San Stefanos Online ~ North West Corfu

Okay - let's do it for the hundredth time.

I totally agree that Thomson treat the owners like peasants. For example, refusing to let them know the room bookings until too close to the time - less than a week, usually.

But - and it's a big but - without the brochure and on-line visibility of Thomson the village would be about 25% the size. The apartment owners do not have aeroplanes, ABTA certification, advertising, shops and all the other things that tour operators have. All this comes at a cost. How many times do we see messages on this forum asking how to get in touch with hotel/apartment owners?

The key point - it seems to me - is that Thomson promote and introduce people to the village. Then, perhaps, they want to go back making their own way. Is there enough critical mass for that to survive?

As Rover rightly says, this goes round and round like a ride on Cleethorpes beach.

TUI made a loss of 405.6 million Euros in quarter two of this year. If you believe the books.

Went independent in July and probably saved about £20 each, with rubbish flight times and airport journey. Going with Thomson in September because it's less of a hassle.

Different places are on different contracts with Thomson/TUI. There's no single figure. Some people are on fixed year payments; some are on per-person stuff.

But I do think that with budget airlines flying in and the huge returning clientèle, more and more will go independent. It's a gamble, though. The Greek economic situation is still far from stable. 

If TA removed your post they should have notified you immediately, with reasons. If it was because of Kostas complaining, I am happy to email TA (as a respected contributor) complaining, and then would suggest that loads of people on the forum spam DB saying what they think.

They sell it in the supermarkets!

Little Prince FEB are very good.

Very well written. Should cause pause for thought at DB.

Great! Shall I try to book for all of us?

We'll be there, Tony. Shall we try to book Delfino Blu?