Pattaya

jake1980 · #1 04-06-2006, 23:22

hi all

i have been pattaya a couple of times but have allways booked package holiday last year itb cost £560 for 12 nights..but i was wondering do you book a package holiday or the flight then the hotel

IRISH JONNY · #2 05-06-2006, 00:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by jake1980

..but i was wondering do you book a package holiday or the flight then the hotel

I ALWAYS BOOK THE FLITE AND HOTEL SEPARETLY[OFF THE NET].....IT CUTS OUT THE MIDDLE MAN...HENCE ......ITS CHEAPER.........
IJ

faultytowers · #3 05-06-2006, 00:49

A lot of "package holidays" are to family friendly hotels , so you either have a joiner fee or "no guest" policy. I always book flights via the web , and then choose hotel/guesthouse that is definately BG friendly.

dawsey · #4 05-06-2006, 01:18

Same as IJ,never booked a package holiday. Why do this when its cheaper to book flights and the accommodation that YOU want,when you want and not what a travel agent says is available.

slinggalin · #5 05-06-2006, 03:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by jake1980

hi all

i have been pattaya a couple of times but have allways booked package holiday last year itb cost £560 for 12 nights..but i was wondering do you book a package holiday or the flight then the hotel

I always book my airline ticket on-line and my first few nights at a hotel as well. Then I always venture around during the first few days I'm there and try other hotels that are just as nice, close to where you want, and I always find better deals in person.

Believe me, there are hundred of hotels to choose from. Just get there first.

You'll save alot of loot guy. Bah on zee pacakage tours...

stevem · #6 05-06-2006, 03:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by jake1980

hi all

i have been pattaya a couple of times but have allways booked package holiday last year itb cost £560 for 12 nights..but i was wondering do you book a package holiday or the flight then the hotel

This has been discussion abit of late. Travel agents and tour consolidators only sell you what they can make a commission off, which can be as high as 10%, and you are the one that pays for this.

Have a look around on this board in the travel and accommodation forum, there are alot of web sites posted where one can source cheap air fares. Then look at GF listed hotels and book online.

seafox · #7 07-06-2006, 00:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevem

This has been discussion abit of late. Travel agents and tour consolidators only sell you what they can make a commission off, which can be as high as 10%, and you are the one that pays for this.

Have a look around on this board in the travel and accommodation forum, there are alot of web sites posted where one can source cheap air fares. Then look at GF listed hotels and book online.

Wrong.

The company I work for is a wholesaler of scuba diving packages to destinations around the world. My packages are all discounted compared to what you would get if you bought both seperately. The hotels and airlines offer me net rates below their published rates and we would not be in business if we were selling a package for more than what you can buy it for piecemeal.

Now when it comes to Asia and certain other destinations, the hotels will blatantly undercut their published prices or do internet only specials where they discount their rates to the customer directly. So in Thailand and some other areas you can get a discount by going direct because the hotel has decided to do business that way. I have some hotels in Phuket that I work with that I can offer discounts at but not many as most use the internet or walk ins to fill their hotels. And the hotels that I have are GF.

And the best part of all this is that tour operators like the business that I work for are the reason the hotel stayed in business before the internet but the hotels have forgotten that now that it is easy for someone to book directly.

As an example I can do a package from Los Angeles to Palau in Micronesia with airfare, airport transfers, accomodations, 5 days of 2 tank scuba dives, lunch on dive days, and hotel and airline taxes for just about $300 more that the published airfare to Palau and scuba diving alone is $575 for 5 days.

So there are benefits both for booking directly or with a tour operator/or a travel agent who uses a tour operator. A lot of it depends upon the destination.

And the site that Nicke has on this website has good rates, usuaqlly as good as booking direct.

Captain · #8 07-06-2006, 02:04

I book directly to my hotel in Patong. The rate I get is slightly above the tour operators rate. Then why do I book it directly? Because they know me long time and give me an upgrade to a beachfront room, plus no hassle about joiner fees, where as other guys have to pay a joiner fee. So the hotel as well as I win from this agreement.
I found if you book a 4 or 5 star hotel, it can be cheaper to go through a tour operator.
I booked Marriott in Pattaya (never problems with joiner fees) twice via the hotel internet website. Last time i found their rates were way up. I had a friend staying in Pattaya at that moment and he went there and asked the rates, cheaper than the published rates. As I was flying Thai I asked Royal Orchid holiday rates for that hotel. I immediately booked as that rate was 40-50 Euro per night cheaper than their published tates and about 25 Euro cheaper than the rate they offered my friend.
And if you book a hotel in BKK with Royal Orchid you have transport from & to airport free, plus eventually half or full day excursion.

LivinLOS · #9 07-06-2006, 09:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by seafox

Wrong.

The company I work for is a wholesaler of scuba diving packages to destinations around the world. My packages are all discounted compared to what you would get if you bought both seperately. The hotels and airlines offer me net rates below their published rates and we would not be in business if we were selling a package for more than what you can buy it for piecemeal.

Now when it comes to Asia and certain other destinations, the hotels will blatantly undercut their published prices or do internet only specials where they discount their rates to the customer directly. So in Thailand and some other areas you can get a discount by going direct because the hotel has decided to do business that way. I have some hotels in Phuket that I work with that I can offer discounts at but not many as most use the internet or walk ins to fill their hotels. And the hotels that I have are GF.

And the best part of all this is that tour operators like the business that I work for are the reason the hotel stayed in business before the internet but the hotels have forgotten that now that it is easy for someone to book directly.

As an example I can do a package from Los Angeles to Palau in Micronesia with airfare, airport transfers, accomodations, 5 days of 2 tank scuba dives, lunch on dive days, and hotel and airline taxes for just about $300 more that the published airfare to Palau and scuba diving alone is $575 for 5 days.

So there are benefits both for booking directly or with a tour operator/or a travel agent who uses a tour operator. A lot of it depends upon the destination.

And the site that Nicke has on this website has good rates, usuaqlly as good as booking direct.

I kind of agree with Seafox here..

Not only are there sometimes good deal you have to remember that bulk sales on charter aircraft and special hotel deals all add up.. On my first Thai tour I had flights and 18 nights package tour hotel arrangment at christmas for only a ltitle over what a christmas time flights would have set me back.. We then had a problem with the hotel and checked out (to Patong villa actually) and were refunded the room fee when we got back to Europe.. So my flights were almost free !!!

Thailand is just so easy its not the ideal destination to work through agents.. But if your not tied to a destination and look at the last minute stuff theres deals that blow your mind.. My uncle and Auntie do this all the time.. Just scan the teletext deals and last minute stuff and take many one week short haul vactations.. Little trips off to a greek island for the price of a night out down the boozer.. Half the fun for them is not knowing where they are going and the mini adventure of it..

seafox · #10 07-06-2006, 23:38

Hi LL,

It all depends upon the destination that you want to go to. Resorts in Asian countries where there are a lot of tourists usually do deals over the internet so you can always compare prices with packages and see what is better. And then as others have said sometimes the hotel that you want is not available as part of a tour package. Usually tour packages are set up with more expensive hotels so that the tour operator has more room to provide discounted packages. How much can you discount a 1000 bahtb a night hotel? Not much.