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All inclusive holidays

All inclusive holidays

Old Jul 15th 2016, 10:57 pm
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Default All inclusive holidays

Hi all

I moved to Texas 2 months ago but I've been struggling to find travel agents similar to Thomas Cook, First choice etc where you can book your holiday with a deposit and then just pay it off. Is anyone aware of anything like this in the states? I love planning vacations in advance and paying them off monthly rather than having to pay all at once.
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Old Jul 15th 2016, 11:22 pm
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Default Re: All inclusive holidays

Pretty much a dead industry...might find local, small outfits that'll do the organising but they'll probably want paying up front...which is what credit cards are for.

I wonder if someone new will have a recommendation for a service though?

If not, welcome to BE.
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Old Jul 16th 2016, 1:23 am
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Default Re: All inclusive holidays

Plenty out there to choose from, I believe we have a B.E member who is in the industry.

All Inclusive Vacations at Caribbean Resorts | Packages, Deals, & Specials for Weddings & More


http://travel-agents.regionaldirectory.us/texas.htm
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Old Jul 16th 2016, 1:46 am
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Default Re: All inclusive holidays

Originally Posted by Oregon4now
Plenty out there to choose from, I believe we have a B.E member who is in the industry.

All Inclusive Vacations at Caribbean Resorts | Packages, Deals, & Specials for Weddings & More


Travel Agents in Texas
We used to...she's not been around for about 18 months.

I think most of the travel agent's biz has gone on-line...a quick Google should bring up some results. Can't recommend any myself as we don't use an agent,
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Old Jul 16th 2016, 5:38 am
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Default Re: All inclusive holidays

Travel agents are struggling at the moment. Another one went into administration today

https://www.theguardian.com/business...ing-travellers
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Old Jul 16th 2016, 7:20 am
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Default Re: All inclusive holidays

Originally Posted by missblackstar
Hi all

I moved to Texas 2 months ago but I've been struggling to find travel agents similar to Thomas Cook, First choice etc where you can book your holiday with a deposit and then just pay it off. Is anyone aware of anything like this in the states? I love planning vacations in advance and paying them off monthly rather than having to pay all at once.
Yeah it's interesting how this industry is alive and well in the UK, both online and on the high street! In America, travel agents seem to have disappeared. I used to work at a university. Until about 2005, we were told, employees MUST go to the designated travel agent to book flights, hotels etc when attending meetings. Then the university bowed to reality, and said, make your own arrangements, submit the receipts for reimbursement. Job done, travel agent out of business..

Part of the difference is, most Americans never actually go on holiday, for various obvious reasons (no money, no vacation time.) If they do go away, it's more likely to be a road trip. If they do go on a package vacation, it might be a Caribbean cruise .... so booked directly with the cruise operator.
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Old Jul 16th 2016, 3:56 pm
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Default Re: All inclusive holidays

That's very interesting, I guess I'll have to adjust then and book holidays only when we have the money. Just more difficult when you're a larger family. *sigh*
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Old Jul 16th 2016, 5:19 pm
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Default Re: All inclusive holidays

Why not set up an account, rather like a vacation club which some banks might still offer, and deposit x amount each paycheck into it for your next year's intended vacation.
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Old Jul 16th 2016, 5:28 pm
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Default Re: All inclusive holidays

Originally Posted by robin1234
.... If they do go away, it's more likely to be a road trip. If they do go on a package vacation, it might be a Caribbean cruise .... so booked directly with the cruise operator.
I agree - Americans either buy a package, such as a cruise or resort in Mexico or the Caribbean, or they buy hotel and travel separately.

IMO buying a package including a ticket on a flying crate and choosing from a handful of hotels is unattractive. The travel agent business was a pure overhead that served only to add to the cost of doing business, an unnecessary intermediary in the age of the internet, and I am surprised that the whole highstreet travel agent sector hung on as long as it did in the UK.

Last edited by Pulaski; Jul 16th 2016 at 5:34 pm.
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Old Jul 16th 2016, 6:43 pm
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Default Re: All inclusive holidays

I'm not sure I grasp the concept of booking a holiday you don't have the money for. Or am I missing something?
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Old Jul 16th 2016, 6:57 pm
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Default Re: All inclusive holidays

Originally Posted by Nutek
I'm not sure I grasp the concept of booking a holiday you don't have the money for. Or am I missing something?
It's not about not having the money, for example a family trip to the caribbean could cost in total say $4-5k. Now this isn't a sum we just have sitting in our bank account, maybe others do, but we don't. Normally what we would do in the UK along with about 90% of the rest of the population is you see the holiday package you like and then you pay the deposit, say 150pp and then you can just pay it off until you go. This prevents having to save, then pay last minute when the prices usually go up.

Isn't it a similar concept to buying things on finance, except this is at 0% interest. What concept are you struggling to grasp?
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Old Jul 16th 2016, 7:02 pm
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Default Re: All inclusive holidays

Originally Posted by missblackstar
It's not about not having the money, for example a family trip to the caribbean could cost in total say $4-5k. Now this isn't a sum we just have sitting in our bank account, maybe others do, but we don't. Normally what we would do in the UK along with about 90% of the rest of the population is you see the holiday package you like and then you pay the deposit, say 150pp and then you can just pay it off until you go. This prevents having to save, then pay last minute when the prices usually go up.

Isn't it a similar concept to buying things on finance, except this is at 0% interest. What concept are you struggling to grasp?
Isn't that the same as saving 'X' amount each month...then book and pay? That's what we used to do.
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Old Jul 16th 2016, 7:05 pm
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Default Re: All inclusive holidays

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl
Isn't that the same as saving 'X' amount each month...then book and pay? That's what we used to do.
That's what I do too - tbh I don't think 90% of the UK population will use travel agents, I don't know a single person that's used one for years! I always book my own holiday independently, and tend to do flights, accommodation etc separately.

I'd imagine that those using travel agents are in the minority these days, their prices seem much more expensive to me than those I can book myself.
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Old Jul 16th 2016, 7:09 pm
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Default Re: All inclusive holidays

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl
Isn't that the same as saving 'X' amount each month...then book and pay? That's what we used to do.
It is but the prices of holiday packages tend to go up each month drastically.
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Old Jul 16th 2016, 7:10 pm
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Default Re: All inclusive holidays

Originally Posted by christmasoompa
That's what I do too - tbh I don't think 90% of the UK population will use travel agents, I don't know a single person that's used one for years! I always book my own holiday independently, and tend to do flights, accommodation etc separately.

I'd imagine that those using travel agents are in the minority these days, their prices seem much more expensive to me than those I can book myself.
Not travel agents but online booking sites like First Choice, Thomson Holidays, Virgin Holidays, Loveholidays.com...
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