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Ever wonder about what Irish pay for package holidays compared to other countries

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  • 17-07-2019 10:31pm
    #1
    Dots1982
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,957 ✭✭✭


    I costed a week at Christmas in the Cape Verde islands from an Irish travel agent and a Polish one. It’s the same package except the room is better with the Polish one (superior compared to standard). And obviously the flights are coming from different airports.

    The cost from the polish provider is €1448 (itaka.pl) and the Irish provider is €2972 (Abbey Travel)

    Interesting no?


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    #2
    batman1
    Registered Users Posts: 598 ✭✭✭batman1


    In the days when we used to book package holidays with the kids we always saved a fortune flying out of Belfast and paying in sterling. Exact same holiday with the same company, just their .co.uk version.

    It's still the same


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    #3
    AngryLips
    Registered Users Posts: 2,677 ✭✭✭AngryLips


    Dots1982 wrote: »
    I costed a week at Christmas in the Cape Verde islands from an Irish travel agent and a Polish one. It’s the same package except the room is better with the Polish one (superior compared to standard). And obviously the flights are coming from different airports.

    The cost from the polish provider is €1448 (itaka.pl) and the Irish provider is €2972 (Abbey Travel)

    Interesting no?

    What’s the price if you book the whole thing yourself?


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    #4
    Plumbthedepths
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,653 ✭✭✭✭Plumbthedepths


    AngryLips wrote:
    What’s the price if you book the whole thing yourself?


    I suspect cheaper again. I booked a package for my family once. I swore never again. I have DIY'ed every holiday since, never had a problem.


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    #5
    Dots1982
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,957 ✭✭✭Dots1982


    AngryLips wrote: »
    What’s the price if you book the whole thing yourself?

    Return Flights from Warsaw to Cape Verde alone are 752 euro so don’t think you’ll be saving much anyway.


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    #6
    Locker10a
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 4,141 Mod ✭✭✭✭Locker10a


    Plumbthedepths wrote: »
    I suspect cheaper again. I booked a package for my family once. I swore never again. I have DIY'ed every holiday since, never had a problem.

    This is definitely not true, there are some fantastic package deals to be had, my family recently booked a big group holiday, the same holiday when we book our own flights and accommodation was a third more expensive and that’s without transfers and checked bags both of which are included in the package. Many hours were spent researching option, the package deal couldn’t be compared for price and value for that destination and dates.


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    #7
    Plumbthedepths
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,653 ✭✭✭✭Plumbthedepths


    Locker10a wrote:
    This is definitely not true, there are some fantastic package deals to be had, my family recently booked a big group holiday, the same holiday when we book our own flights and accommodation was a third more expensive and that’s without transfers and checked bags both of which are included in the package. Many hours were spent researching option, the package deal couldn’t be compared for price and value for that destination and dates.


    My response used the word I 'suspect' to qualify my response. As for the rest of your post I have always found DIY'ing to be significantly cheaper and am a member of a few FB DIY groups which based on figures and package deals referenced in said leads me to believe overall booking your own holiday is cheaper. Of course there is always an exception.


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    #8
    ted1
    Registered Users Posts: 23,259 ✭✭✭✭ted1


    Dots1982 wrote: »
    I costed a week at Christmas in the Cape Verde islands from an Irish travel agent and a Polish one. It’s the same package except the room is better with the Polish one (superior compared to standard). And obviously the flights are coming from different airports.

    The cost from the polish provider is €1448 (itaka.pl) and the Irish provider is €2972 (Abbey Travel)

    Interesting no?
    Did you ask them about the difference? It’d be interesting to see the reply.


  • Options
    #9
    banie01
    Registered Users Posts: 16,466 ✭✭✭✭banie01


    ted1 wrote: »
    Did you ask them about the difference? It’d be interesting to see the reply.

    Irish overheads, increased airline, wage, operating and insurance costs bla bla bla...

    AKA the Paddy Tax.

    I've gone long haul for the last few years and to be very honest booking and flying from the UK has worked out far cheaper.

    Lift from family to Shannon, flight to Gatwick, Gatwick to Mexico.

    Versus flying from Dublin.
    Drive to Dublin pay for 2 weeks parking, flight to Cancun.

    Even excluding the very minimum €1k plus saved on booking via the UK, not paying 2 weeks parking covers more than half the flight cost, more if I wanted to be pedantic about fuel, opportunity cost and depreciation ;)

    The time saved is also quite a standout, by that I mean time alert/active/driving.
    2hrs drive to Dublin assuming no traffic, versus if you time the flights right...
    To 20minutes to Shannon, 1hr and a half to Gatwick and still have your 2 HR check in window on the Gatwick side.


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    #10
    harr
    Registered Users Posts: 4,478 ✭✭✭harr


    I always avoided booking with a travel agent because I was always under the impression it was way more expensive, we were going on out first package holiday a few years back and we priced booking it ourselves and agent ...it was only €60 more expensive with travel agent.
    I would have no problem booking it ourselves but we have slightly different circumstances ( special needs child ) so always handy to have an agent to contact in case of problems.
    One thing I do find is I always seem to get better accommodation when booking on line myself.
    Only use agents for family holiday if going as a couple or group it’s always Airbnb and cheapest flights


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    #11
    Locker10a
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 4,141 Mod ✭✭✭✭Locker10a


    harr wrote: »
    I always avoided booking with a travel agent because I was always under the impression it was way more expensive, we were going on out first package holiday a few years back and we priced booking it ourselves and agent ...it was only €60 more expensive with travel agent.
    I would have no problem booking it ourselves but we have slightly different circumstances ( special needs child ) so always handy to have an agent to contact in case of problems.
    One thing I do find is I always seem to get better accommodation when booking on line myself.
    Only use agents for family holiday if going as a couple or group it’s always Airbnb and cheapest flights

    My family didn’t use a travel agent at all, it was booked online on the TUI website but booked as a package


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    #12
    ted1
    Registered Users Posts: 23,259 ✭✭✭✭ted1


    banie01 wrote: »
    Irish overheads, increased airline, wage, operating and insurance costs bla bla bla...

    AKA the Paddy Tax.

    I've gone long haul for the last few years and to be very honest booking and flying from the UK has worked out far cheaper.

    Lift from family to Shannon, flight to Gatwick, Gatwick to Mexico.

    Versus flying from Dublin.
    Drive to Dublin pay for 2 weeks parking, flight to Cancun.

    Even excluding the very minimum €1k plus saved on booking via the UK, not paying 2 weeks parking covers more than half the flight cost, more if I wanted to be pedantic about fuel, opportunity cost and depreciation ;)

    The time saved is also quite a standout, by that I mean time alert/active/driving.
    2hrs drive to Dublin assuming no traffic, versus if you time the flights right...
    To 20minutes to Shannon, 1hr and a half to Gatwick and still have your 2 HR check in window on the Gatwick side.
    There’s a lot to be said about straight from Dublin I do long hauls out twice a month and find it much nicer. Nothing worse than having doing a long flight then having to transfer from London.
    More and more airlines are using Dublin as a hub as the taxes are cheaper than uk.

    Where in Dublin are you parking that it’s so dear ? 80 euro for 2 weeks


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    #13
    banie01
    Registered Users Posts: 16,466 ✭✭✭✭banie01


    ted1 wrote: »
    There’s a lot to be said about straight from Dublin I do long hauls out twice a month and find it much nicer. Nothing worse than having doing a long flight then having to transfer from London.
    More and more airlines are using Dublin as a hub as the taxes are cheaper than uk.

    I'm not knocking flying from Dublin if its convenient or relatively local to you.
    For me, it adds a 3hr start not counting traffic to be sure I'm on time,
    So its more convenient, and much much cheaper for me to fly shannon -> London and then onwards.

    As for where I'm parking usually varies beteen quickpark and Long term blue depending on offers ;)
    And yep €80 covers the majority of return flight costs to London.


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