Ta or BA direct

[sunkisser]

Hi all
Looking at a fly drive for August/September 2021
I’ve found what I think is a great price £494pp for direct flights from London and a Chevy Malibu or similar with Avis for 17 days, so a total of £2471 of all 5 adults with £350 deposit.
My problem is there is a possibility that one more adult may come, but we won’t know until around May. If that happens we would have to change the car to a bigger one and add a flight.
Am I better off booking through a TA or direct though BA? Don’t want to have to pay extortionate fees to alter the booking if I can avoid it but i can’t work out what they might amount to with BA and they don’t want people phoning atm x

[munmun]

Originally Posted by sunkisser

Hi all
Looking at a fly drive for August/September 2021
I’ve found what I think is a great price £494pp for direct flights from London and a Chevy Malibu or similar with Avis for 17 days, so a total of £2471 of all 5 adults with £350 deposit.
My problem is there is a possibility that one more adult may come, but we won’t know until around May. If that happens we would have to change the car to a bigger one and add a flight.
Am I better off booking through a TA or direct though BA? Don’t want to have to pay extortionate fees to alter the booking if I can avoid it but i can’t work out what they might amount to with BA and they don’t want people phoning atm x

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Could you just book a big enough car for your extra person now and then just add a flight for them if they decide to come, its always nice to have extra space. I would book like that direct with BA but I do not tend to us agents as i like to be in control

[mick]

Nothing really to add to munmun's reply.

The one thing you can be sure about booking a fly-drive with BA is that the car will be fully insured - unlike some other UK package holiday companies whose basic insurance is pathetically too low.

Or just book flights and book a car through someone like Andy at Discount Florida Car Hire. Very popular with Dibbers - we've used him about 6 or 7 times in last 4 years. You can cancel with him and rebook without penalty.

Never used a TA since we first went in 1990. Do everything separately.

Mick

[sunkisser]

Originally Posted by mick

Nothing really to add to munmun's reply.

The one thing you can be sure about booking a fly-drive with BA is that the car will be fully insured - unlike some other UK package holiday companies whose basic insurance is pathetically too low.

Or just book flights and book a car through someone like Andy at Discount Florida Car Hire. Very popular with Dibbers - we've used him about 6 or 7 times in last 4 years. You can cancel with him and rebook without penalty.

Never used a TA since we first went in 1990. Do everything separately.

Mick

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Thanks Mick
Yeah I’ve always done it diy before, and used Andy several times in the past. Flight only is only £79pp less than the fly drive and it’s payable in full. The fly drive makes it a package so, in these uncertain times, I feel safer with that.
A bigger car is another £79pp so £365. It’s a viable option though thank x

[mick]

Originally Posted by sunkisser

Thanks Mick
Yeah I’ve always done it diy before, and used Andy several times in the past. Flight only is only £79pp less than the fly drive and it’s payable in full. The fly drive makes it a package so, in these uncertain times, I feel safer with that.
A bigger car is another £79pp so £365. It’s a viable option though thank x

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We've only done fly drive once back in 2017. BA WT+ with a car for 4 weeks was cheaper than VA PE flights alone so it was a no-brainer. Usually we're Alamo people though and like to go straight to the garage and pick the car.

May have changed since 2017 but we joined Avis Preferred and went straight to the garage B at MCO. I think you can get an app for it now. But you probably know more about Avis than I do

Mick

[DonkeyCentreArf]

I used Avis Preferred on a quick weekend visit to Jacksonville in 2018 and it was really quick for us - within 15 minutes of clearing customs we were on the road.

[7SeasSailor]

Have a good read of BA's Ts & Cs for flydrive. I'm sure I read that they charge a fee for any changes to your car hire.

[munmun]

Originally Posted by 7SeasSailor

Have a good read of BA's Ts & Cs for flydrive. I'm sure I read that they charge a fee for any changes to your car hire.

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That's why I suggest getting a large car with the initial booking.

[toonarmani]

Originally Posted by sunkisser

Thanks Mick
Yeah I’ve always done it diy before, and used Andy several times in the past. Flight only is only £79pp less than the fly drive and it’s payable in full. The fly drive makes it a package so, in these uncertain times, I feel safer with that.
A bigger car is another £79pp so £365. It’s a viable option though thank x

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Rather than a car why not book a cheap hotel (night before travel?) to make it a deposit only package rather than pay in full for flight only?