Location: Bexley and Chislehurst
Wanted: A family of four wants a sunny fly-and-flop holiday in the Easter holidays. They’re open to suggestions but are concerned about the value of the pound against the euro.
Budget: £3,000
Tickets Travel
51 Bexley High Street, Bexley
94%
The agent was pleasant and engaging and the shop was tidy. He gave me his undivided attention and suggested three all-inclusive Thomas Cook holidays. One was at Dunas Mirador in Las Palmas, Spain, visiting Aqualand for £2,736; another to Hurghada, Egypt, staying at the Sunrise Royal Makadi for £2,563; and the third to Oasis Village in Fuerteventura for £2,524. All were for a week, departing April 2, 3 and 4 respectively, from Gatwick. Optional extras such as meals on the flight and a meet and greet service were offered. It was a great experience – time flew by as we were in such deep conversation about me and my family holiday. The only thing was that he didn’t follow it up.
Tui
113 Broadway, Bexleyheath
93%
I was greeted in 30 seconds even though agents were busy. They suggested a Tui holiday to Benalmadena in the Costa del Sol flying on April 1 from Luton to Malaga for £2,826. It was all-inclusive, 30 minutes from the airport, one child went free and it included insurance. The agent said there was a zoo and water park and I could hire a car in resort. The agent showed me everything on screen and offered airport parking as an extra.
Go Travel
8-10 High Street, Chislehurst
75%
I was acknowledged straight away in a clean and tidy shop. They offered me four options with Thomas Cook and flying from Gatwick: to Fuerteventura or Gran Canaria on March 26 for £2,466 and £3,058 respectively, to Tenerife on March 27 for £2,878 or Lanzarote on March 28 for £2,834. I felt the agent was just going through the motions and I wasn’t offered extras. At first they said I couldn’t even get a holiday at Easter for £3,000.
Winning agent
David Celino-Stock, travel guru
“I always try to ask open-ended questions if people are unsure on which destination to visit and give customers a range of options to choose from within their budget.””
Verdict
Tickets Travel and Tui impressed, but the independent’s range of options pipped the multiple although the holiday its agent did offer got top marks for attention to detail.
Top-scoring agent each month will win use of a car for 10 days.
The winning agent must be at least 25, for insurance reasons. Winners under 25 will win a week’s all-inclusive holiday at an Elite Islands Resorts property. The prize is non-transferable and the car must be driven only by the winning agent. The winner must not have any serious driving convictions. Elite Island Resorts will endeavour to supply the car to the agency but reserves the right to request the winning agent to collect and return the car from Essex or a central location