Hi Taggy
I think you're right, I've got to be quids in doing it this way.
let's put it this way, I'm def not paying the price that Thomson want for a package...not for the Regente.

I just wish I had some idea of the price of flights, I know they'll be more expensive and in demand, but how expensive is expensive.?

Sanjiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

Sanji don`t book your hotel until you`ve booked your flight you could end up worse off, when they go on sale, the main dates for chistmas go very fast. I know because I have been looking for the last 6 years. If you get your flights at a good price you will save money, otherwise you will be better with a package. Check different dates and durations with the hotel company as you may get a better deal for a odd duration, ie 10 nights, 15 nights.
For instance I went to Ibiza last summer the price for 7 nts was dearer than for 9 nights, with the cost of the hotel included I still got it for less.

Write these down then you are armed with the full cost when they go on sale, allow 60 euros each way for a taxi in case you want to catch one from the airport. The low cost opperators tend to stagger their loading on of their flights, ie they may load on Newcasle one day, lba next and so on, it all depends where they want to promote first, if Lba is selling well they will prob load it on last. I worked in a Travel agents for 4 years and I now get better deals doing diy than I got when i worked there.

I have been 4 times at Christmas 3 on a package and once diy so diy is not always the cheapest option, although I do tend to stay Poniente /old town side as I love Dove park, I also have stayed 3 times sc as It suited us better at the time.

Just remember everthing comes to he that waits.

Sanji don`t book your hotel until you`ve booked your flight you could end up worse off, when they go on sale, the main dates for chistmas go very fast. I know because I have been looking for the last 6 years. If you get your flights at a good price you will save money, otherwise you will be better with a package

Thanks Christine
This is the dilemma that I've got and it wears you down in the end, when you're the one doing it ....I've had Dave bending my ear all afternoon, saying "book it, book it, we'll get a flight"...yeah, but what happens if I don't and I've just given Thomson £845.00?

I know where you're coming from because whilst I can't remember the exact price, last year the price I got was better than any DIY could match.
I think it was £1,400, but then I got discount £100 on-line saving and I picked a discount code up in HT for another £100 pounds off....which brought it down to just under £1,200 or £300 a week each.
I don't think that is going to happpen this year, there are no discount codes around and if there were, it would still make it £1,600.
I just want to get it booked and out of the way, I believe that by booking very early in the year (Feb last year) I got a good deal.

I'm just tired of it tonight, but hopefully tomorrow might shed some light on the issue.
I've never used a low-cost airline before, so that'll be fun booking.

Thanks for all your help...and everyone else who has replied
Sanjiiiiiiiiiiiiii

Sanji....Make sure you have your passports handy when you book your flights as most of the companies are asking for passport details when you book now!

Best Regards - Taggy

Sanji, don`t forget if you book diy, you will have to pay for flights in full. Hotels with Thomson you have to pay in full for them as well or you used to have to. If you book with Wintersunshine, Alpharooms, travelrepublic etc then it will be a 10 or 20 % deposit for the hotel. Sorry to add this to your problems but is it worth handing over the full amount?

Don`t panic about booking as this is what the tour opperators want you to do so as you will book. They may reduce the price once they know people aren`t booking. IT`s been on the news about folk not having enough money with the rising costs of everyday living, The amount of euros we get is not good as well, the first thing most people will cut down on will be leisure ie holidays, the tour opperators will have to cut prices then. Thomsons used to reinvoice passengers with the reduced price when I worked in travel, it`s a shame they don`t now.

Chrisitne

Morning Sanji!

I notice that the Regente is in the Thomas Cook Wintersun brochure, but it is not appearing on the web. It might be worth a visit to your local Thomas Cook Shop.

I too planned to go to the Regente next winter, saw a half decent price, left it too long and now it's out of my league!

Best wishes

Lin

Hi Sanji....I dont know what Jet2 are up to, have checked their site again this morn. Now its saying flights from Leeds/Bradford to Alicante are on sale from 18th April (Not 17th as it previously stated) but it says flights from Manchester to Alicante are on sale from 17th April (Today) but theres nothing displayed when i put your dates in. I would give their customer services number a ring and ask them what the score is...its confusing me! Keep the faith though chuck, i'm sure it will be worth it for you! Just a thought, with you having stayed at the Regente several times now, i'm sure they know you!!! ...If you rang them to book direct would they agree to accept a small, refundable deposit for your booking, or even no deposit at all for a day or so, if you explain to them about the flight situation. Not sure if they would, but perhaps worth a try. They probably would'nt do this at a larger hotel, but just maybe they might there,...if you dont ask, as they say.

Best Regards - Taggy

sanji,monarch have a flight from birmingham leaving on the 24th coming back on the 7th jan ,total cost from birmingham is £266 for you and david,dont know if theses are any good for you :wave:just priced up accomodation only with thomsons for these dates at the regente full board,i cant believe this price £850 for the both of you ,total cost would be £1116 for you both ,you would just need your transfers,stay a extra night for a extra £28 for you both

Hi Sanji....I dont know what Jet2 are up to, have checked their site again this morn. Now its saying flights from Leeds/Bradford to Alicante are on sale from 18th April

Sorry if i'm wrong but I think that everyone is getting mixed up here.

When it said that they were available from 17th April-Nov I took it that it meant that you could only book from that date to that date not that they were coming available for November from the 17th April. That's why today it it has changed to the 18th i.e from tomorrow meaning you can book from tommorow until Nov. hope that makes sense.

Sue

Kevin you are good at finding a bargain. I remember you spotting a deal at the Ambassador, I passed it on to my mum and sister as we had already booked and they got 4 days full board there including flights for £85.00, a belated thanks for that.sorry for been

I have just double checked the Regente and yeh he's right, what a bargain

Sue

Sanji....I've just rung customer services at Jet2 and not got anywhere with them as yet. They said that they at customer services do not have any information as yet as to their winter flight schedule from either Manchester or Leeds/Bradford to Alicante. Mind you judging from the voice of "Jeff" who i spoke to, i rather feel the call centre is based in India!!!

Best Regards from a frustrated Taggy!!

Thanks everybody, I really really appreciate this. David is picking and chosing and doing my head in.
He said he isn't going to Birmingham, it's a good 2 hours away in a taxi and will cost us more than going to either East Midlands, Manchester, Leed/Bradford or Humberside and Doncaster is even cheaper as I don't live too far away from Donny....he don't like change.

Mind you, we've had one blazing row over this and I'm getting really peed off with it all.
I have no problem paying £850 for the Regente, I just need a reasonable priced daytime flight from one of the above airports and then I'd book it.

Thanks everyone

sanji x

Sanji, we too are looking to go away for Christmas/New Year to Benidorm. Love New Year in the Triangle! We have been a couple of times but not last year. The first time we went it cost us about 200 each for a fortnight.......then it's just gone up and up! We like to fly from Blackpool, Jet2, and I have just checked out their website and they're not 'up to' December yet. We are concerned also that it will be priced right out of our range. (Hoping to get married in September - more expense!). Please keep us informed of your progress.

By the way - we were there for Easter/Fallas and I think I saw you walking along the front, Camcorder in hand. Good videos as usual!

Hi, Sanji, your not a million miles away from Teesside Airport, no more than 1 hour try it, and also try Med hotels. com. we booked the Benilux Park. Found them very reasonable, and, the hotel very good indeed.....

any luck yet sanji,im still looking for you hun :wave:ive just looked on thomsonfly they have a flight available £315 for you both +£850 for your accomodation flying from doncaster ,give me a pm if this is any good .just looked again fly back on the 8th would bring the flight down to £245 but it would only cost a extra £76 for those two nights in the regente,so for a extra £6 you can stay 2 more nights

any luck yet sanji,im still looking for you hun

Hi Kevin
Unfortunately I've had other things on my mind since my last post, I've had 2 members of my family pass away within 48 hours of each other.

Anyway, thanks to Kevin I go to book these flights this afternoon and notice that there's a flight back on the 1st Jan in the evening, so after an executive board meeting with Dave, we decided to go from the 20th Dec until the 1st Jan because the flight home on the 3rd Jan was early morning, so really you are only getting one extra day in Benidorm.

This is where the nightmare begins"¦"¦
I tried to book the flights and Thomsonfly kept rejecting my CC, so I rang them and they tried to do it from their end....nope, card refused.
So, I tried with my hubbys card, same account, nope refused.

Half an hour later, I had a call from the fr**d dept, they've put a block on my card because it's been cloned and therefore they've blocked the hubbys too.
My card doesn't leave the house, I rarely use it and the last time I did use it was to purchase some trousers for Dave from Cotton Traders and book a holiday for Easter with Thomson.

Anyway, gets it sorted and they allowed me to use the hubbys card, although it's the same account, his card has different numbers to mine, so I finally manage to book the 2 flights to Alicante.

Then I goes onto Thomsons webpage to book accomodation only, I put the dates in and a price of £766 comes up for 12 nights, I get right to the end of the booking process and same thing happens, after clicking the pay button, it says "we are unable to process your request, please try later."

Later I go through it all again and the same thing happens, but in the meantime the fr**d dept phone me again to ask if it's me that's trying to make a payment of £762.00, so I said yes, I've booked the flights and now I'm booking an hotel.
The fr**d dept says...OK, the payment has gone through...it turns out that the payment has gone through twice because I clicked "the pay " button twice when told by Thomson to try later.
After phoning several 0870 numbers and been given the run around with Thomson, one snotty jumped up bitch tells me the hotel is full for those days that's why the payment didn't go through and I know bloody well that it isn't and if it was full then why has the system taken my money.?

So,at the moment I've got 2 flights book, I've £1,520 out of my account and nothing to see for it, the girl on the other end assures me it will be refunded tomorrow.

You've got to laugh, otherwise I'd just sit down and cry my eyes out, and Dave said to me "Who the " has cloned you...there's only one like you."

So sorry to hear about your family losses.
Hope you can get Christmas and New Year holidays sorted out. Selfish, I know, but I really enjoy your Videos and Reports from Benidorm, not to mention your help on other subjects.
Although I had been in Benidorm a good few times over the past 20 years, I only really discovered it over the past few years since joining this forum. Keep up the good work!
Helen

Hi sanji
sorry to hear of your loss very sad .Anyhow im glad you got your flights booked what airport you flying out of and was it cheaper to come back on the 1st than the 3rd .Ihope all goes well with the hotel and ofcourse your card make sure its back in your account tomorrow good luck mazza x

glad to be of help sanji,so are you booked into the regente or not?its still available but price says £744 ,hope that the end of your troubles anyway,you never know we might see you in the regente again