Best website to book package hol?

[NashEnquirer]

Am I missing anywhere other than the usual, e.g. onthebeach, loveholidays, and then actual non-independent agents like Thomas Cook/TUI, Jet2 etc.

Are they all much of a muchness, really? Obviously the agents won't have as much choice across all companies I guess.

We've booked a lot with Jet2 over the past few years and never had an issue. I have heard a few not so great things about TUI that have put me off using them but I'm sure someone will come along and say they've only ever had a great experience with them.

I always use Jet2 or Tui, never had any issues with either. I don't trust on the likes of On the Beach or Love Holidays.

We always use TUI and have done for years, never had an issue with them.

Thanks all - does the distrust of those websites stem from them not being actual operators, @IamSmarticus?Jet2 is definitely coming up a bit pricier than them for the hols I'm looking at at the moment.

I can't really put my finger on why I don't trust them to be honest - I think it is partly because they are not actual operators and tend to put packages together. They use Easyjet and Ryanair, you have to pay extra for baggage so the first price you see is not the one you pay by the time you add a suitcase or two, then you have to add extra for the transfer to/from the hotel. I like the fact I can scroll through Jet2/Tui and the price I see is the price i will pay.

I don't know, maybe I should save myself some money and give On The Beach or someone a try one day, I might like it!

That's a good point about the extra charges - I mentally have to add on a few extra hundred for hold luggage and seat reservations!

Jet2! No extra hidden costs other than seat booking.

all luggage and transfers included.

when I did the flights and accommodation separately it came out far higher

Don’t use LoveHolidays. I had to move the date of a flight I booked with them once - there is no customer service email or phone through which to get in touch with them and do this. I spent weeks and weeks trying to change the date and in the end the flight came and went and my money went with it.

Don’t use love holidays or on the beach. The other two are okay.

Jet2 won me over during Covid , we had to cancel holidays with them twice when lockdowns hit and both times customer service was brilliant, in terms of rebooking and refunds . Been away with them about 5 times since and always easy going and a decent price . Tend to use them for beach holidays , as we book a lot ourselves direct with hotel etc when doing city stuff .

Oh this is really interesting, thanks everyone!

Actually looking at Jet2, one good thing is that they show what kind of rooms they've based the price on on the first page of search results, so you can see whether it's a twin or a separate bedroom apt etc.

I actually thought I'd successfully used with OTB or loveholidays before but looking back through emails maybe it was Thomas Cook (which seems weirdly outdated now 😁). W

I always use TUI for packages as they handle everything and never had an issue, not always rock bottom price wise but at the level I’m happy with and good service, but remember they have a variety of hotels many not owned by them so you still have to do due diligence checking up what you are booking, long gone are the days when they sent reps to assess hotels. Jet 2 are similar, easyJet holidays you have to add transfers and luggage so add before comparing prices. Love holidays and on the beach are not proper packages so make sure you have good insurance in case things go awry

TUI won me over having never been a package holiday fan. So easy, flights from local airport, lots of luggage including, staff at airport to guide you both ends and friendly coach drivers. We like Marella cruises too, the cruise and stay package is perfect

I most often use packages now because of disability, and I have found TUI great. On the odd occasion where something has gone wrong (try, hotel know you are disabled, put you in fourth floor room and all the hotel lifts are broken!!!) they have been fantastic at sorting problems quickly, and making sure there's a little something to compensate any inconvenience.

In term sof assessing hotels, it's true most don't these days, but (a) there are plenty of sites around with reviews and (b) if you have specific questions then their customer service will query it with the hotel (I use this a lot).

Currently on a Jet2 package and I couldn't recommend them highly enough.

I always use TUI - I book in store though as any issues gets sorted straight away whereas online you have awful time speaking to their call centre. In store they match online price

Never even occured to me to go to a store, I have to admit! I don't think our local high st has a travel agent anymore but tbb even years ago I was never one for booking through an agency as we never went on packages (although I now understand the attraction 😁).

Been looking this afternoon and neither TUI nor Jet2 actually seem dramatically more expensive for the kind of hols we've been looking at (half-board or AI to Mallorca or similar) when you take everything into account. Although still all a fair bit pricier than if I'd just got my arse in gear and booked the bloody thing months ago...

To be fair, if you'd booked with them months ago, then it would have been cheaper anyway! I booked in early December for October this year in the Aegean. Two weeks AI in my favourite small village (I go once a year). It cost me, with upgrades, £1,500. My friend who dithered until two weeks ago looked at a week, same place, same time, no upgrades - £1,350. I booked next May (somewhere else) last month - 2 weeks AI, upgrades, and that was £980. There are two birds who catch worms - the early bookers and the last minute bookers. I am lucky because I can do both.

We are the same - Jet2 or Tui.

I always use TUI due to airports they use

I’d happily use Jet 2 but they don’t fly from my nearest airport

We’ve been to huge AI resorts with TUI with people from all over the place and they’ve always been pleasant. No drunken groups of people. Just lovely families from UK and elsewhere.

I personally am not keen on packages- but I’ve done one where I put it together from easyJet and one with jet2 - both were fine.

I've been on one love holidays trip no problems at all,going on another next month,I did fly with tui the first time though and have Ryanair this time so will be hoping they are as good.

I tend towards smaller ones usually (although not always) and was a bit nervous when I started using AI packages (due to disability, I can't cope with how I used to manage holidays - I need the stability of an organised place). But I agree - there may be people who have drunk a little too much on occasions, but not drunken groups and generally the quiet and pleasant "drunk too much" at worst. Although I tend not to visit places that have a reputation for "drunk too much".

If you're looking to book flights, hotel and transfers etc together anyway I find that TUI and Jet2 are usually either about the same price or sometimes a bit cheaper than on the beach. Every year I seem to spend ages looking at reviews and searching websites for the best deals and end up booking with TUI/Jet2 anyway if it's a package I want. On the beach etc is probably better if you want specific flight times as you can choose from lots of airlines. It annoys me that the likes of on the beach/love holidays etc don't allow you to choose baggage/transfers etc at the start of the search as it often looks like you've got a great deal until you have to pay another £500 for these. And sometimes changing airline can make a big difference to the cost of these extras. I got very irritated this year when I tried one of the other online booking sites (can't remember which) that tried to charge £86 per person for baggage with an airline that allows 20kg as standard if you book direct. I did notice this year that easyjet holidays now include baggage and transfers to some locations, and at least you can see up front on the search results whether they are included.
I'd be really interested to hear from anyone it's happened to about how On the Beach/Love Holidays etc deal with things if there are flight delays/cancellations etc? The other year our Jet2 flight home was cancelled at short notice so they took us to an AI hotel until they'd sorted us a flight home, then when we got home there was an easy online form to complete for compensation and it was paid within a few days. It was a total pain in the arse and not something I'd like to repeat but at least we were not left stranded or out of pocket.