Aer Lingus Starts Afternoon Flights New York to Dublin

Flights from the United States to Ireland have always been the red-eye, departing at the night US-time and landing first-thing in the morning, Irish-time.  This is all we've known and we simply got ourselves into the mindset that our first day in Ireland was going to be tiresome but we were on vacation -- suck it up!

Working with clients who want to fly into Dublin would take a little bit more work because hotels are likely not going to have a room ready at 8:00am so clients would be "homeless" until afternoon, constantly checking in with the hotel to see if a room is available.  It's really not a great way to start a vacation and we would suggest getting out of Dublin right away, hop in the car and your vacation really starts.

Well, Aer Lingus has just announced afternoon flights to Ireland from New York's JFK Airport! This means you'll leave New York's JFK Airport around noon and arrive in Ireland somewhere around 11:30pm.

We're very confident that this test flight schedule will work well for Aer Lingus and we'll start to see more airlines offering similar schedule changes in the future. 

Groupon Ireland Bed and Breakfast Vacation with Rental Car and Airfare from $999

We've all seen the deal over-and-over again, Ireland for under $1000 for the week and it includes a nice hotel, car, airfare...

On this 8-day, 6-night Ireland vacation from Great Value Vacations, you’ll create your own itinerary, freeing you to explore the rolling Irish countryside or its cliff-laden coasts. After spending 1 night at the four-star Nuremore Hotel & Country Club in Monaghan—about 54 miles outside Dublin—you’ll choose from any of the bed and breakfasts listed on B&B Ireland. You could pick an inn for its superb location near the awe-inspiring Cliffs of Moher or its culinary prowess—it’s all up to you. Just be sure to book all of your bed-and-breakfast accommodations before leaving for Ireland. This vacation includes:

• Round-trip airfare from JFK, BOS, ORD, LAX, or MCO
• Manual-shift-car rental for the duration of your stay
• 1 night at Nuremore Hotel in Monaghan (room only)
• 5 nights' bed-and-breakfast vouchers
• Upgrade for $99 per person and add on breakfast at Nuremore hotel & the following tours: Guinness Storehouse Tour, Jameson Distillery Tour, House of Waterford Crystal Tour, Cliffs of Moher admissions, Bunratty Castle & Folk Park, and Blarney Castle. Visit here for more details.
• Extend your vacation by 2 nights and get an extra night at Nuremore and an extra night at a b&b for $150 per person. See details here.

If It's Too Good to be True...

You know the saying but you ignore it because you want a deal that is too good to be true. 

The hotel is outside of Dublin and in the middle of nowhere so you'll spend the first night seeing and doing nothing -- exactly what you want to do on vacation, right?  Many of the specials we see listed online include hotels in the middle of nowhere because they are cheap and they're cheap for a reason -- no one wants to stay there!  That's not to say the hotel is bad, but if you're coming to visit Philadelphia -- would you want a hotel IN Philadelphia or in Bensalem?  The hotel in Bensalem will be a fraction of the cost... for a reason!

Off-Season Ireland Rates

You'll notice that the season available for this special is Nov - February, the absolute lowest season which is fine, there is a certain charm we like about the off season including cozying up to a fire in a pub.

Some sites will close and you'll have very limited daylight so buyer-beware if this is your first trip, you'll likely be disappointed.  Second or third, you'll probably see Ireland with a new light and a better appreciation for the locals.

Car Rental Exclusions

Read the small print and find out that taxes are not included in the car but the main text also doesn't indicate that car insurance is included -- which is required and expensive.  Take the following rate example Nov 7 - 14 Manual Economy Car Rental: $18.39 is the rental rate, $76.21 is the Limited Liability Insurance and $38.13 is the Collision Damage Waiver.

Ireland Airfare

One of the biggest clauses in these deals is "availability" and airfare is always the biggest contention we have with those who list unattainable specials online.  Running airfare for the JFK $999 deal, we're finding airfare around $700 for a direct flight and slightly less for a connecting flight.  That leaves $299 for 5 nights B&B which runs $265pp... so $34 for a car rental and the hotel?

We don't care how big (or small) of a company you are... you can't put together packages like this at the rates advertised.

This is where the small print comes into play because it gives everyone the "out" they need to say that they didn't advertise falsely:

Additional fees: Airfare subject to availability. Additional fees may apply for some departure dates.

That lowest possible airfare rate used to calculate the package -- WILL NEVER BE AVAILABLE!  When you go to book you'll be told the lowest-priced seats are no longer available but for an additional $xxx you can get your departure dates.

Not All Travel Cancellation Policies Are Equal - Or Fair!

Not all Travel Cancellation Policies are equal ... fair ... or even close to being fair!  As a traveler and an agency owner, I know this all too well and have done some considerable research into them to make the best recommendations to clients.

When we worked with Tour Operators for our Ireland Self Drive Vacations, the cancellation policy was ... you couldn't cancel.  This seemed to be more common lately as Tour Operators pushed travelers into purchasing travel insurance rather than a sliding-scale fee for cancelling.  Cruise Lines and our Caribbean Tour Operators still offered sliding-scale cancellation fees which make more sense because it becomes increasingly harder to sell a room or cabin as the departure date approaches -- and an unsold room means lost revenue.

Tour Operator Double-Dipping Cancellations

Years ago we had a client who did not purchase Travel Protection Insurance and, you guessed it, she couldn't travel due to a fractured foot -- the day before departure!  Again, Murphy's Law kicks in and she was perfectly healthy with no medical issues at all and a small trip before vacation and she cannot travel.

We immediately notified the Tour Operator that she was not going to make the trip and they advised the advised it was non-refundable... but, in the same breath, advised me they would switch it for her if she rebooked it right with the next few weeks?  Of course there would be fees involved but it made me dig deeper. 

The fees charged were for the airline to change the tickets and that makes sense, all airlines do it and the fees are all about the same.  That means that the Tour Operator wasn't going to charge to change the hotels and car rentals so there were no fees involved.

So why are their packages advertised as "non-cancellable"?  That would be to ensure their profitability and for those that do cancel, they make a huge profit!  Think about it - you purchase insurance to protect your vacation and you have to cancel... file a claim and receive a refund.  Notifying the tour company and they cancel your hotel and car rental and never have to pay them... but you paid them for those items.  Double-dipping and huge profits!

Mind you, travel agents don't get paid when you cancel -- so tour operators don't pay us the commission that they already have!

Protecting The Costliest Part of Travel ... Airfare

Airfare remains the costliest part of most vacations for those traveling from North America to Europe and it is the one part of air travel that is non-refundable.  In that case you most certainly should purchase insurance.

With that in mind we decided to keep Enchanting Ireland's Cancellation Policy very simple and cost-effective.  Small cancellation fees up until 2 days prior as well as any fees transferred onto us.  With such a policy, you can purchase insurance to cover the airfare and the cancellation fees only... but remember, anything the day prior will not allow you to receive a refund.

So, in the case of the woman who sprained her foot ... she cancelled the day before and would not be entitled to a refund because all cancellation policies for cars and hotels require at least 48-hours notice.

Enchanting Ireland's Fair Cancellation Policy

Taking all of above into consideration, we sat down to review our supplier's cancellation policies and come up with our own... something fair for everyone.

As of right now we allow you to cancel 7-days or more prior to departure with just a $100 fee. This fee covers the cost of planning your vacation as well as cancelling each part to ensure a refund.

If you cancel 2-7 days prior then the charge increases to $200 as we are now against the clock to call Ireland and make sure we cancel your reservations in time to avoid penalties.

If you are less than 48-hours from departing for Ireland, we're sorry but there are no refunds.

Please keep in mind that credit cards charge us 3% for all payments, which we can refund within 3-months when cancelling.  If you paid for your trip more than 3-months prior, we cannot issue an electronic refund and have to issue a check.. which means the 3% credit card fee is non-refundable.

How Does Enchanting Ireland and Travel Agencies Get Paid?

The first question raised, after clients receive a custom Ireland self-drive price quote, is, "How much do you charge to plan an itinerary?"

Nothing! 

"Well how do you make money?" is typically the very awkward follow-up question, awkward for potential clients but not awkward at all for us to discuss.  You walk into any business and buy a product or contract for a service and you know that there is a certain profit built in.  Some products have large profit margins while others are quite small.  We are a business and we need to make money so it's a fair question.  What are you paying extra for us to stay in business and help you?

All travel agencies are paid a commission which is built into the cost of everything from Irish B&Bs, hotels to castle rentals and cars.  That commission ranges from 5-10% on average with specials running on certain properties that may increase the commission or offer bonuses.
 
The cost of each piece of your vacation itinerary contains a few more costs than you are aware.  Many accommodations include fees to a 3rd party including booking engines, GDS (global distribution system) or websites that offer reservations.  These fees are built into the cost of all hotels rooms to allow agents and clients to book the same room through many different means.

If you book your travel through a tour operator then you'll have another layer of commission which will typically add another 10% or more to the cost of your trip.  Tour operators offer packages through their company which you can book direct or your can purchase through a travel agency ... and they have to pay the travel agency a commission.

If I Book My Travel Direct, Will I Save Money?

Throughout the years we've helped hundreds of people plan their trips to Ireland, spending countless hours via email and phone to go over routes, accommodations, sites and more.  In the beginning we would find that clients would trail off toward the end without notice and when we checked back in to book their trip... we'd get an email, "Something came up and we're not going" or "We booked it ourselves."  Mind you, we didn't charge which means we didn't get paid -- and we almost went out of business because who can sustain that business model?

We had regrouped, had meetings and came up with the idea about explaining the Travel Supply Chain upfront to folks to ensure they knew how we got paid.  Part of that discussion was to let people know that the Travel Supply Chain benefits everyone but the travel agent and the client.

All fees built in ensure the the client (you) pays one rate for a hotel room or car rental so when a travel agent quotes the rate, it is the same if you try to book it directly.  We book direct with our suppliers, bypassing the technology and costs associated with them yet the rate is the same.  The supplier keeps those costs as profits.  Book that same Irish hotel or car rental and they keep our commission as profit as well.

When to Use Tour Operators

We used to partner with a very well-known Ireland tour operator for all of our Ireland Self Drive Vacation Packages.   They offered a very nice booking engine which helped us create customized packages for our clients with one form of payment.  We did this for years and everyone seemed very happy, ourselves included because we felt the services and costs were competitive.

Over time we started losing clients due to price and that is when we started to compare our packages with this tour operator based on what we could offer by booking direct.  This is when we found out the tour operator's price was slightly more than what we could offer with direct bookings ... because the tour operator was building in a commission to pay travel agencies.  In the long run it did cost more to book through us because we had a layer of commission being added on to every package.

We promptly re-examined our business, decided to work direct with our suppliers and save our clients the 10% the tour operator was padding to pay us.  Again, you could book the same package direct with the tour operator and it was the same price we charged... but they would keep that extra 10% for their own profit.

So, when do we work with Tour Operators?  When they offer bus tours or distinct packages which we cannot offer ourselves.  There are some tour operators which have fantastic contracted rates with hotels and we know to book with them to save money because their bulk buying power outweighs the commissions built in.  Sometimes you can only book with a Tour Operator but in the case of Ireland where the Irish Self-Drive Vacation is completely customized... we do better by booking direct!

$100 Ireland Itinerary Deposit

When we found that clients were booking direct to save money -- and we almost went out of business -- we decided to implement a $100 Ireland Itinerary Deposit.  When we explained the Travel Supply Chain, how we got paid and that booking direct doesn't save money ... the $100 deposit was welcomed and fair.  The deposit was applied toward the final cost of the trip.

This ensured that the time we spent creating itineraries with potential clients would result in a booking and thus a profit for our company. 

While researching our competition we found that many agencies were charging fees from $50 - $200 to plan itineraries which was in addition to the commissions received from booking the vacation.  We are refraining from doing that because we really enjoy what we do and don't consider it work...

Save Credit Card Charges - 3%

There is one way to save on your vacation and this is typically only available from small- to medium travel agencies... pay by check and save the 3% credit card fee!

Everyone in the Travel Supply Chain builds in 3% which is the typical credit card fee paid to the credit card company for accepting their card(s).  We offer our clients that discount if they pay by check ... after all we're paying our suppliers by cash so why not take that discount and offer it back to clients? 

Traveling Ireland Wild Atlantic Way

Our visit in June 2014 was an eye opener with regard to the "Wild Atlantic Way", the western coastal route designed to showcase Ireland's natural beauty.  We've fallen in love with the West Coast of Ireland for years and Tourism Ireland is doing a wonderful job of advertising this route and making it a major tourism push.

What is the "Wild Atlantic Way"

From Donegal to Cork, the Wild Atlantic Way is the coastal route which features rugged coastline, culturally rich towns and stunning beauty of each county along the western coast of Ireland.

We've never driven the entire Wild Atlantic Way completely as it would take a good 10 days or more to really enjoy the route rather than through the car windscreen. 

County Clare offers lots of attractions so we flew into Shannon on the West Coast and drove directly to Doolin, one of my favorite towns in Ireland and known as the "Traditional Irish Music Capital of Ireland."

Now that I was aware of the "Wild Atlantic Way" marketing, we saw signs everywhere, pointing us to the coastal routes we've always taken and making sure we hugged the coast as much as possible.

Along the way you'll find many pull-offs for gorgeous ocean views, mountains and generally great scenery.  You'll pass through small towns where you can stop for a pint and chips, a little shopping or even the night. 

"Wild Atlantic Way" Road Signs

From Donegal to Cork you'll see signs similar to this one where you have the Wild Atlantic Way icon and pointing you in the direct to follow.

We even saw this sign on the Tarbert/Killimer Ferry, taking us over to our next stop, Dingle... hugging the coastal route along the way.

Overall, the Wild Atlantic Way is a marketing scheme for a route that many already follow.  We kind of like it because the signage is good and allows you to meander rather than reading a map to carefully find your next stop. 

Off-Season Ireland Just $332 per person - 13% Off Lowest Competitor's Price!

Every year we get our contracts, compare them to the prior, sign them, do our updates and then begin advertising our rates.  We know that booking everything direct with our suppliers, we can provide the best possible rate.  We see offers all of the time for "5-Nights Ireland from $359pp!" here and slightly higher rates elsewhere.

This year we did some research and found that we save our clients 13% off the lowest competitor's rate when comparing Fuji apples to McIntosh apples (we'll explain below)  That is 5-nights Irish Bed and Breakfast and a 6-day manual economy car rental.

$332pp 5-Night Irish B&B Self Drive Package Inclusions

Most people don't visit Ireland for 5-nights but for the sake of comparison, we decided to price this our to make sure our rates are competitive.  Of course you can increase the number of nights at the same discounted rate, upgrade the car rental or swap out an Irish Manor House Hotel or Irish Castle for a night.  We fully customize all packages -- direct with supplier and pass those savings off to you.

No Surcharge for 4-Star Irish B&Bs

One of the differences in the Irish B&Bs for our competitors packages is that they price it out with a standard 3-star B&B included and you'll notice the fine print requires you to pay a supplement directly to the owner for 4- and 5-star properties.  It makes sense, give the lowest price to the client and then push the additional costs off after the package is booked.

80% of the properties in Ireland are 3- and 4-star Irish Bed & Breakfasts which is why we offer both for the same price.  The supplement of €4 per person applies to upgrading to a 5-star Irish B&B which are well worth it, but very few exist.

24-Hour Irish Car Rental Period 

In the spirit of full-disclosure, we like clients to know that car rentals are for a 24-hour period so if you pick up your car at 7:00am... and your flight doesn't leave until later in the afternoon, you will have to pay for an extra day if you drop the car off after 7:00am on the return date.  Again, this is something many companies won't tell you because they can quote the lower rate car rental and when you arrive, you find out you have to pay for the additional fees direct to the rental agency -- whatever they decide to charge.

If we know you're going to return the car late, we'll add the extra time to trigger the increased rate ... which is typically lower than the rate you'll be charged when you're in Ireland.  More beneficial is knowing your charges upfront and not having to pay anything more when you get there.

Ireland-at-a-Glimpse 2-for-1 Coupon Book Included

We also include the Ireland-at-a-Glimpse Coupon Book which gives you one entrance free with the purchase of one and while you won't visit every site in the book to save €450, use it once and you've saved money!

Free Ireland Travel Advice Included

How can you put a price on travel advice?  We certainly can't but what we can tell you is that when you book with a large tour operator, you're not going to get the service that you do from a travel agent or Enchanting Ireland.  You can float your itinerary past us via email and we'll give you our input -- and email us up until the day of departure for a quick response!

Experiencing Ireland's Luxury Castlemartyr Resort and Spa

We have traveled Ireland on the meekest of budgets, staying at B&Bs along the way and renting a house.. and we've included some great properties along the way as a splurge here and there.  We know that not everyone's budget can handle Enchanting Ireland Luxury for their trip but with EnchantingIreland we can incorporate any number of properties throughout your trip and based on your budget.

During our most recent trip in June 2014, we booked in with Castlemartyr after visiting Cobh and sending our friends off to Dublin for the end of their trip.  It isn't far from Cobh so I thought we would check in early, take in the pool and the grounds with our 4-year-old daughter... some down time after traveling for 6 days to show our friends as much as we could. 

Even the best-laid plans don't always work out on vacation as we ended up driving to Waterford City for the day to show our friends Waterford Crystal and make sure they got closer to their destination. We never arrived until 6pm, hungry, tired and ready for bed.

Castlemartyr Check-In

We pulled into Castlemartyr's driveway around 6pm and rather than using valet, as we should, we decided to park and walk so Clare could get a glimpse of the horses along the way.  What we didn't realize is that parking at Castlemartyr is difficult with a small parking lot further away from the entrance and mainly full of locals utilizing the spa.  We manage to get our luggage to the front entrance despite our weariness from the day's travel.

The front desk could not find our reservation and asked if I had a confirmation.  Of course I did -- in the car.  Up until now I had carried my documents with me to each and every location but the previous five locations we didn't have an issue.  Murphy's Law kicks in and now I have to prove to Castlemartyr that we were indeed confirmed, more so for the rate than the room itself because the still had vacancies.

I ran back to the car, in the rain, to retrieve my documents and glanced at them to ensure I was there on the right day -- and right year (past experience requires this!)  Yes, I had an email confirmation and so the front desk handled it fairly quickly and got us on our way... with a bellman to help with our luggage as the journey to our room was quite long.

Castlemartyr Deluxe Room

Past the spa, Francini's Resturant... down a long hallway and past a banquet room... up the elevator... another long, quiet hallway and into the next building and we were home for the night!

Entering into the hallway, we see that there is a dressing room and closet to the right as well as the bathroom off that.  To the left is the king bed, desk and TV.  Right away we notice a computer panel in the wall for lights and one on the nightstand desk for curtains and lights.  Quite a high-tech room yet you wouldn't expect it from the luxurious decor.

Right away we noticed that there wasn't a bed for our daughter, despite noting the room was for 3 and asking her how old she was.  We called the front desk to advise that we need a roll-away cot for our daughter and they said it would be there shortly.

No worries, we were off to dinner, opting for Castlemartyr's Francini's family-friendly restaurant rather than dressing up for fine dining ... we were too tired tonight.

Castlemartyr Francini's Family-Friendly Italian

When Francini's was described as "family-friendly" and "with it's own playroom", we both conjured up images of something very fast and quick... simple fare to be quite honest.  What we got was completely different...

A nice bottle of wine and some authentic Italian appetizers.  Our daughter's entree was actually a charcuterie and cheese plate which she ate completely -- when we finally got her out of the playroom!  Needless to say the food was above our expectations and the wine was good, helping us mellow from the day's activities.  Next time we hope to eat more upscale in the dining room since Francini's was quite good.

When we got back to our room, we found a pack-n-play which wasn't going to work for a 4-year-old, despite her cries that she wanted to sleep in it.  Another call to the front desk to explain that she is 4 and we need a roll-away bed ... is when we learned a "cot" is comparable to a pack-n-play in Ireland.  When we asked for a bed, the manager brought up a twin bed, rolled it in and we helped set it up so Clare could get right in bed... and all was good.

I'd like to stress that even travel agents have issues on vacation and very few things will ruin a trip, if you don't let it.  This was just a blip on our vacation and a learning experience... we wanted nothing free from the hotel as we have seen/heard others try to bargain with.

Castlemartyr Breakfast

Breakfast is one of our favorite parts of experiencing some of the luxury Irish properties and Castlemartyr is right up there with the rest of the 5-star properties.

A separate room houses all of the cold items including fresh yogurt from a local dairy, fresh fruits, breads, cereals, etc.  The spread is quite lovely and there is no way you can try it all...

You can also order from the menu, including French toast and omelets... which we did.  Unfortunately it took quite a while to arrive and we had to gulp it down and leave as we were meeting a friend in Mallow.

While the omelet was quite nice, having the time to enjoy it would have been better.

Castlemartyr Lessons Learned

The biggest lesson I learned from our night at Castlemartyr was to get there much earlier than we did.  Check-in is a 3pm for many properties and I highly recommend you do just that.  It allows you to take a walk around the grounds and get a swim in at the pool before dinner.

I also learned to carry my documents in to EVERY property so I don't have to run back to the car... as well as confirm, at the front desk, the type of roll-away that will be brought to the room for our daughter.  Minor, but it will definitely save time and frustration for everyone.