First Choice Pull out of Plakias!

[Mike G]

I have had the same response from the website as Ostraco for several days now. The Plakias properties are there but there is "no availability" for any date you put in for 2005. I have E-Mailed them to ask if the booking I have for 2005 is still valid and have been told "I don't know, we will look into it and get back to you".

My daughter worked for First Choice last year and found them to be frustratingly inefficient so in some ways I'm not surprised we can't get this resolved. However, my First Choice holiday to Tingaki (Kos) in May was brilliant and couldn't have been faulted!

[ostraco]

We were in Plakias with First Choice in May - going again late August!

Everything was fine - and there was a good, and quite senior rep in place. We had a chat about the service they were offering, and he seemed to think that the company were making a real effort for Plakias.

Looks as if we will just have to wait and see what happens.

[John R]

Right - I've got the answer.

Been on to 1st Choice to re-confirm my late September 2005 booking at Stella Pension. We on this forum have been party to information that we should not - 1st Choice were very surprised that we knew or suspected a problem that they were only just aware of themselves with the "file" as they call it yet incomplete.

The problem is with Stella Pension and only Stella Pension. 1st Choice have asked Stella to do something for the 2005 season - I have NO idea what and neither did the chatty and helpful person I dealt with  - She gave me her name and direct extension to ring her in 2 or 3 weeks when the problem should be resolved one way or the other. She said that all further sales to Stella for 2005 have been halted and that if the problem is not resolved then Holidays already booked would be also be cancelled and alternatives offered. I asked about alternatives and Alianthos and Crystollis (sp) Studios were mentioned. They are definitely not pulling out of Plakias altogether.

The problem with Stella could be anything from a minor pricing argument to a minor Health and safety issue which needs fixing etc. etc. The pull out from Stella is possible but not yet definite.

I will be ringing this lady back in 2 or 3 weeks time and will keep you all posted.

John R

[ostraco]

OK John, accepting that there might be a problem with Stella - I've checked Costas C, and Irida again - and still get no availability for next year, although I was able to locate them on a site search.
Could be there's a problem with the website I guess.

[ostraco]

I had a further chat with a very helpful lady at First Choice.
I'm afraid the news is not good.

Jenny: Hello, How may I help you?
John: Hello
John: I'm having problems with availability for Plakias, Crete, in 2005
John: all accom. I search shows no availability
Jenny: Which airport are you selecting please?
Jenny: And for what date?
John: Any London
John: searched for May and September 2005
Jenny: Is it a specific accommodation you are looking at?
John: prefer Costas Chrysoula
John: If I search from May 182005, I get: We have checked availability between Wed 18 May 2005 and Wed 25 May 2005, and unfortunately the holiday you've chosen is not available. Please click Search Earlier or Search Later for other dates.
Jenny: Let me check our in house system for you. How many people is the holiday for?
John: Could be up to 10
John: still getting group together
Jenny: Ok, thanks. One moment please.
John: ok
Jenny: Sorry too keep you John. I have just checked and unfortuantely we are no longer offering holidays to the Cost Chrisoulla studios. We are unable to take the details off the website until we have a release in a few weeks time.
John: is that just to Costas - or other Plakias accom. too?
Jenny: It looks like they have all been withdrawn, I have checked the Alianthos, Irida and Stella Pension and none are being featured for next year.
John: That's sad! Two more questions:
John: 1. - I take it holidays for this season are safe (we are going again in August)
John: 2. - What about bookings already taken for 2005 - I already have a freind booked
Jenny: Yes this years holidays are fine, its just for next year that they have been withdrawn.
Jenny: I'll just check on question 2 won't be a moment.
John: Thanks
Jenny: There are no notes on the system to advise of what is happening to existing bookings, as it looks as though the accommodations have only just been withdrawn. I would suggest that your friend contacts our Customer Services department on 0870 901 6522 and they will be able to advise him fully.
John: Thanks again Jenny most help - even thought it's not what I wanted to hear!
John: helpful
Jenny: You're welcome John.
John: Thanks again - 'bye
Jenny: Thank you for chatting, please contact us at any time.
John: will do! bye now

I think to be fair to 1st Choice that decisions have just been made - but as usual, you hear it here first!
John - hope you get things sorted quickly!

[John R]

Things don't look good for Plakias / 1st Choice for next year do they !!

They said to me that there was no hurry (their opinion) as Sept 2005 was such a long way off. I pointed out that arranging an alternative had to be asap. I would want to get flights booked now(ish) and arrange the accommodation when I'm there this September/October 2004.

Thanks to this forum we have got as early a  warning as could be possible. They are naughty if they think they could have hung on to our deposits until they advise us sometime much later next year when they think we have no alternative but to acept what they offer as an alternative.

John R

[ostraco]

You never know John - you might have got a relaxing 2 weeks in Malia for the same price!

I am still chasing Kosmar for their 2005 availability - no news yet, except that they will be there. I e-mailed them today, but only got an auto-response so far.

[John R]

Booking for Malia might not be a joke. I have had a miserable time looking at flights for those 2 weeks in 2005 (14 days from 27 Sept) and so far have found that the flight costs exceed the cost of my all in holiday which is about to be withdrawn.

It is quite probable that booking the cheapest hol to anywhere on Crete might be the cheapest (independent) way to get to Plakias.

Obviously will research Olympic and await Kosmar before taking that action - but it is on the cards.

John R

[ostraco]

Yes - back to the research I'm afraid John.

We thought we'd found a good company too - VERY happy with the 1st Choice trip in May this year - after steadily declining standards from Olympic.

We're waiting for Kosmar - certainly for early season trips, packages have been a lot cheaper in the past than the go it alone options. Time will tell!

[Yvonne]

Hi
I have just sent an email to the Alianthos Beach Hotel asking them if they have any information re First Choice 2005.  I will let you know the outcome.

[eddie and alan]

Hi folks - just had lunch in Mirthios (Plateia) with John and Zell who told us about this forum.   The waiter in Freddie's (Marco) is Stella's son.

First Choice have been "pulling out" of Plakias (in some cases have been pushed out) ever since we came to live here ten years ago.  

As far as we can establish, FC accommodation in Plakias is often described as not available on their site, even when we know this not to be true.   The reasoning seems to be that they will not 'release' accommodation here until a high proportion of their rooms in places like Malia and Hersonissos have been let.   This is because they are required to guarantee payment to property owners in those places for the entire season, whether or not they take up the rooms.

In Plakias the deal seems to be that FC will only pay for rooms which are occupied, leaving the owners to find 'casual' visitors if FC don't fill them.

It was this sort of mucking about which caused several of the owners here (e.g. Kostas and Kostoula of Anemone Apartments) to tell them to sling their hook! K&K found that previously regular visitors to Anemone were staying elsewhere in Plakias in accommodation booked through other agencies.   They would visit K&K to apologise for not being able to stay with them because "the rooms were not available", only to find it empty.  

So, as far as we know, FC are not "pulling out" - but they would far rather you stayed in their accommodation elsewhere on the island.

Best tip? - DIY

Cheers

Eddie

[John R]

What you say may be have been true true in general over the past few years but  my booking with FC for Stella Pension in 2005 has been accepted, a deposit paid and all the holiday documentation has already been sent to me.

 FC confirmed last week that they ARE pulling out and that my booking WILL be cancelled. What they could not tell me (I have to contact them again next week) were the alternatives they are prepared to offer.

I booked without problem 18 months in advance for this years (2004) stay at Stella. Plakias was then not in their 1st edition brochure (causing me to panic) when John (Ostraco) pointed me to their website where I could and did book - and that was in April 2003.

Will keep you posted on results.

It is ok saying go independent but my weekend's searching so far for flights-only from Newcastle to cover my impending lost holiday has so far found only flights which exceed the cost of the whole cancelled holiday package. I will be going independent - but it is going to cost me a LOT more in total (like nearly double)

John R

[ostraco]

I tend to agree John.
I can see a lot of advantages in the Independent route - but  it often does cost more - especially early or late in the season.
We stayed at Costas in May - the total package for me, in a single room, was only about £220 if I remember correctly, including flight, transfer and 2 weeks accommodation. How could I do the independent thing cheaper then?
Agreed, that the August booking is about £200 more - for exactly the same, so I might be able to save a little then - but not a lot. And we do have the assurance of a rep to rely on if something goes wrong.

A bigger issue for me is the way in which 1st Choice conducts their business. It took a lot of work to suss out what's happening next year. They look after their own interests - it seems the Customer comes second! (and how fair are they when dealing with the accommodation owners?)

[Yvonne]

Hi
I have had a reply from Eleni at the Alianthos Beach and she has confirmed that First Choice will NOT be in Plakias next year.  Also she has doubts that they will be in Rethymnon, but is not sure on that fact.  Gets more and more complicated.
Yvonne

[ostraco]

Yes Yvonne - but it does seem clear that we will not be using 1st Choice next year.
Still no news from Kosmar - and a search on their site last night provided no hits for Plakias.