View Full Version : Tesco/Doritos/American Airline Offer
floridadreamvilla.co.uk
15-08-2002, 00:35
Just got a leaflet at Tesco - if you buy 16 packets of Doritos (or Walkers Sensations or Dorito Dips) and send them of with the receipt, you can get a flight to Orlando for £351(plus tax per person) and you get another flight free.
Now maths is not my best subject, probably my worst, but I have calculated that we could save £258 for all of us (2 adults two children) Has anyone seen the offer and if so what do you think?
If we we a 4 adult household, I reckon we could saave £493.
Just my sums they could be wrong.
Sarah
John & Sarah Rooke
www.floridadreamvilla.co.uk
www.orlandovillas.com
www.vacation-rental-villas.com
www.park-tickets.com
www.orlando-guide.info
There has been a thread on this, Sarah, on the villa owners section under the title Doritos ( started by Marion I think). We decided that the drawback was that you needed to book through Travelbag and buy insurance when most people nowadays either have annual policies or get it on their credit card so dont actually need it. Still probably a good deal though although I have to say that American Airlines is probably my least favourite route as you have to go all the way to Chicago to gateway, which makes it a long flight.
Julie Carty
Edited by - esprit on 14/08/2002 22:40:47
Didn't I read somewhere they couldn't do that, so you could book without insurance providing you could prove you had alternative one?
Fiona
caroline
15-08-2002, 02:58
I think they state you have to HAVE travel insurance - not have to buy it from them - I seem to remember reading it on TF.
Caroline
If you read the t & c, it is worded really ambiguously. It could read either way on this point. I cannot however see why would insist that you book it through Travelbag for no reason or what there would be in it for them. It will be interesting to see if anyone books it and gets away without buying Travelbag's insurance. The "no insurance" thing does not seem to work in practice. For instance, the car is supposed to be free but if you book a flight only on Travel City ( ie. you are not buying their CDW because you are not getting a car), the flight price is about £30 per person dearer than otherwise. I booked three people out last Xmas on a fly drive but son could not join us until a couple of days later. His flight out was more expensive because it was flight only. Didnt make an awful lot of sense that flight only is dearer than fly drive!!!
Julie Carty
tinkerbell
15-08-2002, 19:06
I too have this leaflet in hand, and eating as many Walkers Sensations as I can! They're really good, so not too much of a problem!!!
I'm not 100% certain on my facts here, I'm looking into it, but as long as you provide the details of your travel insurance policy to Travelbag, you are not under any obligation to buy their insurance.
Like I say I'm looking into it, but, even if you DID have to buy their insurance, it would still work out cheaper than buying an ordinary flight! And, I for one would be perfectly willing to travel via Chicago for the sake of saving money!!!! Even more to spend in Belz!!!
Tink
According to a new thread on t-f today, American Airlines is about to become the second airline this week to file for Chapter 11. No wonder if they are giving flights away free with crisps!!
Julie Carty
Following on from this topic - Has anyone actually tried to take up this offer yet?
If so let me know before I start munching my way thru hundreds of bags of crisps!!!!!<img src=icon_smile_shock.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_blush.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>
caribcelt
20-09-2002, 23:27
Yes, this topic does interest me as my parents have just booked two seats to Miami with this offer. They have not been satisified at all and I think it has ruined their holiday even before it has started.
They did not actually save that much money in the end because they are flying from Belfast to Miami. So they had to pay for British Midland flights from Belfast to London and then you have to pay for airport taxes for two people, not just one.
They have annual insurance, so they did not have to purchase the insurance and they did not get any grief here by TravelBag. They did however have to pay 5.00 pounds each for TravelBag booking insurance.
They booked their flights, gave over their credit card for the deposit and thought everthing was in order. Then within two days, TravelBag called them to say that their American Airlines flight to Miami was cancelled. The travel rep said that there was nothing he or AA could do, and that they would either have to pay up to 70 pounds to change their tickets on BM to get to London for an earlier flight or they would have to fly to Chicago and not reach Miami until 11.20 at night. I did not want my parents to fly indirectly to Miami when there was a direct flight. I called TravelBag and they blamed AA, I then called AA and they were very sorry to hear of the position my parents were in. AA did point out however that TravelBag had not actually ticketed my parents on that original flight so therefore my parents booking did not exist. They also said that if the tickets had been issued, then they would certainly compensate my parents for the expenses involved in changing their Belfast flight. I phoned TravelBag and told them that it was up to them to sort it out, they said that they do not issue the tickets until 40 days before the flight date, this is obviously to cover themselves and not the customer.
In order for my parents not to incurr any further costs, they have decided to go via their only option which is through Chicago.
Please also note that you do not get airmiles when using the vouchers, not even the paying seat is entitled to airmiles and they are doing a special double miles offer at the moment. Another thing is that I have 300,000 AA airmiles and I aksed if I could upgrade my parents to business class on that long flight over, using my miles. They said that miles cannot be used on the O class fares which are the voucher fares.
I hope I have not put anyone off, because that is not my intention. We are going to contact Tesco to tell them how we have been treated and how we are displeased with the offer.
I urge all of you to read the small print and check out your flight prices carefully on AA or Expedia. That way you will know if you are getting a good deal or not. I quite frankly urged my parents not to use the vochers, but they thought they would save money in the long run. Do your research and know your facts before you sign up. Also you have to book before 30th September and anything could change before now and the date that you wish to travel, just like what happened to my parents.
Happy booking and enjoy your trips.
Caribcelt
Hi Caribcelt
Oh dear, what a problem for your parents. As they used their credit card, is there anything in the terms and conditions, ie the flight is going a different route, which might allow them to get a refund and start again?
Even purchasing regular tickets is not unfortunately a guarantee that your flights aren't going to change if the airline reschedules between booking your ticket and flying. This happened to us last time we went to Florida and we ended up with a stop in Newark and a change of planes instead of a direct flight. We were told on that occasion that we couldn't claim anything back as we were still arriving at the same airport (eventually!). That wasn't with AA by the way either.
Blott
Oh dear, I am really sorry to hear about this. I suppose the moral is that if anything seems to good to be true, it usually is. However, when BA did their offers last year with the Daily Mail we got a flight to Miami for £125 each, so these special offers do come good sometimes.
I am pleased to hear you contacting Tesco - I am sure they will investigate this thoroughly, after it is as much in their name as AA. The problem appears to lie with Travelbag, and the ad agency responsible for coming up with this should be hauled over the coals for this. Do you remember the hoover fiasco? They sold so many hoovers they couldn't keep up with production, and they were being sold in the markets for £5 because they were worth less than the flights. In the end they couldn't fulfil the flights and their name was mud. Heads rolled from the MD down! It might also be worth contacting the press, or perhaps the trading standards people. If enough people complain something might happen.
Fiona