Hi Shirley, thanks for your thoughts. Yes we are ALL still here in the same desks with the same jobs as before Christmas!

Unfortunate release of deal info before all were told in the office (as per previous post) has meant a lot of reassurrance has had to go on before the postives can be relayed.

'Onwards and upwards' is the current mantra here!

Steve

Thank you Steve, I always price check Travel Republic when looking for hotels, and they are often best.

Glad to hear Steve. Let's hope it will be business as usual and that any changes will be to the good of the customer

Perhaps everyone should be worried at this takeover.

If the new guys have been following HT then we might lose Steve to Dubai. Obviously they can see that someone in customer service who has such a huge following might do wonders for them elsewhere.

Good luck to Steve and the rest of the team at TR.

fwh

UPDATE

No change at Travel Republic despite sale

Travel Republic bosses have issued a statement to say there will be no change at the online agency.

The agency was sold to a new company on 28 December - Dnata World Travel which is owned 75% by dnata, a subsidiary of Emirates and 25% by Kane Pirie, Paul Furner and Chris Waite.

The statement said there are no plans to change the senior management team or make any redundancies.

Managing director, Kane Pirie, said: "We are proud of the team we have built over the years and the fact we have never made anyone redundant. We only expect the team to continue to expand.

"In other words, I don't see that very much is going to change at all that should cause any of our staff or customers concern.

"Personally I am very proud of what we have been able to achieve as a team of people (including everyone in the company) both in building this business and delivering it into the arms of an exceptionally strong group.

"For the avoidance of doubt, trading remains strong with the business on track for another year of record-breaking sales and profits in the year to 31 March 2012."

With permission from Travelmole

There is no question of it - Steve MUST keep his job and that is that! Far too valuable to the company to lose I hope. Any little murmur of a change let us know Steve - the online petition will be up in a flash!! xx

Hi Jenny, no petition needed, but many thanks for your kind offer! There is more news here, from Travel Weekly website.

http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/2012/01/04/39195/travel-republic-to-grab-more-of-mass-market-with-dubai.html

Steve

Good news indeed Steve - and as always, my thanks for past assistance. xx

I posted this on the Tunisia Forum, so thought that I'd better paste this here Steve;-
Thanks for the post Anne. You have seen the depressing results of the travel companies withdrawing their support and you have only seen the surface in one of the more popular resorts, so you can image how the other places are suffering and just how deep the results go. Some serious consequences that are difficult to see and so sad. What I find so annoying is that it is all so unnecessary. We were in Tunisia throughout the revolution and there never was the slightest risk to any tourist. If you wanted trouble you could certainly find it, but non came to you. Tunisia has been filling the pockets of the European travel companies for numerous years and now that the New Tunisia needs their support there is only a token number of holidays available and i cannot see this changing in the near future. I know of several local reps who have been told that they willl not be needed for the next 3 years at least.
For anyone wanting to go to Tunisia who cannot find a package with their usual Travel company can always get a holiday - flight, transfer and hotel via Travel Republic who have given this lovely country consistent support throughout the difficult times -- and no, I'm nothing to do with the company other than being a very satisfied customer! xx

Hi looking at booking an airport hotel, will I only need to pay a deposit now or the full balance?

Thanks in advance
Vickie

Thanks for info Jenny. Saw something over the weekend about equivalent £41 billion going missing when ex-rulers ran for it last year. That wont help matters.

Hi Vickie, it depends when you want to go, if it is outside of 12 weeks you only need pay a 20% deposit. Unless you book at an advance purchase or non-refundable rate, then you will be asked for full payment, but paying even less!

Steve

Thanks for your help Steve , that makes things clearer .on one page it said a deposit the next asked for the full price.though It was a discounted rate nd non refundable. So full price needed cheers

Vickie

I usually book transfers with A2B but thought I would have a look at TR this time. It appears however that Port El Kantaoui is the nearest they go to Sousse from Tunis. I find this strange as there are plenty of hotels in Sousse which can be booked via the company.

That is interesting Aslemma, we dont have Tunis mapped as an airport for Sousse. Perhaps we need to do a bit of work there! We only have Monastir and Enfidha as suitable airports. I think it would be 100km plus from Tunis to Sousse though wouldnt it?

I see you are looking at the transfer only page. I was over complicating matters.

We only sell transfers from airport to resorts where we also sell tailor made holidays, so for Sousse we only sell flights to Monastir and Enfidha, as mentioned above. We could load up all possible resorts with all possible transfers, but you can be sure someone will take exception to a 2-3 hour transfer from a distant airport, when they could have flown to one 10 mins away! The flight to the further away airport will/may be cheaper, but not look so cheap when the long transfer is taken into account. So we try and help customers out a bit. We have learnt this from experience by the way, it does tend to cause a few problems.

The transfer providers will sell you a transfer anywhere, as that is all you are booking with them, and they wont have to take some responsibiluity for leading you through putting together your own tailor made/DIY holiday.

Steve

It's interesting that you say you sell flights to Monastir and Enfidha as I think you will find there have been no flights from the UK to Monastir for about a year now. I have flown into both Enfidha (from Stansted with TC) and Tunis (from Gatwick with BA) and the price works out about the same after adding the cost of getting to Gatwick. The main advantage of BA into Tunis is that they fly more frequently, whereas TC only fly from Stansted on Sundays for part of the year, after which Thomson seem to take over. This year I am somewhat resticted on dates so I need to fly mid-week. BA also allow 23kg hold luggage and generous hand luggage. Even if TC or Thomson flew from Gatwick mid-week it would not be worth me paying their prices.

It is, as you say, about 2 hours drive from Tunis to Sousse, which is just down the road from Port El Kantaoui where you do go, and A2B charge £17 return. Incidentally, although I have booked my flight I haven't booked the hotel yet, but have been checking prices and will do so in the next few weeks, quite probably with TR as I have done on previous occasions.

You are right about Monastir, Tunisair keep putting it on sale from Manchester, then cancelling the flights!

We are ready if someone does operate there though!

Steve

Hiya everyone,

Looking for a little help please.

Booked a one way transfer with Travel Republic from Alicante to Benidorm.I didn't book a return at the time as I was waiting on an email to find out where I have to drop my my apartment keys off at the end of our holiday so I could arrange a transfer from there instead of our apartment as I'm travelling alone with 2 young kids and walking back and forth with them and 2 suitcases and carry ons will be a nightmare.

I have since found out the key drop off but transfers on Travel Republic only go from airport to resort unless you are booking a return journey also.

I'd rather not book with anyone else and stick with the same company as I've used TR before for transfers and had no problems
Can anyone advise if TR do hotel to airport transfers separately and if so will it just be a case of phoning them to book or can I email to add it to my original booking?

Thanks all.

Regards

Leanne x

TR don't do their own transfers, they use established transfer companies. Check your confirmation.

A2B Transfers, who they use among others, do one way transfers so you could book direct with them.

luci

Hi leanne1910, I can sort that for you. We will probably book a one way in opposite direction and add it to your exisiting booking.

If you send me a PM with your details of existing transfer and your additional requirements for Benidorm back to Alicante, I will get you a price.

If you cant send PM, tell me on here and I will PM you so you can reply!