The Holiday Bargain Hunt (Teletext Holidays)

Member Name: Crazy_Cat

Product:	Teletext Holidays
Date:	02/10/07 (3473 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Excellent, cheap holidays for those with a lower budget.

Disadvantages: Additional charges are added at the booking stage.

I recently graduated from university, have only just started my first full time job, and am trying to scrape together enough cash to put down a deposit on a flat. As you might imagine, I’m a little strapped for cash. I’ve had to give up a few luxuries: the expensive binge-drinking sessions I would indulge myself with as a student are gone, as has my habit of splurging on books, computer games and DVDs (to an extent). However, one thing I won’t give up is my love of leaving rainy England behind and jetting off on holiday, and thanks to Teletext Holidays, I haven’t had to.

Teletext Holidays is an online travel comparison site that checks and vets all of its suppliers and, like lastminute.com, specialises in bargain late deals, with holiday prices sometimes falling as low as £50. As the name suggests, the site originally was a Teletext function, and although the website (www.teletextholidays.co.uk) is more comprehensive, you can still access many deals from your television (Teletext page 200).

My last two trips abroad were both booked through Teletext Holidays, and were terrific bargains. The first was a girls’ holiday to Ibiza in the summer of 2006, which we managed to book for mere £99 per person. The deal included return flights with Iberia, and self-catered accommodation in 3* apartments within close vicinity to the beach and San Antonio town. For my second Teletext Holidays trip, my boyfriend and I visited Marsa Alam, on Egypt’s southern Red Sea coast. The holiday cost £220 each for return flights with Thompson and one week at a 3* all-inclusive beach resort.

*Searching*

Holidays are very easy to find thanks to the simple and user-friendly website. Five tabs line the top of the front page, direct you to either ‘Holidays’, ‘Flights’, ‘Hotels’, ‘UK’ or ‘Villas’. From there, you can enter your criteria based on factors such as destination, dates, number travelling, board type, rating/class, and so on. Flexible travellers can also provide details of how variable their dates can be, which is a nice touch for those trying to find the cheapest deal.

Search results appear in blocks of 20, and can be arranged by price, departure date, or Teletext Holidays’ recommendation. The search listings briefly highlight the main features of the holidays, and selecting the ‘view details’ hyperlink provides more information. The details of the holiday are clearly displayed, and in most cases photographs of the resort are provided. A brief ‘blurb’ is also provided to describe the hotel facilities and local amenities in more detail, although the amount of information you are given varies between holidays. In some cases the hotel isn’t even allocated until arrival, but these do tend to be the cheaper deals.

For popular destinations, you are also provided with a full destination guide, detailing the city or region’s key attractions. A current 5-day weather forecast is also given, which is great for whetting your appetite for a hot holiday.

If you don’t have a destination in mind, Teletext Holidays’ search engine is very good for providing suggestions. Selecting ‘Bestsellers’ will give all the popular deals that have been tried and tested by countless others, while clicking ‘Inspire Me’ will find unusual destinations that you might not have considered. It is also possible to search for ‘Exotic Places’ or, if it’s a tan you’re after, ‘Guaranteed Sunshine’. Alternatively, the website’s front page advertises the cheapest late deals and current popular destinations.

Generally the search facility is very good, but occasionally I found that advertised offers couldn’t be found by searching. There is also a slight delay before Teletext Holidays removes a deal from the website after it has been booked, which can lead to disappointment (as I once learned the hard way).

*Holiday Types*

The main holiday search facility will find the standard beach resort holidays, but the site also caters for those looking for something a bit different. The same searching principles apply here, but there are additional features to aid you with your search. Different holiday types can be accessed by selecting the relevant hyperlink (at the top of the page, just below the ‘Holidays’ tab). The options are ‘Ski’, ‘Worldwide’, ‘City Breaks’, ‘Special Interest’ and ‘Cruise’.

Ski: There are a range of Skiing holidays available with destinations ranging from France to Canada, and video guides are available to ‘inspire’ you. While far less extensive than the general holiday search facility, there are still some good deals to be found. The cheapest I could find was for 7 nights in Soldeu, Andorra, at £185 per person, based on two sharing a 2* self-catered apartment, including flights (6 January 2008).

Worldwide: If you have a slightly higher budget, there are some excellent long haul deals to be found. The website recommends their favourite honeymoon holidays, Eastern destinations, and last minute long haul offers, but I found that searching gave the best results. For only £304 per person I found an offer for 7 nights in the Dominican Republic, or 14 nights for an additional £90, including flights (10 October 2007), which certainly tempted me.

City Breaks: Here you can search for shopping breaks, cultural cities, budget European destinations, or cities by the sea. There are some good bargains be found, with ‘Spanish cities from £50 per person’ being the cheapest deal offered. However, the link failed to work when I tried it, which was frustrating. My favourite break that I found was for 2 nights in Barcelona for £104, including flights (15 October 2007).

Special Interest: There are a wide range of unusual holidays to choose from in this section, ranging from spa breaks and fishing trips to adventure and watersports holidays. This is a very informative part of the site that gives excellent tips and ideas for breaks away. However, you cannot book these types of holidays through the site and instead are directed to external sites.

Cruise: I was shocked by how cheap some of the cruise offers are, until I spotted the words ‘flights not included’. There are 7-night cruises in the Caribbean available for little more than £100 per person, but you have to make your own way to and from the port. Of the deals that included transfer flights, I liked the deal for 7 nights in the Canaries aboard the Thomson Destiny, for £349 per person (5 October, 2007).

*Booking*

In most cases it is not possible to book online, and instead you must call the holiday provider directly. The phone number for you to call, and the reference you need to quote, are both clearly displayed. The booking process is simple and fairly quick, it is possible to pay over the phone by debit or credit card, and once the booking is complete, full details are emailed or posted to you.

However, I must offer a few words of warning. At this stage, the holiday operator will add airport taxes and transfer fees to the holiday, which are not included in Teletext Holidays’ price. For both my holidays, this additional charge was approximately £30 to £40 per person. While I still believe that both my holidays were a bargain, it is easy to accept these last minute charges in the heat of the moment when booking, without considering whether you are still getting a good deal.

*Conclusion*

Teletext Holidays is an excellent site for those seeking a bargain or last minute holiday. In my experience, I’ve found that the deals are generally cheaper than those offered on lastminute.com, or on other bargain holiday websites. Just make sure you account for the additional charges before booking – it’s a pain, but in the majority of cases the holiday will still be a bargain.

Until my student debts are cleared and I can afford to shop for my holiday in style, I’ll certainly continue to book my holidays with Teletext Holidays. And I strongly recommend that all you bargain hunters out there do the same.

www.teletextholidays.co.uk

Summary: Better value for money than lastminute.com and other competitors.