Olympic holidays, Symi 2016

[Kojak]

Just booked for my usual May holiday. Olympic have been very late this year in getting the online booking up and running for 2016 but they can (and did) take bookings over the phone.

[Gemma1]

I emailed Olympic and they told me it would be a few weeks until the holidays are available on line. Not in a rush to book really as will decide when I come back from Symi at the end of September what I'm doing next year. Want to book Syros for June with Olympic if the prices aren't too ridiculous but don't think they'll be available for a while yet as they usually use Easyjet flights which haven't been released. Then again we might decide to go to Western Crete. One thing I do know is it will be somewhere in Greece

Has the price of your holiday increased much Kojak?

[Val]

I spoke to Olympic last week Gemma and they told me most options would be available on line next week. Meanwhile we spotted a good deal on flights to Rhodes for £150 return in September so decided to opt for that and do it ourselves. Fancy at least a week in Symi as well as a return to Kastellorizo and Chalki so maybe we'll get chance for a catch up. Hope so it would be nice to see you again. Prices mentioned by Olympic seemed much more expensive than this year so doesn't look good.

[Kojak]

Hi Gemma. the price was about the same for about the same date. I like to book early as the Anastasoula rooms can go quickly and I do like my usual room on the ground floor lol.

[Gemma1]

Glad your price hasn't increased Kojak, maybe after all these years they give you a special discount

I'll check online in a week or so Val but if next year's prices are crazy I might end up having a week somewhere else I next year. I think it would work out more expensive for me travelling independently by the time I'd added on ferries and taxis etc. It would be lovely to see you and Dai again if you do get back to Symi

[Gemma1]

Well I've been back 10 days and booked for next September this afternoon I was considering having a change from Symi next year but my friends sent me a message to say they're going back so I decided to go ahead and book. Decided to have a change of accommodation and booked Taxiarchis, it's only £7 more than staying at Anastasia and I was very impressed with the rooms when I looked round this year - plus they have free Wi-Fi It's only cost me £5 more than I paid this year so I'm very happy with that. Just hope I can still manage to find my way to and from the Sunrise

[Andy W]

Don't worry Gemma, let Claudia or Kevin know you've arrived and they'll despatch a guide dog or cat to show you the way to their Kafenion.

[plee]

I have been thinking about returning to Symi in late September for 2 weeks. I had a look at Olympic a couple of weeks ago and there were places for about £475 from Newcastle. Now there seems to be nothing. I phoned Olympic and they said they could get me from Newcastle on the 7th for £607. This seems a huge leap. The man I spoke to seemed to think there was a problem with flights and ferrys. The other place I was thinking of was Paxos for a change. Again nothing coming up from Newcastle on the site and I was informed I could only get there from Manchester. I wonder if there is a problem with the website. Has anyone else noticed?

[Allan]

I don't book with Olympic so I can't comment on that aspect, I'm sure others can help though. But I can assure you that there can't be 'a problem' with the ferries. No one knows what the ferry situation will be next September so if the man on the phone (who's trying to sell you a holiday for an extra £132) is suggesting that then he's telling fibs

There could be 'a problem' with the Newcastle flight if they have already booked up their seat allocation for the dates you want but that's very likely to change.

Keep nagging at then Plee!

[plee]

Thanks Allan, I did get to Symi this year for a few days on the way back from Patmos. I did it independently with friends and shared rooms so it was affordable. Its the doing it alone that makes it expensive. Olympic has its faults but for single travelers its great. I will keep at it.

[Mille]

Oh yes, plee.
Travelling alone is SO expensive.

I had to pay a fee for using a double room as a single..

£144 (or 1500 Danish Kroner)

But.. I am going to Symi!!

[Gemma1]

I have been thinking about returning to Symi in late September for 2 weeks. I had a look at Olympic a couple of weeks ago and there were places for about £475 from Newcastle. Now there seems to be nothing. I phoned Olympic and they said they could get me from Newcastle on the 7th for £607. This seems a huge leap. The man I spoke to seemed to think there was a problem with flights and ferrys. The other place I was thinking of was Paxos for a change. Again nothing coming up from Newcastle on the site and I was informed I could only get there from Manchester. I wonder if there is a problem with the website. Has anyone else noticed?

I had a look at the Olympic website at the weekend and couldn't find anything for Symi on the date I'm going, though it was bringing up holidays on Halki. Also thought I'd check if the price of our holiday to Kefalonia has increased (we are going there with Olympic for a week in June) and there was nothing coming up for that at all. I find it hard to believe that they are completely sold out so maybe there is a problem with the website. I had to book my Symi holiday over the phone as when I tried to book online it was showing the afternoon flight going out and the morning flight coming back but wouldn't let me book that combination. I had no problem booking it over the phone and was offered the morning or afternoon flight - the guy said you couldn't combine the two so I've no idea why that was coming up online.

I'd try again next week. Good luck

[sootyandsweep]

I read in the 'I' newspaper recently that licences for airlines. mergers etc were changing destination and arrival places. I read it briefly mainly because it appeared Scottish airports were going to come off worse although Aberdeen would be offering more destinations to Europe -(well hip hooray and not before time) I don't know if that is behind reluctance of company s to give destination/arrival times and places but might be.
Halki is lovely but is a micro Symi and when i went there although i enjoyed the island it was limited in activity and i did find it very clique - a 'gang' seem to turn up end of August beginning of September and weren't a very inclusive lot. The people of Halki on the other had were open and friendly beyond belief - all lovely .

[plee]

I just phoned Olympic again and the guy told me that they have put a new system in place but there seems to be a problem with flights that are 3rd party? being integrated into the site. He tells me they are trouble shooting at the tec department to hopefully get it fixed... I will have another go in a couple of weeks.

[Andy W]

:? I read in the 'I' newspaper recently that licences for airlines. mergers etc were changing destination and arrival places. I read it briefly mainly because it appeared Scottish airports were going to come off worse although Aberdeen would be offering more destinations to Europe -(well hip hooray and not before time) I don't know if that is behind reluctance of company s to give destination/arrival times and places but might be.

The charter airlines such as Thomas Cook, Thomson, and whoever Olympic is using in 2016 do not get the slots to operate flights until a Europe-wide conference in late February (there has to be a conference - just imagine the chaos if Belgium tell the airline they can have the slot they want as long as it is 10 minutes earlier, but Germany say it has to be 10 minutes later - is the plane supposed to hover over the border between the two?)
Maybe the holiday companies are finally developing a conscience about selling tickets for flights they know full well will probably be retimed?
As far as Aberdeen is concerned don't hold your breath for flights to Greece. The runway isn't long enough to allow a fully loaded plane to take off with enough fuel to reach Greece, so the options are to fly with seats deliberately left empty or to land somewhere on the way to refuel. Neither do anything for the profitability of the operation and will certainly push the fares up above what people are willing to pay.
I'm not sure what the comment about mergers in the article meant - the only mergers that have happened recently affecting flights within Europe is the takeover of Aer Lingus by IAG, the parent company of BA and Iberia. Aer Lingus have never flown to Greece from the UK, and BA have never flown to Greece from Ireland, so not much conflict there!

[Gemma1]

I just phoned Olympic again and the guy told me that they have put a new system in place but there seems to be a problem with flights that are 3rd party? being integrated into the site. He tells me they are trouble shooting at the tec department to hopefully get it fixed... I will have another go in a couple of weeks.

That's probably why I couldn't find any flights from LBA to either Rhodes or Crete. I didn't bother enquiring when I rang Olympic as this year it was about £200 dearer to go to Symi with Jet 2 from LBA to Rhodes - plus you have to pay the flight portion in full at the time of booking - unlike the Germania flights when you can just pay a deposit.

[sootyandsweep]

Flights from Aberdeen to Greece - Andy not even i thought that would come about but i am happy that there is going to be a greater choice from Aberdeen to more European destinations. Also heard the runway at Aberdeen was to be extended (now that the oil boom is over !!!!!) and that longer flights would be possible. But hey - this town is full of rumours!!

[Olga]

Have just booked for 4th of May at the Anastasia, cheered up a dull day in Durham.

[Kojak]

I'm there from 11th Olga so may see you there - I'm at the Anastasoula as usual.

[Glen]

Well this is rather depressing,
For once i'm getting to Rhodes early enough to catch an evening ferry ( 25th May 9am flight)
and there isn't one