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As your Personal Travel Expert, I'm here to make planning your next holiday stress-free and easy. Whether you know exactly what you want or need some travel inspiration, I'll use my knowledge and expertise to create a bespoke holiday you’ll love. From the whole package to those finishing touches such as car hire and travel insurance, I've got you covered!
In this monthly video podcast we get to chat about how the travel concierge role works for you, why it is beneficial, and the various options that could be available to you for your holidays, honeymoons, stag/hen breaks, etc.
This is a www.visual-pr.co.uk production
00:01:49:20 - 00:02:17:29
Chris
Welcome back to Doug Tanner, the travel concierge. Episode seven. And this is a travel essentials episode. Because a travel agent that goal is to empower you with knowledge to make your travel and its planning a smooth, stress free, and cost effective as possible. In this episode, we're going to be looking at luggage. We're going to demystify some of the luggage restrictions and some of the things to be aware of.
00:02:18:01 - 00:03:26:12
Chris
We're going to talk about the non-negotiable importance of travel insurance, why booking early can be your secret weapon for the best deal, and smart ways to manage your holiday budget, including spreading the cost. You don't want to miss this episode.
00:03:26:14 - 00:03:31:28
Chris
So welcome back to episode seven of Doug Tanner, the travel concierge. Greeting, sir.
00:03:32:02 - 00:03:33:11
Doug
Chris and Chris, how are you?
00:03:33:12 - 00:03:46:27
Chris
I'm good. Thank you. I'm good. I've. I'm trying to remember. I think this is the first episode since I had another one of your holidays. Wrong. Might be wrong. I might have talked about it last time I forgot, but we went off to Tenerife and it was wonderful. So thank you for.
00:03:46:28 - 00:03:49:10
Doug
No, no, sorry. That's a hell no.
00:03:49:13 - 00:04:14:24
Chris
It was. It was genuinely lovely. Travel essentials. Yeah, I've called this and it's probably a title that could get reused as part two kind of thing because there's a lot of travel essentials, but we've picked up on a few key areas. And then to kick off with the first one, Luggage Demystified. Now we're going to go Ryanair Luggage Demystified, because they're the ones that seem to have the tightest at the moment.
00:04:14:26 - 00:04:17:26
Chris
And so it seems to be a logical one to start on.
00:04:18:00 - 00:04:38:29
Doug
Yeah. So what I want people to be aware of, the luggage rules. And obviously I will try and help, you know, at the time of booking. But I want to make sure that people just are aware and not caught out. There's nothing worse than having all expectation, driving to the airport, getting to the airport in a hurry.
00:04:39:00 - 00:04:43:10
Doug
Okay. Excited. Excited. Oh, and by the way, you got to pay extra for this piece of luggage.
00:04:43:10 - 00:04:44:08
Chris
And I see it a lot.
00:04:44:09 - 00:05:03:20
Doug
Yeah. And, and it's just sad because basically, the, you know, some airlines are saying that if if a bag doesn't fit into a certain size, then you're going to have to check it in is checked luggage, which is an expensive because you're at the airport. Yeah, it's more expensive to check it. And then it would have been if you checked in advance.
00:05:03:22 - 00:05:11:06
Doug
And also what are you going to be careful of? And, and I'm quoting Michael Caine. Not a lot of people noticed, I was bad women.
00:05:11:09 - 00:05:13:29
Chris
It was.
00:05:14:01 - 00:05:28:29
Doug
Is if you've got a bag that can expand. Okay. You think it's currently the right size, but it could by undoing a zip expand to take more. They will class that for at the larger size. Or they could okay. So just be careful I.
00:05:29:06 - 00:05:41:00
Chris
We were chatting about this before, we started this discussion on camera. And I find that staggering, unacceptable. I would say it's.
00:05:41:00 - 00:05:56:20
Doug
Disappointing, but their, their point is that you could take it away. You could buy stuff, stuff it in the in the bag. And it's bigger, you know, it's bigger than when you go on and therefore you can't put it under the seat. So it can't be safe, is what they'll say. So you just just be aware, just, you know, you know, getting measurements.
00:05:56:20 - 00:06:06:12
Chris
That is a backtrack a little bit there and go, do you know what? I hadn't thought about that because yes. Yet you're not checking it in and it's gone. You've got hold of that through the airport. You've got stuff you put.
00:06:06:13 - 00:06:07:28
Doug
Yeah. You go through duty free.
00:06:08:03 - 00:06:13:13
Chris
Yeah. Anyway, even though all the clothes shop. So whatever else, you suddenly start throwing more in there for.
00:06:13:14 - 00:06:14:12
Doug
Watches, you know.
00:06:14:12 - 00:06:27:19
Chris
Yeah. Yeah, that would take up much space, but you know that. Okay, I get that that is a valid point. What we will touch on is that there are stories about staff being, given commission on finding baggage that is.
00:06:27:26 - 00:06:28:24
Doug
Incentivized to.
00:06:28:24 - 00:06:29:18
Chris
Incentivize.
00:06:29:18 - 00:06:40:14
Doug
The incentivized. So. Yeah, but it's where we are, which we like, you know, particular airline is is going with it. So all I'm trying to say to you guys is be aware and just don't get some, don't get caught out.
00:06:40:15 - 00:06:49:12
Chris
And this isn't a witch hunt, is it? This is that we're going with the one that is the the most extreme. Because that should be aware of that across the board. Across the board. Yeah.
00:06:49:14 - 00:06:56:01
Doug
All of the airlines have got their measurements fairly standard, but there are slight variations. But it's a case of, checking.
00:06:56:05 - 00:07:21:13
Chris
Yes. And that free allowance. And again we've made this easy is that we use in the Ryanair example is that the dimensions are 40 by 30 by 20cm. Yeah. Must fit under the seat in front of you. So typically a small backpack. This one is interesting. A handbag. Yeah. Now, I used to always think that my wife could have a handbag and a bag.
00:07:21:15 - 00:07:23:00
Chris
Yeah, it's not the case, is it?
00:07:23:00 - 00:07:42:02
Doug
Not necessarily. No. Turns on big time baggage. But even so, you know, it's got to fit under the seat in front of you. Yeah. So, you know, it's just just. Yeah. Just make yourselves aware. Don't get too loaded down with it, but just make sure somebody has the right size. Yeah I know, yeah. Obviously you can buy extra bags, you know, and it's probably better to do that at the time of booking.
00:07:42:04 - 00:07:56:15
Doug
So yes, because as I said, if once you get to the airport and you book an extra bag and they like, you know, it's an extra charge, it's quite a bit extra because they can preplan if you booked in when you booked holiday, you've got your luggage booked in, you know then what you're paying for and it's not going to get surprised again.
00:07:56:15 - 00:08:14:03
Doug
Yeah, yeah. So but one thing it's interesting is you can possibly pull if you've got a family, you can pull the luggage. So, you know, 20kg each, you've got somebody with a ten kilogram buying, you could have, a bag that's bigger than 20 on its own, but overall. But you can you're going to check with the airline whether that's allowed.
00:08:14:07 - 00:08:19:02
Chris
That's hold luggage. Hold luggage. Yeah. That's checked luggage rather than the cabin.
00:08:19:02 - 00:08:39:03
Doug
Just cabin package. Yeah. So, but even so, I think a single buy can't wait any more than 30kg. But basically ideally that could be a minefield. So I would say if you've got 20kg each just stick to that. I mean that's that covers most situations even 14 days. I think 20kg is a reasonable, allocation of luggage.
00:08:39:06 - 00:08:52:23
Chris
Yeah. Oh, it must be honest. We still managed to get right up there with mine and my wife's not so much my daughters, but, Yeah, it like, go. Now if we manage this ten nodes. I know it's sunny. I don't need much.
00:08:52:28 - 00:08:54:16
Doug
I'm much really overused when you get back.
00:08:54:16 - 00:09:17:09
Chris
There was plenty that we have them. It was really bad. But yeah, just in case. This is just in case. I mean, I do it when, As you know, one of, one of my professions is a professional motorsport commentator. And when I go over and do European, work world streams that we try not to check anything into the whole because we need to be pretty quick.
00:09:17:12 - 00:09:33:11
Chris
Right? And it's like, quite amazing trying to get things into, into a whole, cabin. Yeah. Bag. Yeah. That includes the right clothes. You wash stuff because of course you've got the fluids element and stuff like that. Yeah, but it's just making sure that you're aware that's how you can.
00:09:33:11 - 00:09:50:22
Doug
Then you can buy an extra cabin luggage, you know, so you've got the one under the seat, but you can buy and and yeah, you can buy an extra cabin bag so that but then that fits in here we had locker and you buy that because they've only got a limited number. So so you can you know you can actually but but you do have to pay extra.
00:09:50:22 - 00:09:59:08
Doug
But it is a checked cabin bag as it were. So that you and it's slightly bigger so that it can fit in the overhead hold. Okay. I've had luggage so you can get stuff in there.
00:09:59:08 - 00:10:05:07
Chris
Do you know what we noticed? Tenerife. Very little was in the bins above us.
00:10:05:13 - 00:10:06:09
Doug
Right. Well, there you.
00:10:06:12 - 00:10:18:12
Chris
The whole plane? Yeah. We kind of went, wow, I wasn't having things change. There was virtually nothing up there. I mean, plenty, I'm sure, under the seats, but, there that you always remember when it used to be struggling to get space.
00:10:18:12 - 00:10:22:15
Doug
And then when the plane lands, everyone stands up and drops you on your head. And.
00:10:22:16 - 00:10:24:03
Chris
Yeah, there is that exactly.
00:10:24:04 - 00:10:26:12
Doug
Like, put it out. Well, you're still standing in a queue for ten minutes.
00:10:26:12 - 00:10:39:02
Chris
I saw an interesting point that is relevant to this that I found quite funny is that it's all very well. They're going, you know, managing all this luggage, you know, that's got go here, that's got to go there. They have no idea what weight we are.
00:10:39:04 - 00:10:40:17
Doug
No, no.
00:10:40:17 - 00:10:47:02
Chris
And I'm sadly not a Slim Jim. So it's like, hang on a minute, I'm taken up that.
00:10:47:09 - 00:11:00:07
Doug
Well my, my, like well I fringes take this back completely issue completely off topic. She went to she flew to one of the Channel Islands. Okay. One of the small ones. And they were weighed when you got on the plane. But there's only three in the plane.
00:11:00:14 - 00:11:01:20
Chris
All right?
00:11:01:23 - 00:11:03:04
Doug
And just make sure we're sure.
00:11:03:09 - 00:11:20:06
Chris
What this was. I mean, the the joke was it was a it was a naughty joke, but it was like going, hang on a minute. That person that was there was large. Why aren't they pay an extra, cabin fees? Yeah. I mean, of course it's stupid, but what I'm trying to do is make a slight mockery of the way that they're doing.
00:11:20:10 - 00:11:23:21
Chris
Yeah, this baggage management is like going. No, it really isn't.
00:11:23:21 - 00:11:30:02
Doug
Because you get people who are, you know, oh, various. Yes. Well, I mean, even just.
00:11:30:02 - 00:11:48:09
Chris
Take the three of us is, you know, my wife's considerably less weight on that plane than I am, sadly, because of, you know, enjoying me food and. Yeah. Yeah, but they don't take that into consideration. I guess they're kind of going across the aisle anyway, it was by the by that makes this kind of going. We don't have to agree with it.
00:11:48:09 - 00:11:50:02
Chris
No, but it is what it is. But it is.
00:11:50:02 - 00:11:56:01
Doug
What it is. And it's just a shame to get to the airport and be surprised and think, because they are, you know, not just for time.
00:11:56:03 - 00:12:03:28
Chris
They'll say they don't charge a premium is that you actually get a discount by booking it in advance. It's like, well, whichever way you want to take it. Yeah. The point being is book it in advance.
00:12:03:28 - 00:12:05:17
Doug
Booking, booking.
00:12:05:22 - 00:12:15:24
Chris
And so we've be touching on, checked baggage, typically 10 to 20kg. Check the do you have to check dimensions on those?
00:12:15:27 - 00:12:22:11
Doug
Sometimes. Yeah, sometimes. But not often not. It's just the weight. But you can imagine it's you know, it could be quite a large.
00:12:22:16 - 00:12:37:09
Chris
I suppose you do have the because you've got that particular position. That's for the, what do they call it, extra oversize. Oversize. That's that's typically if you've got your golf bag your, your skis or. Yeah, things like that. But I suppose they could go hang on a minute. So but.
00:12:37:11 - 00:12:40:19
Doug
Again it's worth checking with the airline because some do some don't. So we're not that bothered.
00:12:40:26 - 00:12:54:00
Chris
The suitcase companies are pretty sensible on this, though, aren't they? They're very clever on it. You mentioned pulling as well. You've got a point here in the in the notes priority and two cabin bags option.
00:12:54:02 - 00:13:00:10
Doug
Yeah. So that's the two cabin banks I was mentioning. You can have the one and one underneath and the, the one in the overhead.
00:13:00:12 - 00:13:05:03
Chris
So, that gives, as a priority as well. Yeah. Priority. So that's a bundle.
00:13:05:06 - 00:13:22:03
Doug
Okay. One of the, one of the, airlines has a bundle where you buy the extra cabin back, you go in, and that actually gets you speedy boarding as well. So there's just it's just a case of just that, you know, I can happy to guide people through it. And we can actually work out what's the best option for where they're going and what they're doing sort of thing.
00:13:22:06 - 00:13:29:10
Doug
So but yeah, it's something just to think about. It's not just grab a bank and get on. It's a little bit niche, a little bit more, sort to it.
00:13:29:10 - 00:13:34:08
Chris
Yeah. Cool. Love it. Thank you for that one. Next one, travel insurance.
00:13:34:10 - 00:13:35:18
Doug
It's not boring.
00:13:35:21 - 00:14:07:08
Chris
They but it's great. I mean I know insurance is always one of those ones that we we hope we don't have to use it but don't not have it. Yeah. I, I had an interesting one. I've actually got travel insurance through my bank, and I know that's a horrible phrase that because you got to be careful on those and I am aware of what it is, but including to the point we did a cruise wasn't going to cover that now, and we had to take out, a special cruise insurance.
00:14:07:08 - 00:14:09:17
Chris
Yes. I think it's the multiple countries.
00:14:09:17 - 00:14:16:29
Doug
Is that the there's various ones. There's multiple countries without cruise, multiple countries with cruise, multiple countries, including USA.
00:14:17:04 - 00:14:29:27
Chris
Because I remember the one that could because it could include that you have to be, medevac to helicopter off the cruise. Yeah, yeah. And they go and. Well, hang on, that's something that someone in a hotel wouldn't need. That's right. So yeah, I get that. Yeah.
00:14:29:27 - 00:14:54:18
Doug
So again, it's not something you don't need to, but I would make the point of have some sort of insurance in place at the time of booking. Yeah. Because you don't know what's going to happen any time down the road, you know, and it's just life happens and therefore don't, don't wait until you go on holiday to get it, have it in place when you book because, you know, you might have to cancel for whatever reason that you we could come up with.
00:14:54:21 - 00:14:58:03
Doug
There's hundreds, and if you have to cancel, it's just a bullet.
00:14:58:04 - 00:15:15:18
Chris
Yes. Because I mean, I was there thinking surely I wouldn't want it to start until I go, but no, it could can't be canceled or need to be canceled. Yeah, from the point when I book it. So actually, you would take it out. Do you take it out for that holiday, or is it okay if I took it out today?
00:15:15:24 - 00:15:16:28
Chris
It's 12 months.
00:15:17:00 - 00:15:46:26
Doug
It's a problem. Well, there are single trip policies. Yeah. So that's one option. But often it's not that much more expensive, in some cases less to have an annual 365 day policy, to cover all the trips. And, you know, and again, you've got to tailor it a little bit again, a bit, to what you want. So if you're going on an adventure cruise or adventure holiday, you know, activities and things like that, you need to specify what those activities are because there's literally different, different levels of insurance that cover ski package that of course.
00:15:46:26 - 00:15:53:27
Doug
Yeah, that will be a different one. Okay. Yeah. You know, rock climbing, or, you know, mountain biking, all that sort of stuff needs to be.
00:15:53:27 - 00:16:10:10
Chris
And I hear stories and I've always been unsure on this one. And so I've always steered clear it whenever you go on whatever holiday, even Tenerife that we just went on, we could have hired quad bikes. Yeah. And I've heard horror stories that it doesn't include it in that travel insurance.
00:16:10:10 - 00:16:27:12
Doug
Now, if you go and do it, that's an adventure. And therefore you should have pre-planned that. You might do it. And book it into your insurance. Because if you're then having an accident on a quad bike, it could be deemed that you weren't covered. So it's that it's ideally, you know, get your holiday planned out in advance.
00:16:27:12 - 00:16:34:24
Doug
Look at the options before you go, which is again where I'd help with what excursions you're going to do. You're going to sit on the hotel beach all day. Well, do.
00:16:34:24 - 00:16:36:21
Chris
You want to fly float? Yeah.
00:16:36:24 - 00:16:53:29
Doug
So yeah, which is lovely. A lot of people just love the idea. Totally get it. But actually a lot of people want something to do. And again, if you're going to snorkeling, you know, all that sort of thing, you just need to get that covered on insurance, which is where I'll come back to what you said about the bank insurance.
00:16:54:01 - 00:17:00:13
Doug
What does that cover that will cover you? I don't know what it covers, but, you know, just be careful that you've got enough cover.
00:17:00:17 - 00:17:01:00
Chris
Really?
00:17:01:02 - 00:17:20:01
Doug
Because it's just a pain. But it's more than a pain in the neck. It's a pain wherever you hit. Yeah, sorry, but, you know, it's a pain if you have an accident, heart health condition, whatever that limits your holiday. And you haven't got the right cover. Oh, just imagine what it's like, you know? So. And it shouldn't be if you preplan again.
00:17:20:03 - 00:17:30:27
Doug
It's that pre-planning stage. You preplan get it all, booked in. And yes, I might be doing it. I could do a quad bike experience, that sort of thing. And then they've got, you've got the cover for it.
00:17:30:29 - 00:17:46:01
Chris
For, and I don't know if you even know the answer to this. And I'm just sort of thinking around it. I go on, I haven't taken that that element out. And I get on holiday and there's this wonderful deal and it looks great fun to go quad biking. Should I steer clear of it because I haven't heard of it?
00:17:46:01 - 00:17:49:10
Chris
Or could I potentially add that there.
00:17:49:13 - 00:17:50:29
Doug
A question I don't know. And again, I.
00:17:51:05 - 00:18:03:02
Chris
I couldn't find it. And I did think it's probably thrown you under the bus on that one. But you know therefore you probably if there's even a tiny chance it's just get it included in those kind of things and yeah.
00:18:03:04 - 00:18:11:14
Doug
Yeah. But again, it adds the cost and you just think, oh, I won't do it, that sort of thing. Yeah. So yeah. I, yeah.
00:18:11:16 - 00:18:20:00
Chris
I to be honest, over in Tenerife I had a curry that probably shouldn't have been covered on the insurance premiums. Gee, that's great because it was hot.
00:18:20:02 - 00:18:21:14
Doug
I don't know if I do food insurance.
00:18:21:19 - 00:18:25:13
Chris
No, but it. Well, should. This one was proper spicy. Really?
00:18:25:14 - 00:18:26:28
Doug
Probably need battery. I think it.
00:18:26:28 - 00:18:46:18
Chris
Was. It was, it was wonderful. But yeah, it was, it was and I we have spoke we have had a show since I'll be back because I remember saying that I loved how instead of doing an all inclusive flying flop that we historically have done, we we did a bed and breakfast and went and did lots and I was exhausted at the end of it as well, but in a wonderful, fulfilled way.
00:18:46:18 - 00:19:12:18
Chris
So it was I do remember that we did do that. Okay. So the insurance, we know full well that where they're going. Well, what if I, I kind of wrongly pigeonhole it in if I need medical assistance. And it's like, no, it could be lost baggage or lost things. Yeah. It could be lost days or time. Yeah. It could be cancer actually cancellation of some of your excursions and things.
00:19:12:18 - 00:19:28:04
Chris
Yeah. It will cover that as well. Yeah. I mean you'd like to think you'd get a refund, but not everybody's quite so honorable. But this make sure. But my interesting point is that I keep forgetting is that. Yes, take it out from the point when you book it. Yeah. Because anything can happen between now and when you go.
00:19:28:08 - 00:19:31:17
Doug
That's right. Yeah. And you're covered then including.
00:19:31:19 - 00:19:35:12
Chris
And that suddenly someone's unwell or, or worse or whatever.
00:19:35:12 - 00:19:54:11
Doug
And some family issues, that sort of thing. Yeah. Family is certainly. And the other thing to do obviously with the insurance is when you take it out, declare any medical conditions. So that you've got the right cover, because the last thing you want to do is go, yeah, but you didn't tell us about that. And it's like any insurance if you if you don't declare it could be invalid.
00:19:54:11 - 00:19:56:14
Doug
And that's just completely pointless.
00:19:56:14 - 00:20:15:15
Chris
I always say with all insurance is that they will be looking for a way not to have to pay out. Yeah. You know, I'm sure that's a bit more ruthless than the truth. Maybe. But it's like, I just think of it that way, and then it makes sure, you know, that you are always declaring all of the things, so you're not given an excuse to not.
00:20:15:15 - 00:20:23:05
Doug
Yeah. I mean, I think most companies would want to help you, but if you don't declare something, they'll say, well, hang on a minute. If we'd known about that, we've covered it sort of thing.
00:20:23:05 - 00:20:24:07
Chris
So, Zactly.
00:20:24:09 - 00:20:34:00
Doug
Yeah, but yeah, it's, it's know it is. It's just a vital part of that, of that travel journey. You know, the whole thing exactly is having it in place.
00:20:34:02 - 00:20:50:13
Chris
I touched on my eyes being opened. They've take it out from the minute you book it, because that is important. So that. Let's go with the booking early principle here is it's one of your biggest pieces of advice with holidays. Is booking early? Yeah.
00:20:50:15 - 00:21:13:15
Doug
Why if you the earlier you book, the more chance there is. And it's not always guaranteed, the more chance there is. You'll get, say, on a cruise, you'll get the cabin you want. You can actually get in a cabin that will not the cabinets left. I just recently looked at a cruise for a company going on, a couple going out quite soon, and there's five cabins left on the deck, so they wasn't sure I should say hundreds and hundreds of them.
00:21:13:22 - 00:21:44:24
Doug
So they've only got a small selection. So booking early, get what you get what you want. Also flights as flights fill up. It's called dynamic pricing. So as the plane fills up, the prices will increase. So the nearer, nearer the date you get to, the more you're going to pay for the same thing. Getting it all packaged up ready is, you know, you've got it in place, you've got where you want at the date you want as well, because sometimes you can hit hotels or cruises, fill up those particular ones might not be.
00:21:44:26 - 00:21:45:03
Doug
And you.
00:21:45:03 - 00:21:47:11
Chris
Mentioned flights. There's the times that you want as well.
00:21:47:12 - 00:21:48:00
Doug
Times you want.
00:21:48:02 - 00:21:49:18
Chris
Your ultimate flight time. Yeah.
00:21:49:18 - 00:22:02:19
Doug
If you're going out even for, you know, like I've done some three day breaks, you want to go early in the morning, come back late at night when you feel like leave it to the last minute. They may not they may not be available. Yeah. And again you're going to pay a pretty possibly pay a premium for the fact you're booking.
00:22:02:19 - 00:22:20:03
Doug
So late at night in the day. 3 or 4 day ones. You know, a probably not as badly hit as in on the holidays, but, it's. Yeah, it's just a case of getting it booked and then you've got something to look forward to as well. Just having that in the bank, I'm going to ex on, you know in all.
00:22:20:03 - 00:22:35:17
Chris
We get assessed with that we'll like always be looking at the website and looking at photos, going onto YouTube and finding videos from people that went to these places. And. Yeah, and it just you've got longer to get obsessed into that as a family. You know, the three of us will do that. Yeah.
00:22:35:20 - 00:23:00:08
Doug
Absolutely. So booking early as many advantages. The other one, of course, is you can really but you can put it onto our direct debit scheme to pay for it, where you pay the deposit, whatever that is. And you literally spread it over the time. Now, if you don't take the direct debit in many cases where you have to have the final balance 16 weeks before travel, okay, so that's four months and then yeah, so four months for travel.
00:23:00:11 - 00:23:06:25
Doug
If you put it on direct debit, the balance is generally due as late as six weeks before you travel. Wow okay.
00:23:06:29 - 00:23:09:00
Chris
Because your guaranteed is set up there to be yeah.
00:23:09:02 - 00:23:24:28
Doug
Shut up and you be done. And the direct debit is no there's no charges whatsoever. There's no interest to pay. It's purely the actual value. It's a holiday. So you don't pay any more and you've just got that steady payments of a monthly payment going out under it. But you don't have to worry about it. And you say it might not.
00:23:24:28 - 00:23:31:06
Doug
Actually, the final point of balance might not be due until six weeks prior to travel. So it just.
00:23:31:11 - 00:23:52:04
Chris
It's quite a switching discipline on find it on this because I know you and I have had this discussion and we're like, that's what we're going to do. We're going to start doing that where is invariably is you know, we've just been on holiday now we'll think about it and then we won't do anything until, if we're lucky, January, we'll get through Christmas and New Year and feel a bit harrumph.
00:23:52:06 - 00:24:21:21
Chris
Yeah. And go, let's make ourselves happy by having something to look forward to. Will just about get away with a deposit with then a big balance to pay every, say, 3 or 4 months beforehand. Yeah. Whereas if we can get disciplined, we've got longer to be excited. We've got more choice. I mean, everything that you're saying about the choice of rooms, the choice of locations, the choice of view from your balcony or whatever it might be, the flights, the seats on those flights.
00:24:21:21 - 00:24:28:27
Chris
Yeah, etc.. Yeah. I was like, yeah, I'm just so used to sort of getting what, what was left.
00:24:29:00 - 00:24:39:24
Doug
Example of customer. She's lovely lady. Her and her husband go on holiday, regularly booked through me and we booked next year. And the type of room they want. There were only three left for next July.
00:24:39:24 - 00:24:40:29
Chris
Wow. Really?
00:24:40:29 - 00:25:09:09
Doug
In that hotel, the type of literally. They wanted a specific type of thing with a whirlpool on the terrace, as you do. And yeah, there were literally only three left even now. So we managed to book one of those. So it is, you know, you mentioned the disappointing of cruise. I mean, I wish I'd booked. Yeah, but you know, but if you can get it in the bank now, it just as I say, it just spreads the load for monthly outgoings and it keeps excitement up.
00:25:09:11 - 00:25:10:18
Doug
You got something to,
00:25:10:20 - 00:25:33:26
Chris
And I think your direct debit thing is so much better because everything is promoting, you know, all. No deposit now and you go. Great. So I'm only paying £25 now or whatever it might be. And then. But you still left with the big. Yeah, the full bill later, whereas this suddenly goes great. We always say I will be disciplined, I will put this amount into a savings account and we don't know.
00:25:34:01 - 00:25:56:05
Chris
Or if we do, we then start taking it because a car bill comes up or whatever it might be, where you go that is going out, that direct debit is going out. Yeah. You then don't think about it. Is there a a real change here? Because it's not that long ago that we were very much of the mentality of the last minute.com.
00:25:56:07 - 00:26:02:07
Chris
It was, you know, I mean we can go back a long way back when you do you remember Teletext Holidays and stuff like that.
00:26:02:07 - 00:26:03:04
Doug
Fairly fairly.
00:26:03:04 - 00:26:04:02
Chris
Obvious.
00:26:04:05 - 00:26:04:26
Chris
00:26:04:28 - 00:26:21:12
Chris
But you know, Teletext Holidays was very much about, you know, you suddenly go, right, let's go away. It used to be that we're going, right. We know, we know where we're going to go, but we'll put what we're going to do really, really late and you'd get a big discount. And understandably, the travel companies are gone. This is not a sustainable business model.
00:26:21:17 - 00:26:39:26
Chris
Yeah, because they don't know what the heck. No company to like. So they've now switched it the other way. So there's benefits to them. But they've then incentivized us to do it that way. And I'm right now of the of them all the goes. Yeah it's you know what I would love to be really excited about something next year.
00:26:39:28 - 00:26:47:19
Doug
Can I just put a twist on that where people say, no, I'd rather pay on my credit card because I've got protection.
00:26:47:21 - 00:26:57:26
Chris
Okay. Yes. Okay. So I will turn around and say that's going to cost me more because of the interest. Yeah. But I would also go I get that point about the cover. I think I need to do it because of the protection.
00:26:57:27 - 00:27:20:24
Doug
Not just trouble being part of the age group. Yeah, okay. I think it's been quoted be something like in the, in the 10 to 15 years that not just travel have been trading, they've only ever had one chargeback claim on a credit card that wasn't actually upheld. Sorry, only I wasn't charged by charging full stop and that wasn't upheld.
00:27:20:24 - 00:27:48:22
Doug
So there's protection anyway. There's lots of protection with arbitration at all. And with a company like us who, I feel very ethical and we, you know, we've got a brilliant we've got five star Trustpilot reviews. And, you know, that's why I feel I'm comfortable with part of it is because we basically don't get any issues with what we do, and we sort people out, you know, we will go out of our way to sort people out.
00:27:48:22 - 00:28:10:21
Doug
So the argument of having this protection from credit card payment, yes. You pay interest on your credit card payments, obviously, as you do, which can be massive, but also this protection thing, I, I wouldn't want people to get too worried about it. The threat scheme is good. He's he's you know, we're part of age group, not just travel is a very ethical company.
00:28:10:23 - 00:28:28:02
Doug
Yeah. And we don't mess people about. We wouldn't be where we are. One of the biggest up and coming, you know, franchises in the country, best franchise and all this sort of stuff. But we think we're very good at what we do, and we would like to be there for people. You know, I wouldn't personally, I don't want people to be out of pocket.
00:28:28:05 - 00:28:37:26
Doug
So, you know, I'm not going to mess people by doing that. So it's just a bit of on a bit of a serious note, there is that element, but I wouldn't get too tied up with using credit card.
00:28:37:26 - 00:28:59:06
Chris
Yeah, not less protected. That's the whole point, is. No. Another quick point I remember before I forget again, we're we're talking about booking early is there's there's another interesting point that was made in in the list was if you're in early your booking your work leave early. So that's probably got more choice. Yes.
00:28:59:09 - 00:29:15:25
Doug
Yeah. That's right I've had it. Yes I had a couple of people say, oh. I couldn't get the time off in the end because I couldn't get time off work. So. Yeah, absolutely. If you want to, you know, get in early before, your work mates do let people. Yeah. Well, are we being selfish? No, no, we're being self self aware, you know, just to get in.
00:29:16:02 - 00:29:16:12
Doug
Out. Yeah.
00:29:16:12 - 00:29:27:19
Chris
I don't think that selfish at all. You'll get in that peak of it and and you might not know exactly where that wants to be. So you booked a holiday first. Nice and early. Now getting them booked to leave because you know that it's going to be fine. Yeah.
00:29:27:21 - 00:29:36:07
Doug
Yeah. And you can probably find in your employer when you're when you're eligible for leave and all that sort of stuff. So yeah, it's you can but yeah, it's good.
00:29:36:10 - 00:30:01:05
Chris
I do love it. So, we actually ended up addressing the two points together that the spread in the cost, yeah. As well as the booking early. It's nice that we get, the direct debit, paying by installments, all of those kind of things that, you know, to recap this episode with travel essentials. And this is why I say, to be honest, those travel essentials we haven't even touched on.
00:30:01:05 - 00:30:11:20
Chris
Yeah, we're not going to in this episode. But the point being is, be prepared in terms of your your luggage, your allowances.
00:30:11:22 - 00:30:12:09
Doug
Sizes.
00:30:12:09 - 00:30:35:02
Chris
Sizes, weights, that sort of thing, but some interesting packages that you might be able to top up on. Yeah. If appropriate. And make sure you get that to your airline as well. Don't generalize that. There are nuances for each of the individual airlines. Yeah. So be aware of those. And can you help with that and say, hey guys this is the situation.
00:30:35:03 - 00:30:47:08
Chris
Yeah. You make sure that we're furnished with all of the information. Don't skip on travel insurance is not worth the risk. Now I got to be honest to say it's not terrifically expensive. I've found either.
00:30:47:13 - 00:30:59:28
Doug
No or not for an annual policy that covers everything, you know, and you've got. Yeah, you've got all those options in there again. But just put in the fact that you might be doing snowboarding or something, you know. Yes. No or whatever. And just.
00:31:00:03 - 00:31:01:15
Chris
I didn't do that in Tenerife.
00:31:01:16 - 00:31:02:01
Doug
Definitely.
00:31:02:07 - 00:31:06:10
Chris
Right. Yeah. I.
00:31:06:12 - 00:31:23:16
Chris
But, where are we talking about booking early is get that insurance in early as well. Yeah. Because anything could happen from the point you booked it and just get yourself covered. But the holiday nice and early so that you've got more choice. You've got better pricing options. Almost definitely.
00:31:23:21 - 00:31:28:21
Doug
And it's just going to reiterate 60% of what we sell. You couldn't find online anyway.
00:31:28:25 - 00:31:29:06
Chris
Yes.
00:31:29:13 - 00:31:50:02
Doug
So and I get in with a booking early. I've got more options to find you something special as well, you know. So, yeah, just on a lovely booking, for a family going away now, off to Thailand. We're getting in. Booking. Booking early. Although, interestingly, we're booking it quite early, but even the place I want to go to Elephant Hills in Thailand, that's fully booked.
00:31:50:09 - 00:31:50:22
Chris
Wow.
00:31:50:25 - 00:32:07:16
Doug
So we've got to find them. Another elephant experience. In Thailand. So again, they weren't quite early enough, you know, so there is, massively an element of getting there. You, get in early. You've got the, you know, these holidays. What if people have 1 or 2 a year? And it's got to be special, you know?
00:32:07:16 - 00:32:10:12
Doug
So you want to make it, you want to get in early and get it. You get what you want.
00:32:10:12 - 00:32:15:21
Chris
Agreed. I was desperate trying to come up with some kind of elephant joke, but I. I've run out of time. It's not.
00:32:15:21 - 00:32:16:06
Doug
The elephant in the.
00:32:16:06 - 00:32:25:19
Chris
Room. And not all of them were safe anyway, so it's fine. It's fine. It's not a problem. And take advantage when you're booking early on the flexible, payment.
00:32:25:26 - 00:32:26:06
Doug
Absolutely.
00:32:26:09 - 00:32:31:01
Chris
Options that are available to you. Yeah. And suddenly it doesn't become that big.
00:32:31:04 - 00:32:31:18
Doug
A lump.
00:32:31:18 - 00:32:32:08
Chris
Sum that much.
00:32:32:10 - 00:32:46:23
Doug
That looks a lot of money. Yeah, it is a lot of money and it is a lot of money. But if you can spread it, it just takes the pressure on it. I remember booking a couple of years ago, my partner and I went to Iceland. I think we booked it like 18 months in advance. We ended up paying something like £50 a month each.
00:32:46:25 - 00:32:48:14
Doug
Yeah.
00:32:48:17 - 00:32:50:12
Chris
You can then in almost forget that's going out.
00:32:50:14 - 00:32:51:19
Doug
Yeah, yeah. So no.
00:32:51:22 - 00:33:14:14
Chris
Right. So that's brilliant. On the travel essentials. The final pay that we always do for this. Yes. Is a sample package. So this one excites me a lot. If I just changed the the picture on there, route 66. I mean, I got to be honest to say this is one that now is for kids and adults because it's cars movie.
00:33:14:14 - 00:33:34:10
Chris
The the animated movie. Yeah. Of course, that's very much on route 66. Yeah. As adults we got it. Whether it's the places that you get to go to along the way, whether it's the road and the drive itself. Yeah, this sounds amazing. And it's something that always to me felt too far out of reach. But you guys have got a package.
00:33:34:11 - 00:33:44:24
Doug
Yes we have. Yes, yes. So we're talking, 100 years apparently, of route 66. In 2006 or 26. So, self-drive. You've got it has.
00:33:44:24 - 00:33:45:20
Chris
To be a self-drive.
00:33:45:21 - 00:33:59:25
Doug
Yeah. Well that's right. Brilliant. So, 14 nights, you go to Chicago, I will, I won't read them all that, but you've got 14 places to go to and, you know, including Amarillo, who hasn't been to who wants to go to, how far is it from earlier?
00:33:59:28 - 00:34:01:08
Chris
And yeah, it doesn't cost a song.
00:34:01:14 - 00:34:03:06
Chris
Hey, hey.
00:34:03:09 - 00:34:24:29
Doug
Albuquerque and Grand Canyon National Park. So basically you get, I think, a fully inclusive car hire, with Alamo, including, I think I'll get the kind of check in, two adult sharing. And you've got direct flights as well from Heathrow, with United Airlines and things like that. So this one, it's price transit is, as it'll show on the screen, finally for departure in March.
00:34:25:01 - 00:34:36:11
Doug
But obviously that, you know, we can do that at any time. So, you know, it's we can get it. But this is just a sample. Yeah. And, you know, if it's something that triggered your imagination, then, you know, get in touch.
00:34:36:11 - 00:34:55:01
Chris
And I have to emphasize the key thing to this one is that not just that it's just a seriously cool sounding, package here, but this is pieced together 14 nights in different hotels, different locations. And it's from my perspective as a customer, it's like going, it's all done.
00:34:55:05 - 00:35:18:05
Doug
Yeah. It's right. Yeah. It's all pre-booked and you're done. You're not gonna have to go online. Think, where will I be at that point? Where like how will I do and how I get there? They got it all sorted out and, you know, it's. Yeah, it's a it's a brilliant deal. And yeah, I mean, you know, and other dates, you know, these things may fill up, but obviously the other dates will be available and I'll be okay with cars going through it on the 3rd of March.
00:35:18:08 - 00:35:20:07
Doug
So. Yeah. Yeah. Of course, I mean.
00:35:20:07 - 00:35:37:10
Chris
I do love it that you're saying, the Grand Canyon. Incredible. Vegas, LA. Yeah. You know, some incredible things. Yeah. You know, even for me is that I'd be, like, going, okay, can I get it to coincide with, with an ice hockey match over there? Right over there in one of those places?
00:35:37:10 - 00:35:37:27
Doug
Well, probably.
00:35:37:29 - 00:35:38:23
Chris
Yeah, exactly.
00:35:38:26 - 00:35:41:01
Doug
Yeah, but there's some things.
00:35:41:02 - 00:35:52:14
Chris
But Chicago, Saint Louis, Springfield, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, windy city, Amarillo, Albuquerque, Santa Fe. I mean, you just listen to those names and it'll just conjure.
00:35:52:14 - 00:35:54:09
Doug
Up you've you've heard them. Yeah.
00:35:54:10 - 00:36:07:08
Chris
That's right. Yeah, yeah, I do love that. When you said that. So I was like, yeah, mother. Amazing. Well, the daughter will the daughter love it, but probably not. It's one for me and the wife to go and do, I think more than anything.
00:36:07:08 - 00:36:10:22
Doug
Oh, yeah. Well, you know, it's, they take the two children on as well, you know?
00:36:10:28 - 00:36:30:09
Chris
And I should just go stir crazy in a car, I think. Yeah. Although possibly not because of the cars movie and things like that. And there's plenty to see. Absolutely amazing. So get in touch. If I go back to, to to the website now, Doug Tanner dot not just travel.com.
00:36:30:09 - 00:36:31:09
Doug
Absolutely.
00:36:31:11 - 00:36:33:00
Chris
Or email to.
00:36:33:07 - 00:36:34:03
Doug
Doug dot Tanner.
00:36:34:04 - 00:36:35:24
Chris
Doug dot tanner.
00:36:35:24 - 00:36:36:06
Doug
And not.
00:36:36:14 - 00:36:44:24
Chris
Just travel.com. Yeah. And I'm sure up here on the screen me the various points. So, drop you a line and just.
00:36:44:26 - 00:36:45:04
Doug
Just.
00:36:45:07 - 00:36:46:01
Chris
Ask the questions.
00:36:46:01 - 00:36:48:15
Doug
Just inquire. Yeah, yeah, it's it's just a question.
00:36:48:15 - 00:37:09:02
Chris
I have to give an example of where our mindset is now that we started working with you, is that my wife suddenly went, oh, our daughter's got these two teacher training days. So it means that she's not in school, but it's not school holidays time. And we go, why don't we go over to our example? Our initial thought was was Euro Disney or whatever they call it now.
00:37:09:04 - 00:37:27:14
Chris
And, and we just went, oh, let's just throw that at Doug and he can find out what he can get for us. Travel hotels, and the park and then just come back and I know I can do it online, but I started it. And when there's too many options. Yeah. And I've not been there, so I don't quite know the lay of the land.
00:37:27:14 - 00:37:42:09
Doug
And there's, there's the different hotels. They've got hotels with pools, hotels without pools. You know, it's raining on Tommy. Yeah. You might not want a pool. So you don't want to pay for the pool if you're going to go with the capital and that sort of thing. So we don't really do the whole package. Boom. Eurostar from some Pancras to go.
00:37:42:16 - 00:37:47:29
Chris
Yeah, I love doing that. Yeah, yeah, I've done that once. We went to Amsterdam and it's so cool catching Eurostar from there.
00:37:48:06 - 00:37:59:17
Doug
So all possible. But yeah, just you know I'm here for inspiration. Really. It's just a case of yeah, let's get you inspired. Let's get you excited about a holiday, give us a chat, give us a call, and we can just chat through your options.
00:37:59:23 - 00:38:20:06
Chris
Love it. Thank you very much, Doug. Thank you. So great that, thank you to everybody who's watch. Get in touch to ask any questions. Inquire to start investigating the possibilities and get it done early. Get yourself insured and get yourself on a direct debit. And it'll be well worth it. Thank you for joining us for Doug Tanner, the travel concierge.
00:38:20:12 - 00:38:23:17
Chris
That was episode seven. See you next time. Cheers.
00:38:23:20 - 00:38:23:29
Doug
Night.