About Accommodation in Tenerife
Holiday Villas in Tenerife
Holiday Apartments in Las
Americas
Holiday Apartments in Los Cristianos
Hotels in Tenerife
Wimpen Holiday Apartments in Los Cristianos, Callao Salvaje and Los Gigantes
Licensed Travel Agents and Holiday Management
Holiday in Tenerife
Holiday in Las Americas
Holiday in Costa Del Silencio
Bars in Tenerife
Costa Del Silencio
Las Americas
Los Cristianos
Miscellaneous
Booked into a Building Site
Pests in Paradise
Tenerife Cockroach
Tenerife and
International Links and Article Directory
Restaurants in Tenerife
Restaurants in Costa Del Silencio and Las Galletas
Restaurants in Las Americas
Restaurants in Los Cristianos
Things to Do
Beauty Salons
Golfing in Tenerife
Golfing in Tenerife
Amarilla Bay Golf and Country Club
Buenavista Golf
Golf Costa Adeje
Golf Del Sur
Golf Las Americas
Los Palos Golf Centre
Real Club de Golf
Rock Climbing in Tenerife
Scuba Diving in Tenerife - Dive Centres
Visit Pico de Teide
Watersports, Marinas, Sailing
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The following article has been contributed by Darren
Cronian of Travel Rants, a site that I am
happy to introduce to you because this guy is serious about getting you the best out
of your holiday time. There is some important information about the E111
form, and a daily update of travel news and information of particular
interest to UK holiday makers. Please do yourself a favour. Check it the site out,
bookmark it and remember you found it here.
High Street Travel Agent Experience
I've read articles by so called travel specialists stating that the internet will
never replace high street travel agents. My first thoughts on this is that the
comments are coming from someone with a very blinkered view on what holidaymakers in
2005 require from a holiday booking experience.
Gone are the days where holidaymakers rely on high street travel agents to book their
holiday, with the introduction of the internet, holidaymakers are realising that they
can book online at the fraction of the cost and also have the flexibility that comes
with it.
In January I went to my local high street Thomas Cook travel agent and asked for a
quote on 7 nights stay at a hotel in Boston, New York and Chicago, I stressed that I
wasn't rich, so wanted a low priced hotel, within walking distance of all of the
attractions that the cities bring.
The travel agent clicked a few buttons, and within a matter of seconds said 'Okay Mr
Cronian, I have a few hotels for you to look at' I thought to myself, wow that is
quick, I'm impressed, but I spoke to soon, and excitement turned to frustration within
seconds.
The prices she was quoting was £80 a night at each city, I asked why she thought that
was a low cost hotel, and she simply said, 'I'm sorry, but these are the only hotels
that are coming up' I replied by saying, 'Oh you will earn good commission on that
won't you' and laughed.
Luckily, I knew what I was doing and asked for the names of the hotels, and said I
would be back later on in that day to book the hotels. I went home, and jumped on to
my laptop and did a search on Google for the hotel names, and then called the hotels
in the US.
All of the reservation desks were VERY helpful, even told me the attractions that were
near the hotel, and gave me much more information that the travel agent had given me.
They then told me the price of the hotel, expecting them to say £80 a night. I was
amazed when each hotel quoted me a price that was 100% cheaper than what Thomas Cook
were going to charge me.
The hotels booked direct were going to cost me £40 a night, compared to £80 a night
through Thomas Cook, so I booked the hotels direct with my debit card and later that
day visited the same branch, and spoke to the same travel agent, who had a big smile
on her face, probably because she thought she was going to get a nice big commission
cheque.
I asked her what the attractions near the hotel, and she gave me a load of well known
attractions, in which two of them were a 1hr walk from the hotel. I then told her that
I had spoken to each of the hotels and that they had quoted me much cheaper prices and
why was that.
Her reply was 'I'm sorry Mr Cronian I don't know and your wasting my time' I got out
of my chair and walked out of the travel agents, and followed me were two other
customers who were stood waiting to be served, each one spoke to me outside and said
that they were going home to search for a holiday on the internet. Mission completed!
Contributed by Darren
Cronian, check out Travel Rants before you book your next holiday. Darren welcomes
comments on his travel blog and if you have a story that you would like to
share, he'd love to hear it. Send your
travel rant by email. ©
Darren Cronian
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