lowcostholidays.ie NOT

jesusman

I am in the process of booking a holiday to Mallorca for the end of may for two weeks. I have got an on-line quote from the falcon website. The price for two adults plus one child is €1,498. On the Lowcostholidays.ie web site a similar holiday, Same flights, same hotel, same dates comes in at €2,146 and they even say that includes a discount of €238.45. Rip Off Ireland or what. Shop around i Say.

whippet

jesusman wrote: »

Rip Off Ireland or what.

I would say competition ... good to see that there isn't price fixing in the market, its not a rip-off if you don't have to pay it.

jesusman wrote: »

Shop around i Say.

that is always the case.

jesusman

Its a rip off if you pay it! and using the name lowcostholidays.is is deciving to say the least. Competition!! Not on this web site.

TheMilkyPirate

Gone on holidays the last two years using low cost holidays and they have always been the cheapest by far. Got a week in Gran canaria last year in a lovely hotel for €190 in early october.

jesusman

baraca wrote: »

Gone on holidays the last two years using low cost holidays and they have always been the cheapest by far. Got a week in Gran canaria last year in a lovely hotel for €190 in early october.

If that included Flights, transfers, insurance and Taxes for one person, then you got a deal! I have compaired other holidays on that site and they still come in over priced.

Eire sun

Yes i was in a similar position when looking for a holiday and i was lured in by "Low Cost " only to discover thats its anything but. I usually find the best deals by going directly to property owners and booking our own flights. I know its a more tedious process but we get the best deals that way. Best of luck with the holiday hunt :cool:

amdublin

I would think this is a rip off if there were no other options available. You have shopped around and found a price you are happier with. Problem

jesusman

amdublin wrote: »

I would think this is a rip off if there were no other options available. You have shopped around and found a price you are happier with. Problem

The Problem is that they are using the words "low cost" when in fact they are not. Yes i will always shop around and get the best price i am happy with, and they will always be rip off merchants.

tricky D

Low cost is not the same as lowest cost. Prices can vary wildly in the travel market and hyperbole in advertising is not a crime.

amdublin

jesusman wrote: »

The Problem is that they are using the words "low cost" when in fact they are not. Yes i will always shop around and get the best price i am happy with, and they will always be rip off merchants.

The words "low cost" are subjective...

TheMilkyPirate

jesusman wrote: »

If that included Flights, transfers, insurance and Taxes for one person, then you got a deal! I have compaired other holidays on that site and they still come in over priced.

Sure did!

jesusman

This piece taken from the lowcostholiday website, *Note they say, "at some of the lowest market prices available" and "We offer great value holidays to suit every budget and taste at the lowest prices".

I see the words "Lowest" and "prices" together, Twice!!

About us

lowcostholidays.ie offers an unbeatable service to enable you to put together your perfect holiday at some of the lowest market prices available. With our team of travel experts and our unique technology, lowcostholidays.ie is able to offer you not only the lowest priced flights and cheapest accommodation but also an extensive range of other holiday options including transfers.
our promise to you

Established and Secure

We offer great value holidays to suit every budget and taste at the lowest prices. Every day, our team of 150 professionals and our unique, sophisticated technology searches over 35 airlines and 100,000 hotels to find you the lowest flight, hotel, transfer and other holiday extra prices to meet your holiday needs.

Gazump

I think u need to be sure you're comparing like with like. I've just gone into the lowcostholidays site and found a number of 2 week holidays for 2 adults and 1 child for less than 1,000 euro in May including bags transfers the lot. Looks like Falcon ripped you off! A couple of my friends have already booked with them for this summer simply because they were far cheaper than other operators.

sandin

I've come across discrepancies like that before, then i see where the difference is.


OP - just check and see whether you are B&B, half board or all inclusive. - this may be where the price difference is.

e.g. Jutlandia Apartments
24th May 2 adult 1 child

Falcon 486 per person self catering
lowcostholidays 476 per person self catering

All inclusive - falcon, 836 per person, lowcost = 696 per person (420 euro cheaper for family)

Sorry, but a quick look and comparing exact accomodation, exact hotel and exact meal package just doesn't show what you are saying.

Maybe give more info and posters can check and see what you are missing.

jesusman

jesusman wrote: »

I am in the process of booking a holiday to Mallorca for the end of may for two weeks. I have got an on-line quote from the falcon website. The price for two adults plus one child is €1,498. On the Lowcostholidays.ie web site a similar holiday, Same flights, same hotel, same dates comes in at €2,146 and they even say that includes a discount of €238.45. Rip Off Ireland or what. Shop around i Say.

If you read my first post i said similar holiday, the only thing that wasn't the same was the price! All these things were the same, Dates of travel, Airports, flights, including flight times, apartments, (Self catering) Duration 2 weeks, adults 2, child 1. Believe me, i checked it!! The only discrepancy is price.

sandin

jesusman wrote: »

If you read my first post i said similar holiday, the only thing that wasn't the same was the price! All these things were the same, Dates of travel, Airports, flights, including flight times, apartments, (Self catering) Duration 2 weeks, adults 2, child 1. Believe me, i checked it!! The only discrepancy is price.

Why can't you give the details of the exact hotel / dates?

Any comparison I looked at for the end of May for 2 weeks based on self catering and same flights showed lowcost to beat falcon by a few quid everytime.

My guess is you are either not looking at the same basis or you inadvertently added an extra person or something like that - it has to eb be something unusual as EVERY other comparison is €10 - €50 lower.

jesusman

29th of May 2 weeks @ the jutlandia apartments, 2 adults, 1 child, flying from Shannon (Same flights) Price on Lowcostholidays.....€2,180.14

Same Holiday with Falcon €1,516.50

sandin

jesusman wrote: »

29th of May 2 weeks @ the jutlandia apartments, 2 adults, 1 child, flying from Shannon (Same flights) Price on Lowcostholidays.....€2,180.14

Same Holiday with Falcon €1,516.50

I see what the difference is. Falcon will block book a cerain number of seats with the airline that operates that route and therefore all their holidays stay the same price.

Lowcost on the other hand operates like Expedia and give you seperate flights and accomodation prices and rely on real time quotes from the airline operating that route.

What you have failed to say / notice, that by simply moving your date by 2 days either side of 29th may, Lowcost would have come in cheaper than Falcon.

What it shows is you need to shop around especially if your dates are fixed, but in no way does it qualify as a rip off.

It also shows that by moving to 1st June, the price drops by €690! Now if Falcon didn't exist, would you go for the €2180 price on May 29th or go for a €1490 price by simply going 3 days later?

The other thing you need to watch with likes of Lowcost & expedia is the price can change from day to day depending on the flight price available.

jesusman

I was comparing like with like, same day, same flights, same holiday! different price.

amdublin

jesusman wrote: »

I was comparing like with like, same day, same flights, same holiday! different price.

yes that's how the market works. And that's why shopping around works.

Will I Amnt

Went with lowcost back in November and they were by a long shot the cheapest for the destination and accommodation I was looking for.

In saying that I'd never do a package holiday again,if you're looking for a bargain choose your flights and accommodation yourself and don't be giving any middle man your hard earned cash.

sandin

jesusman wrote: »

I was comparing like with like, same day, same flights, same holiday! different price.

and I'm giving you the reason why there was a difference. - i.e. 2 different business models. Sometimes it will go against you, but most times it goes in your favour.

Still not a rip off.

Think of it as a fixed rate mortgage or a variable rate mortgage. Falcon bought fixed rates and low cost are offering variable rates. The variable rate moves up and down with the market and you can be unlcky and buy at the top or lucky and buy at the bottom.

And I still say that if Falcon did not exist, you stilll would not have purchased at €2180 when a €690 cheaper deal for same place was available 3 days later

john_cappa

Bit of a non story given that sandin found them cheaper on other holidays.

Do you expect them to be cheaper on every single holiday? How can business stay in business with such expectations?

they are hardly going to name the website expensivecostholidays.ie...

jesusman

Why would they call the website expensivecostholidays.ie, as that would be false advertising, they should call it lowestpriceholidayssometimes.ie

and yes one would be made to believe that they are cheaper on all holidays with a name like that.


"At the lowest Prices" a quote from the website.

About us

lowcostholidays.ie offers an unbeatable service to enable you to put together your perfect holiday at some of the lowest market prices available. With our team of travel experts and our unique technology, lowcostholidays.ie is able to offer you not only the lowest priced flights and cheapest accommodation but also an extensive range of other holiday options including transfers.
our promise to you

Established and Secure

We offer great value holidays to suit every budget and taste at the lowest prices. Every day, our team of 150 professionals and our unique, sophisticated technology searches over 35 airlines and 100,000 hotels to find you the lowest flight, hotel, transfer and other holiday extra prices to meet your holiday needs. [/QUOTE]

amdublin

Ring jooooe duffffyyyyyyy

Skopzz

Why are you going through middlemen agencies? Can you not book your holiday yourself? At least then, you can bypass the middlemen and thus save.

sandin

Skopzz wrote: »

Why are you going through middlemen agencies? Can you not book your holiday yourself? At least then, you can bypass the middlemen and thus save.

This is true for many bookings, but sometimes for a family holiday its well worth booking through a holiday company as they organise transfers to and from airport and also have a rep at the hotel every day in case of problems - and also in a situation such as the volcanic ash issue last year, they take the hit on everything, not you.

They also use their buying power to block book hotel rooms and can negotiate some very good rates especially in high season.

In this example, lowcost use real time flight prices and show how the direct aproach would be much dearer for the exact same dates than falcon who got a fixed rate for taking a fixed number of seats.

Africa

Used them last month; were considerably cheaper for a 5* place in Lanzarote with flights than others by about 200 euro.

Just saying

As always with holidays, plan in advance, and shop around lots.

SellingJuan

jesusman wrote: »

I am in the process of booking a holiday to Mallorca for the end of may for two weeks. I have got an on-line quote from the falcon website. The price for two adults plus one child is €1,498. On the Lowcostholidays.ie web site a similar holiday, Same flights, same hotel, same dates comes in at €2,146 and they even say that includes a discount of €238.45. Rip Off Ireland or what. Shop around i Say.

I have travelled a good few places and I have a bit of advice for you. Never book with any travel agents. It always works out much much cheaper to book everyting yourself!!

keithclancy

sandin wrote: »

This is true for many bookings, but sometimes for a family holiday its well worth booking through a holiday company as they organise transfers to and from airport and also have a rep at the hotel every day in case of problems - and also in a situation such as the volcanic ash issue last year, they take the hit on everything, not you.

They also use their buying power to block book hotel rooms and can negotiate some very good rates especially in high season.

In this example, lowcost use real time flight prices and show how the direct aproach would be much dearer for the exact same dates than falcon who got a fixed rate for taking a fixed number of seats.

+1 I saved 300 euros on a 5 night stay in a Hotel in Bali by getting it through a German Tour Operator (TUI) They had a sale on and were getting rid of the block bookings they had in various places.

The Transfers are never a problem, just book someone locally.

tweety76

I used lowcostholidays.ie when booking for a holiday to the Algarve later this year. They worked out the cheapest of any of the websites , saved ONLY 30 euro at the end of the day over booking through someone else but better in my pocket etc.!

WildCardDoW

OP if your argument is that their name is a lie, then this would be true if the name was, let's say: "lowestcost." in that case you could moan as much as you like (even though another poster has proved they have every right to have that name in general terms), however the name "low-cost" is subjective. You found cheaper, be happy, their name doesn't mean they guarantee they'll be cheaper just that they'll be, well, low cost.

Now go enjoy your savings no one else agrees!

smallwonder

Just booked a lowcost holiday to algarve. Thought I was getting a really good deal until they added all the surcharges. I could deal with paying €30 for 15kg baggage, and €32 for the transfer and also €20 something for the airline but the one that got me was the credit card surcharge at the end. This was another 87.44euro:eek: It did say it would be 1.1% of the cost but as my maths aren't good;
I didn't even think to calculate it.
In the end....not really low cost at all:o

Melendez

This post has been deleted.

smallwonder

Total Price
€746.18
Total Paid
€657.60 (including €87.44 credit card surcharge)

That's what I got when I pressed Book...as I said my maths aren't good:o

Maybe it's time to give lowcost a buzz!

Jarren

tweety76 wrote: »

I used lowcostholidays.ie when booking for a holiday to the Algarve later this year. They worked out the cheapest of any of the websites , saved ONLY 30 euro at the end of the day over booking through someone else but better in my pocket etc.!

+ 1

last year

We spend 190 Euros pp for a week long holiday in Lanzarote including Flight+hotel+transfer from/to airport.

I saved over 200 Euros by going with them:)

smallwonder

After sending a few strongly worded emails about putting an 87.44 credit card surcharge onto my bill they eventually relented and cleared my outstanding balance of 91euros.:)

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

smallwonder wrote: »

After sending a few strongly worded emails about putting an 87.44 credit card surcharge onto my bill they eventually relented and cleared my outstanding balance of 91euros.:)

Their not the worst. I booked 2 weeks in fuertaventura with the gf last summer, €550 pp that was all inc flights, bags etc we didn't book transfers as the hotel wasn't too far from the airport we got a taxi for a tenner.
Lowcosts all inclusive price was roughly the same as competitors self catering!!

kc66

They seem good value. A week in a hotel in Majorca in September, all inclusive, 2 adults and 2 kids, flights included- €989. Add €18 per person transfers. Wouldn't pay the €40 per checked in bag. Carry on will get us by. It allows you to remove these things very easily and makes it very clear what you are paying for.
I can understand the charge on credit card payments. They have to pay around 3% of the value of the transaction to the credit card company, which works out quite expensive on high value things like holidays.

lizm

We were looking for a 7 night stay in Malta for midweek to midweek any date for cheapest price. We went to Abbey travel and were told for that it would cost between 550 to 800 EACH. Cassidy travel gave us a quote of 490 each. we went onto low cost website and got an 8 night stay from the 20th to the 28th. All in all with flights accommodation and extra charges including a shuttle from airport to hotel it cost us 708.64 for both of us. We also checked other holiday deals websites and nowhere else was as cheap as low cost.

mcsean2163

6 days in the algarve

Payment summary:
Total Price: €1,058.96
Total Paid:€1,061.00 (including €26.04 card charge)
Outstanding Balance: €0.01 to be paid by 11th March 2013

Where is the logic here? Just weird... Also wouldn't accept the original credit card for the 1 cent payment and I had to use my laser card...very strange.

kc66

mcsean2163 wrote: »

6 days in the algarve

Payment summary:
Total Price: €1,058.96
Total Paid:€1,061.00 (including €26.04 card charge)
Outstanding Balance: €0.01 to be paid by 11th March 2013

Where is the logic here? Just weird... Also wouldn't accept the original credit card for the 1 cent payment and I had to use my laser card...very strange.

I had to get a small refund last year as they overcharged. Shouldn't have to pay that card fee on laser either.

homer simpson

kc66 wrote: »

I had to get a small refund last year as they overcharged. Shouldn't have to pay that card fee on laser either.

The laser was only used for the 0.01 the rest was paid with a CC from what I understand.