San Stefanos Online ~ North West Corfu

I’m surprised that you haven’t done your homework on this Jimbo.  

If you check Thomson website  (I compared today) you’ll find that of the eleven accommodations listed, four have a standard allowance of 20Kg luggage (including the one that you use) whilst the other seven have a standard luggage allowance of only 15Kg (including the accommodation that I used in my comparison).

Accommodation with 20 Kg luggage allowance = Nafsika, Little Prince, Barras and Stamatis.
Accommodation with only 15Kg luggage allowance = Athina, Teresa, Romanza, Thomas Bay, Olga, Tsaros and Voula.
The Thomson brochure shows 20Kg for all accommodation.

Another advantage of EasyJet over Thomson is that hand luggage weight is unrestricted (but you have to be able the lift it into the overhead lockers) whereas Thomson limit is 5Kg.  Therefore I’ll have more room for my jars of Kumquat Jam (don’t tell me, I know that jam is classed as a liquid and is not permissible in hand luggage).  

Your statement that “Transfers are included for packages and you've made them separate” is correct but to have a true comparison you have to compare like for like and as EasyJet don’t offer a coach transfer I opted for the taxi transfer which is common to both Thomson and a private booking.
I could, if I wish, arrive by EasyJet and transfer to San Stefanos by public service vehicle (local bus) and then would have an additional saving on taxi fares of an extra £85-£90 making it even better value than booking with Thomson and as the Thomson transfer takes up to four and a half hours (see previous postings) I could be in resort drinking my Mythos far earlier than the Thomson guests!!

So, in contrast to you, I believe that this is a totally fair comparison.

As for “the locals not being in the position they are without the promotion of the travel companies”, this would be the case for almost all resorts worldwide and “If Thomson pulled out of SS the place would be a ghost village within a couple of years”,  I very much doubt it as another tour operators would be quick to exploit such a beautiful place without the monopoly of Thomson.

You’re correct in saying that “if you live near a low-cost airline airport it's an easy equation” and I’m one of the lucky ones that live close enough to Gatwick (still 100 miles away though).  

You’re also correct in saying that “this is not the best time of the year to book”, I’ve noticed how prices have fluctuated throughout the last few months and even over the last couple of days.  As you suggest others who cannot fly with a budget carrier have little option than to go with Thomson, but they need to ensure they book at the best (and cheapest) time of year.

If those living close to low cost airline airports wish to continue to line Thomsons golden pockets that’s up to them but I would prefer to give my money to the hard working hoteliers (who, on average, receive about 8-9 Euros per day, per guest (for b&b) from Thomson) and I would also be contributing far more to the Greek economy.

At the end of the day you pay your money and take your choice, my opinion only!!




 

How many have tried the genuine Romanza Kumquat Jam? It's not available to all.

Look my my reply below Jonny Rebel, I think you will see that booking privately is the way to go.
"Can't fault Thomson", I think many others will disagree!!

Sorry to disagree with you (Rover & Loftyscot) but there is a huge difference
between booking privately and booking with Thomson, dependant, of course on where you fly from.

Below is a “like for like” comparison, all aspects of the holidays described are identical.
 
My wife and I have booked to stay in San Stefanos mid year 2011 for three consecutive weeks, one week at a very popular hotel (on half board) followed by two weeks at another very popular hotel (on bed & breakfast basis).

This has been booked privately with the owners of the two hotels. The total cost allowing for £100 taxi fares to and from San Stefanos and flights with EasyJet (£336.97 for two people including “speedy boarding) was £1129.87 total.

Today, online with Thomson, the cost of the first hotel (one week half board) was £1168 (for two people).
The cost of the second hotel (two weeks bed & breakfast) was £1404.
Total cost of £2572.00 (and that doesn't include taxi transfers, only the usual 3-4 hour coach transfers)

The Thomson holidays were for the same dates as my private bookings and the flight times (day flights) were identical.

Ok, I know that the above Thomson prices include two sets of flights, so one set of flights could be deducted from the total Thomson costs.

In conclusion, I have privately booked three weeks (1 week half board and two weeks bed and breakfast), including taxi transfers, in San Stefanos for £1129.87.  In addition, I don't have to pay the hotel costs until I arrive in San Stefanos.   Had I booked with Thomson we couldn’t have stayed for one week in either hotel for that cost.

As has been suggested, Companies must make profits but as Tony says not the obscene profits we are now seeing!!

It appears to me that it is Thomson that is “skimming the cream” and not the Government.

Make up your own minds!!!

And you can join me for a Kumquat jam sandwich at breakfast time

Tony

It's not necessary to pay for the entire holiday to get protection under Section 75. You only need a minimum of £100 paid by credit card to give you the protection, ie a deposit, the rest can be paid by debit card thus saving paying 2% extra on the whole holiday.  In that way you have complete protection with only a fraction (the deposit) subject to the 2% surcharge.

It's not the yellow and black striped jumper you've got to look out for, it's the sting in the tail!!