraklion whilstever it lasts and hope this year's May-Oct scheduling is repeated next year and with equally attractive pricing.
I note that the flights we purchased at £229 yesterday are being offered today at £279 (post end of Jan sale and Birthday offer), but they still represent very good value. I also checked out this coming Whit week and discovered that price inflation around school holidays still exists on the Man-Her route. Was quoted a mere £599 for the two of us. Is there any wonder I can't wait for my good lady Sue to stop full-time teaching in July!! Being able to go away outside school holidays will be a rare but oh so welcome treat.
John - spoke to Marcos yesterday and we're all sorted for our 10 nights in Oct. Have done a bit of comparative checking on the car hire front, but think I'll leave it until nearer the time to book. I'm sure there'll be far more supply than demand in early Oct, which may benefit pricing. Will probably end up booking with Alianthos, Caravel or Holiday Autos.
Already looking forward to seeing Stella and Yannis again and settling in for a relaxing break. It's like visiting old friends. Fingers crossed for some decent weather which we seem to have always had bar one particular year in the mid '90s.
Graham
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Having travelled widely for the last 25 years we've rarely used BA as they've never been known for their low pricing. However, let's enjoy what they've started offering re Heraklion whilstever it lasts and hope this year's May-Oct scheduling is repeated next year and with equally attractive pricing.
I did a quick comparison for early May with what we are paying for Kostas Chrysoulla with Olympic. BA was ca. £140 return pp (Gatwick), I reckoned 2 X £50 for the taxi transfer (last year it was €75 each way), and allowed €20 per night for accommodation (i.e. ca. £200 for the 2 weeks). Total £580. This is about 10% more than we are paying and is the closest that "independent" comes to "package" that I have seen for low season. Not quite a fair comparison I know as the BA is probably a slightly up market flight and you would get a quicker (but not necessarily safer) transfer.
If you were hiring a car anyway for the 2 weeks it would be cheaper.
Mike
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If you were hiring a car anyway for the 2 weeks it would be cheaper.
Mike
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There is no question about it - the transfer costs are the killer in any discussion about independent versus package costs. We had a long discussion with Marcos of Stella last year about the possibility of him providing free or cheap transfers for his guests - which would be a very good marketing ploy for him. Marcos needs a lot of thinking time !!
However as you say above if you hire a car anyway - as we do - the transfers are "free" and the independent costs now win outright.
John R
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Hi Mike and John,
An interesting comparison, Mike, and fine if you're happy to stay in accomodation still offered in Plakias by the package operators still active there and if you only want trfs to and from Heraklion and no car hire whilst there. With us specifically wanting to stay at Stella's again, a flight only option was what we needed, as with John, and BA's £114.50 per person return from Manchester all inclusive in early Oct still seems a good buy to me. Way better than charter prices I sourced for the same (agreed, John, that flight only charter prices are often excessive compared to the discount airlines) and even more so than other scheduled airline prices I checked out routing via Athens.
Graham
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Hi Mike and John,
An interesting comparison, Mike, and fine if you're happy to stay in accomodation still offered in Plakias by the package operators still active there and if you only want trfs to and from Heraklion and no car hire whilst there.
Yes Graham, I agree that the accommodation is limited from the package tour operators. Having said that we would be equally happy with any comparable accommodation I think.
Of course it is much more than a simple price comparison; the paramount concern is to have an wonderful holiday and compared to many of the pursuits we in the UK spend money on, Mediterranean holidays are cheap.
When we do feel the need for a car it will probably be for, say, 4-6 days out of the 14 (or 21), but in the middle of the holiday, not at start and end to accommodate the transfers. Also, on arrival I don't want to be negotiating a price for a taxi immediately on arrival and then have the wits frightened out of me by his reckless driving!
John, if an enterprising Plakian could arrange something along the lines you suggest re. transfers it would be brilliant and would tip the balance for many. However, I can foresee logistical problems.
Mike
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For transfers you could, of course, use the bus, a dirt-cheap but long-winded option.
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For transfers you could, of course, use the bus, a dirt-cheap but long-winded option.
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True, but as likely as us choosing a tent as our accommodation. The words "slumming it" spring to mind.
Mike
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olympic has just changed our flight times for july - seem to remember them changing three times last year before they got it right....here we go again
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True, but as likely as us choosing a tent as our accommodation. The words "slumming it" spring to mind.
Mike
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But actually the buses are in fact comfortable, air-conditioned coaches. I've used them both times I've been to Plakias, even though I fly out there in business class.