Expedia

[Noopsy]

This topic is probably of more interest to those of you travelling independently.  I don't know how you make your travelling arrangements but I 've always used Expedia ever since I started coming to Plakias.  To be fair, I've never had cause for complaint but this year has been an exception.  For a return flight (business class) they quoted £607.85, which is roughly what I paid last year.  However, when it came to actually paying, the price shot up to £1,460.45!  When I queried this, Expedia said that the airline can suddenly change the fare between the time that the fare is advertised and when it is actually bought.  I checked Expedia's site 5 days later, and guess what - they were still advertising that journey at the lower price.  Seems to me that they have taken to luring people with low fares knowing that a higher one will actually be payable.  Needless to say, I will be closing my account with them, and using a different agency in future.

Noopsy   

[Richard]

Thanks for the warning. We usually make our own travel arrangements and would have considered Expedia for a September visit.

I despise this kind of cynical approach to business - in the day-to-day, if I were treated like that then I'd call it fraud - but I suppose that all we can do about it is let others know.

Smacks of Olympic's policy of taking flight bookings and then changing things whilst one is on hols, regardless of inconvenience - people stranded at Gatwick in the early hours - and possibly costs, i.e. car in  car park longer than planned.

Richard

[bwian]

We started making our own travel arrangements after a particularly bad year with Olympic. A pity because we had been happy at Dora Studios.

[Barny]

I've always booked the flight online direct with Monarch, you get to pick your seat and other bits and pieces and always a good price, £450 this year including extra leg room and free hold luggage to 23 kg. Then I pre book a taxi with Zach and pre book the room at the Stella.
Simple!!
I will be there Friday evening.

[bwian]

We like Monarch too, but they seem to have their best flight times (well, best for *us* that is!)

[Barny]

Yes, it leaves Birmingham at 14:20 so I get to Plakias about 22:30 ish, so a good nights sleep can be had. Coming back it leaves Heaklion at 21:30 so I have to leave Plakias about 17:00 ish, if only it could be a bit later just to get the 'extra' time there!

            Barny.

[Noopsy]

Unfortunately, Monarch don't fly from Heathrow, my local airport.  Over the years I've flown with various airlines depending on which one offers the most convenient arrival/departure times (that's the advantage of travelling independently).  So this year it's Swissair - out, and Aegean - back.

Noopsy

[JBMouse]

Just seen your post about flying to Crete. To save me the time in checking, does your Swissair out/Aegean back include direct to Crete, or via Athens?
I am unhappy with the prices Olympic offer but NEED to get back to Plakias next year whilst I still can!
If anyone else has any tips to reduce the cost of getting to Plakias, other than Olympic, it would be appreciated.

[Richard]

Just seen your post about flying to Crete. To save me the time in checking, does your Swissair out/Aegean back include direct to Crete, or via Athens?
I am unhappy with the prices Olympic offer but NEED to get back to Plakias next year whilst I still can!
If anyone else has any tips to reduce the cost of getting to Plakias, other than Olympic, it would be appreciated.

In a sense, your NEED to be back in Plakias sums certain things up. We all love the place - hence the forum - but because of this Olympic have a captive audience. We usually make our own way there but we fancied a quick trip at short notice last year, and (I regret) used them.

I was quoted well over £1000 when they changed the agreed flight times and I tried to revert to them. As I have stated above, probably legally, they quoted Ts and Cs, but this is entirely cynical to my mind, we are not talking major corporations here, and it is utterly beneath contempt in my view.

Perhaps a mere fantasy, but wouldn't it be good if we could arrange something amongst ourselves, at least for the popular times? OK, probably bedtime... KaliniXta.

Richard

[Noopsy]

There are no direct flights to Crete from Heathrow: you always have to change planes somewhere in Europe.  My Swiss flight was cancelled thanks to ex-hurricane Bertha, but I would have had to change planes in Zurich had I flown.  In the event I was bumped off onto an Aegean flight so changed planes in Athens.  (The same thing will happen, in reverse, when I return home.)

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