Travel - why so complicated?

[13m]

It should be easy to decide a departure destintion, budget, date range and holiday requirement and find all available options. But none of the websites I use can do it, nor can the travel agents.

I would have thought that someone would have sorted a website to do this. It does not appear to have happened. Why is that?

[bigandclever]

Because random x random x random x random x expectation = difficult?

[Pickled]

Travel republic

[otherman]

I agree with OP. You always have to know your destination. Why not let us search by date and cost.

[Driver101]

I used to find holiday websites easy. Lots have changed and have become rather awkward. They then normally force you to phone or email for a quote. In the past the prices were on screen at the time.

Last time I did book online I was called the following day with the offer of a "better deal". They wanted to change every last element of the holiday, worse flight times, worse hotel and a different airport. They wanted to charge me extra money for what was clearly a downgrade.

I requested my original booking, but they wouldn't honour it.

[Turn7]

I do agree.

Looking right now at booking Motogp @ Mugello...

Headline figure of £750 each becomes £1100 once you add tickets/grandstands/flights,despite website claining all inclusive....

[Sheepshanks]

13m said:

I would have thought that someone would have sorted a website to do this. It does not appear to have happened. Why is that?

Maybe the market is waiting for you to seize the opportunity?

[defblade]

otherman said:

I agree with OP. You always have to know your destination. Why not let us search by date and cost.

In fact, a lot of times you even have to know where you're starting from, too. I'll drive pretty much anywhere in the UK for a flight and, funnily enough, have no idea what flights go from which airports. "Any London" is better than nothing, but maybe I could be flying out of Cardiff or Bristol, either of which would be closer for me.

[al1991]

defblade said:

otherman said:

I agree with OP. You always have to know your destination. Why not let us search by date and cost.

In fact, a lot of times you even have to know where you're starting from, too. I'll drive pretty much anywhere in the UK for a flight and, funnily enough, have no idea what flights go from which airports. "Any London" is better than nothing, but maybe I could be flying out of Cardiff or Bristol, either of which would be closer for me.

Agreed, that is a bugbear of mine when using these websites.

[13m]

Sheepshanks said:

13m said:

I would have thought that someone would have sorted a website to do this. It does not appear to have happened. Why is that?

Maybe the market is waiting for you to seize the opportunity?

I imagine that people cleverer than I would have done it before now if it were possible.

[GreatGranny]

Some websites allow you several choices of airports and/or regions such as north west, midlands etc..

It just means you may have to search several times for the ideal package.

[anonymous-user]

loads of websites allow you to search anywhere.

skyscanner
netflights
etc...

[13m]

The Spruce goose said:

loads of websites allow you to search anywhere.

skyscanner
netflights
etc...

Well, for flights yes.

However, I just tried Skyscanner for a test and it led me down a blind alley by allowing me to choose options that were not available.

[Driver101]

Skyscanner also advertises lots of companies I wouldn't touch with a bargepole.

I got caught out with one a few years back.

[Chucklehead]

Www.thomson.co.uk

Enter starting point and approximate date. Leave destination as anywhere and then use filters. About as close to your spec as you'd get.

[768]

defblade said:

In fact, a lot of times you even have to know where you're starting from, too. I'll drive pretty much anywhere in the UK for a flight and, funnily enough, have no idea what flights go from which airports. "Any London" is better than nothing, but maybe I could be flying out of Cardiff or Bristol, either of which would be closer for me.

I'd like to be able to search for "Any but Bristol".

[13m]

Chucklehead said:

Www.thomson.co.uk

Enter starting point and approximate date. Leave destination as anywhere and then use filters. About as close to your spec as you'd get.

Ideal, except it thinks Tenerife and Ibiza are in Italy.

[bigandclever]

13m said:

Chucklehead said:

Www.thomson.co.uk

Enter starting point and approximate date. Leave destination as anywhere and then use filters. About as close to your spec as you'd get.

Ideal, except it thinks Tenerife and Ibiza are in Italy.

Find that hard to believe.

[13m]

bigandclever said:

13m said:

Chucklehead said:

Www.thomson.co.uk

Enter starting point and approximate date. Leave destination as anywhere and then use filters. About as close to your spec as you'd get.

Ideal, except it thinks Tenerife and Ibiza are in Italy.

Find that hard to believe.

I st you not.

I put in 3 airports, chose Italy as the destination, leaving 14th October and Tenerife and Ibiza were the first results. I've just done it again to do screen grabs for you and it does now show only Italy.

[98elise]

Driver101 said:

Skyscanner also advertises lots of companies I wouldn't touch with a bargepole.

I got caught out with one a few years back.

Agreed.

Booking tickets this year I found that the best always failed during the payment process. You then had to call their call centre who could only do the same flight at a higher price. Same for a few different names, who all turn out to be the same company.

Lots of similar complaints if you read reviews.

The non existant deals are there for weeks so they are just operating a bait and switch.