Brief: A couple want to go on a fly-drive to Texas this autumn, taking a week to 10 days and visiting Houston, Fort Worth, Dallas and Austin. They like the idea of big landscapes and the cowboy culture.
Budget: £3,500.
Verdict: The winning agent was thorough during the visit and afterwards, following up with an email.
The Traveller
The Traveller10 Sir Simons Arcade
Score: 59%
The agent here only offered me one holiday option – a flight from Manchester on September 15 to Dallas via Atlanta with Delta, car hire for 10 days, and two choices of hotel accommodation for three nights in Dallas, which came in at £1,872 and £1,878 for Days Inn and Quinta Six Flags respectively.
I was advised not to book further accommodation in other cities to keep my trip flexible. The agent met some of my requirements but really didn’t probe at all into why I wanted to go or what I wanted to see.
I was given a hand-written quote and the agent’s details, but there was no offer to follow up my enquiry and as a whole, the visit felt rather flat.
First Choice
First ChoiceAsda Superstore, Ovangle Road
Score: 72%
I had a long wait to be served, as all the agents were initially busy. However, when I was seen, the agent was interested and enthusiastic throughout.
She phoned Jetsave and then tailor-made a package including flights, car hire and accommodation for three nights each in Dallas and Houston and two each in Austin and Fort Worth from £3,125, flying on September 8.
I was given a Jetsave brochure and a printed quote to take away, and the agent tried to close the sale by emphasising that the price was good and might go up.
However, I felt she lacked enough knowledge of America to talk confidently and make detailed recommendations. She made good use of the computer to show me hotels.
Thomson
Thomson31 Market Street
Score: 80%
The agent here was very friendly and showed a high level of interest, asking how many nights we’d stay in each city and general queries about what we’d see there.
She offered British Airways flights, 10 nights’ accommodation and convertible car hire for £3,068 through Thomson Tailormade, with a discount of nearly £200 in the sale.
I was given a brochure, a handwritten quote and the agent’s details, and she took mine, arranging to call within a couple of days. She stressed the sale price wouldn’t be available for ever and that flight places were limited.
I would have liked a few ideas about excursions and prices to complete the otherwise good service.
Thomas Cook
Thomas Cook11 Cheapside
Score: 90%
The agent was friendly, talkative and positive, and took the time to provide two quotes during my consultation. She took my contact details and searched further after I left, emailing the details of a third option, which I found very impressive.
I felt she wanted to provide the best possible choice. The most suitable trip was a tailor-made option with Netflights, including British Airways flights, car hire and hotels for three nights each in Dallas and Houston and two each in Austin and Fort Worth from £2,811, flying on September 9.
The agent made good use of her computer to illustrate car hire choices and hotel options. The information I was given was the most comprehensive of all the visits, including a brochure and two quotes, printouts about the hotels and a booklet on insurance.
A few recommendations on things to see and do would have made this a perfect visit.
Winning agent: Samantha Tyson, sales consultant
“We’ve had a lot of training on the US recently so that came in useful. The rest of my family have been and I’d love to go.”
Top tips
- Texas is the second-largest state in the US, and shares its southern border with Mexico, of which it was once part. Mexico’s influence is still evident in the local cuisine and the culture, particularly in San Antonio.
- Texas is cowboy country, and visitors can stay on a dude ranch or visit Fort Worth’s Stockyard District for a Wild West experience.
- Austin is noted for its live music scene, with more than 200 live music venues. Dallas’ arts district stretches over 19 blocks, with world-class galleries, museums, theatres and musical performances.
- Operators that have added Texas this year include Kuoni, USAirtours, Grand American Adventures and Just You. Thomas Cook Signature, Hayes & Jarvis, Thomson Tailormade and North America Travel Service tailor-make trips.
- For more, see Destinations, page 42 and Gazetteers.com