Kosmar

[sheryl]

hate to tell you but olympic is already booked up for weeks in july aswell  
i went in to the travel agents to price the holiday and they could only give me a week so i had to book for earlier to get a fortnight - whats going on

as for first choice, i'd asked the rep this year and he said that the problem was the transfer costs were to high for plakias and they weren't making enough money compared to other resorts closer to heraklion  

i say we all chip in and buy a plane, i'm sure as regulars could quite easily fill it

[John R]

[/quote]
27/30th September is the time we visit Plakias as we like to celebrate our Wedding Anniversary    ( on the 6th October) whilst there. Other commitments meant we could not book earlier so now looks like we have missed our chance for next years celebration   Plus the chance to meet up with new found friends  Looks like Kosmar need to book more accomadation!
[/quote]

Well - we celebrate ours a day earlier - we should have got together this October for a two day celebration to cement our newfound friendship  

John R and Gillian

[DOTTY]

27/30th September is the time we visit Plakias as we like to celebrate our Wedding Anniversary    ( on the 6th October) whilst there. Other commitments meant we could not book earlier so now looks like we have missed our chance for next years celebration   Plus the chance to meet up with new found friends  Looks like Kosmar need to book more accomadation!
[/quote]

Well - we celebrate ours a day earlier - we should have got together this October for a two day celebration to cement our newfound friendship  

John R and Gillian
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[/quote]
That was eggcactly my thoughts on the subject should have know I would Jinx it . Maybe another year. Looks like The other event is going ahead though.

Dotty

[fraoula]

as for first choice, i'd asked the rep this year and he said that the problem was the transfer costs were to high for plakias and they weren't making enough money compared to other resorts closer to heraklion  

OH DEAR!    Who at first choice thought that one up! If that was the case, then First Choice, along with most other tour operators must be losing out on a hell
of alot resorts in Greece!!! I mean come on, if you take Turkey(just an example, I know it's not part of Greece   ) for instance, with its numerous airports - I think you'll find that the resorts tourists tend to travel to are 2-3 hours from the airport! So how are First Choice coping with that '' loss''? Are they going to drop Turkey or infact all resorts worldwide which have a transfer time of 1 hour plus!??
    Not the Rep's fault of course.

[John R]

I talked to the rep about this as well and what he meant was that the prices were so low for Plakias (too low) and the transfer costs were high per person because in particular off season there are so few people to transfer. When we have gone, there are sometimes only 6 people to transer and they used 2 taxis. When a few more than 6, a near empty bus was used. We paid in total for two of us, £430 for 2 weeks Bed and Breakfast. Now a taxi transer both ways would have cost us over £100. No doubt first choice "negotiates" better rates than that with the taxis but leaving about £330 for two weeks holiday and a return flight for two to a provincial airport does not look very profitable to me. Basically they needed to have raised the prices over the last 9 years we have gone with them. Instead of that we were paying less on our 9th year than we were on our first year. We would have happily gone along with them gradually increasing prices.

Kosmar are charging about £120 more than First Choice - so that at least would allow for transfer costs. However with them already running out of rooms for next September !! it would appear that they are running a very small operation - perhaps on a trial wait and see basis ?? At least it shows that people are MORE than willing to pay those higher prices which First Choice should have charged.

John R

[fraoula]

   Yes... I think Kosmar know a good thing when they see it! As most of you have probably seen the kosmar brochure, you'll know that they deal with a few larger resorts throughout the Islands and mainland but they're also a company that like to get their hands on the more traditional towns and villages in Greece.  In my opinion, Kosmar could be very happy down in Plakias...

[DOTTY]

  Yes... I think Kosmar know a good thing when they see it! As most of you have probably seen the kosmar brochure, you'll know that they deal with a few larger resorts throughout the Islands and mainland but they're also a company that like to get their hands on the more traditional towns and villages in Greece.  In my opinion, Kosmar could be very happy down in Plakias...
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Hope you are right, I believe they are (or were) a Greek company and I believe (rightly or wrongly) they only deal in Greece.  Just wish they had taken on more accomadation.

[george g...]

I went to the agent last Saturday with a list of 15 combinations of dates and apartments and got the first one on the list with no problems.
The following 4 were all available too.
Try Olympic for the Dora or the Kostas Chrissy on the 30.08, looks like plenty of spaces, unless they sold them all on Saturday. Sorry!
george g...

[Mike G]

I agree with what has been posted in the last few days.

There are plenty of tour operators going (profitably?) to Greek resorts with more expensive transfers than Plakias. FC prices were very low, but I'm amazed what John R has reported, that they are lower than 9 years ago. For 2005 they were significantly less than Olympic and Kosmar and both of these last two struck me as good value. They were miles less than the other small operators going to Plakias and also much less than going independently, for those travelling out of season at least.

I can't believe it is too difficult to cost the holidays and charge accordingly. I, for one, want good value, but the bottom line is that I want a good holiday and a few tens of pounds either way is not something which would deter me from the holiday I want. Just compare what you might pay in a reasonable UK hotel for one night (or even self catering) and it is obvious that the value is excellent.

Let's all hope that Kosmar are successful and expand their Plakias operation for 2006 onwards.

Mike

[Barny]

Hello all, just been on the flight only bit on Kosmar, they want £30 pp more than first choice for next august on the same 'plane !  so i booked with first choice! see you soon.

           Barny.

[Allan Barham]

Hello all, just been on the flight only bit on Kosmar, they want £30 pp more than first choice for next august on the same 'plane !  so i booked with first choice! see you soon.

           Barny.
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Hi Barny,

I can't find you on the calendar for August 2005.  When are you in Plakias?  Shall we see you at the next Plakform dinner?

Regards.

Allan & Fran

[DOTTY]

I went to the agent last Saturday with a list of 15 combinations of dates and apartments and got the first one on the list with no problems.
The following 4 were all available too.
Try Olympic for the Dora or the Kostas Chrissy on the 30.08, looks like plenty of spaces, unless they sold them all on Saturday. Sorry!
george g...
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Thanks but we wanted 30/09 could get in Kostas with Olympic but came out about £800    bit steep for us only paying under half that this year

[harribobs]

anyone who loves Plakias will not like Georgioupolis, but each to their own

I've never been there but have always thought it looked a "non lager lout" resort with a decent beach, tavernas etc. Could Harribobs please expand on his opinion.

Mike
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i think the place has been accurately described

i hadn't realised just how far down it had gone until i was talking with a greek friend who mentioned it  

[harribobs]

QUOTE]


OH DEAR!    Who at first choice thought that one up! If that was the case, then First Choice, along with most other tour operators must be losing out on a hell
of alot resorts in Greece!!! .
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As i understand it FC have pulled out of lots of places, it's a cost cutting exercise, trimming out the less profitable resorts all over europe

as much as we like plakias, we're not the sort of customers tour operators want

i wouldn't mind a small wager that most of us wouldn't even consider going to a welcome meeting, never mind an overpriced excursion!

[Graham_and_Karen]

Quite right - I felt sorry for our FC rep this year, Gary. He admitted that he didn't try to sell excursions at his welcome meetins in Plakias. Hope it didn't affect his chances of promotion as he said we was in FC for the long term.