The Live Wire



Press Release

For the best holiday deals throw away the brochures and go online

9 January 2007

Holiday brochures don’t give the full price of a package holiday or the best deal, warns Holiday Which? today.

In an investigation* of the main four tour operators – First Choice, My Travel, Thomas Cook and Thomson – Holiday Which? discovered costly extras on the advertised brochure price and a difference of almost £250 between the least and most expensive package holiday.

The overall price of booking online was cheaper for all of the tour operators. Holiday Which? identified a saving of £468 by booking with Thomas Cook online, instead of booking through their JMC brochure.

Thomas Cook had the most expensive brochure price. This was followed by First Choice, who also had the most expensive online price.

The My Travel brand, Airtours**, scored the best for value both in the brochure and online and was the only operator to include free in-flight meals.

Additional costs to the brochure price – often concealed in the small print at the rear of the brochure - ranged from flight supplements, having extra leg room and sitting together on a flight, to under-occupancy supplements.

Under-occupancy supplements: As children do not count as full fare***, a family who booked a holiday for two weeks during high season at the Aparthotel Flora in Puerto Pollensa, Majorca, staying in a one-bedroom apartment based on four people sharing, would be charged an under-occupancy supplement of £868 by First Choice.

Lorna Cowan, Editor, Holiday Which?, said:

“For people already looking through holiday brochures and thinking about their summer holiday, make sure you read the small print.

“Extra costs can make booking a package holiday an expensive option - we urge holidaymakers to check costs, compare prices and go online to the tour operators’ websites.”

BASIC COST OF TWO-WEEK HOLIDAY AT SOL MAGALLUF PARK HOTEL

AIRTOURS

(My Travel)

FIRST CHOICE

JMC

(Thomas Cook)

SKYTOURS

(Thomson)

Adult x 2

£1318

£1490

£1470

£1398

Child x 1

£389

£399

£445

£319

Air Passenger Duty

Included

Included

Included

Included

Coach Transfer

Included

Included

Included

Included

Fuel Surcharges

£30 per person return

£40 per person return

£30 per person return

£30 per person return

In-flight meals:

Adult x 2

Child x 1

Included

£12 x 2 = £24

£7

£10 x 2 = £20

£5

£12 x 2 = £24

£6

Flight supplements

£40 x 3

£39 x 3

£45 x 3

£35 x 3

BROCHURE PRICE

£1917

£2157

£2165

£1942

ONLINE PRICE

£1617.40

£1968.72

£1697

£1817

All the brochures used were second editions, apart from that of First Choice, which was its August 2006 edition.



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