A Holiday4 Review
Loveholidays Review - Cheap Holiday Deals
Holiday4.com
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letstalk@holiday4.comA Holiday4 review. loveholidays.com is a UK-based online travel agent (OTA) that offers a range of cheap package holidays to short, medium and long-haul destinations. We check on value, the booking process and website ease of use - our review includes searches on beach holidays, city breaks and family deals.
1. Who are loveholidays.com ?
Loveholidays is a London-based online travel agency (OTA) and a prominent player in the dynamic package holiday market. Loveholidays offers online booking services for numerous holiday types, including budget family beach deals and cultural city stays to luxury all-inclusive retreats.
We found loveholidays is recognised for its powerful booking platform, which provides a convenient, seamless and user-friendly holiday search experience. The platform allows customers to plan, build and book great value holiday deals - for short, medium and long-haul destinations.
By providing user access to a wide range of low-cost flights and accommodation types, users can easily 'mix and match' travel elements and build tailored holidays to match their travel style.
2. Why Choose loveholidays
One reason for choosing loveholidays is flexibility. You can choose components independently to suit your dates and budget - or opt for a pre-packaged deal.
- Find your perfect holiday in a few clicks
- Choose budget breaks to luxury resorts
- Loveholidays is a member of ATOL
- Spread the cost with flexible payments
- Low deposits from just £25 per person
Loveholidays is 3rd in the UK's top tour operator list behind Jet2 and Tui UK, with a licence to carry over 2 million passengers.
3. How Does loveholidays search work?
Loveholidays operate an advanced booking platform (online and via telephone), which enables users to search, combine and book multiple travel services and suppliers, including low-cost airlines (Ryanair, easyJet, TUI & Jet2.com). They also provide a wide range of accommodation styles and grades, plus a choice of shuttle or private transfers.
The Loveholidays online search is one of our favourites, with both the app and website having a convenient and easy-to-use search system. The search includes multiple filter options - filters are made available chronologically - which helps quicken the search process. Filters also provide a 'more productive search' based on exact user requirements.
The Loveholidays Search: The website has a clean and uncluttered design with an easy-to-use navigation - Start by selecting the 'Flights & Hotel' or 'Hotels only' option to begin your search.
The Flight & Hotel search platform features a long list of package holiday destinations (see list below). You have a choice of selecting individual or multiple UK departure airports, multiple departures are searched for by region (UK airports within the north-west, or southeast region, etc.). Departure date flexibility can be set by +/-5 days, and holiday duration can be set between 1 to 21 nights.
4. Loveholidays package holiday destinations:
- Canary Islands & Greek Islands
- Turkey & Spanish Mainland
- Balearic Islands
- Egypt & Portugal
- Marocco & Tunisia
- United Arab Emirates
- Long Haul Destinations (Florida - Mexico - Las Vegas - Thailand - Barbados - Jamaica - Dominican Republic)
- Lakes & Mountains
- City Breaks (Barcelona - Paris - Berlin - Lisbon - Athens - Rome - Prague - Istanbul - Amsterdam)
5. What are loveholidays search filters?
Optional advanced search filters can be used to quickly narrow down the search and booking process. During our search for a summer family holiday to Tenerife - the following filter options were available:
- BOARD BASIS: All Inclusive - Full Board - Half Board - Self Catering - Room Only.
- STAR RATING: A full hotel star rating selection is available from 1 to 5 stars.
- TRIPADVISOR SCORE: A full rating of loveholidays on Tripadvisor is available from 1 - 5.
- MAXIMUM BUDGET: Range includes from £250 p/p - £2000 p/p.
- HOLIDAY TYPE: Adults Only - Beach - Couples - Family - Honeymoon - Luxury Hotels - Spa and Relaxation.
- PRICE DISPLAY: Choose between prices displayed per person or holiday total.
- HOTEL FACILITIES: Air Conditioning - Bar - Beauty Treatment - Disabled Facilities - Gym - Massage - Satellite TV - WIFI.
- POOL: Indoor Pool - Infinity Pool - Kids Pool - Outdoor Pool - Pool Bar - Water Slides.
- KIDS: Kids Club - Kids Pool - Playground - Theme Parks - Water Sides.
Refine your holiday: Before completing your booking, you have the option to refine it further. The option to refine will depend on availability and destination.
During our search to Tenerife, the following refining options were offered:
- Hotel room upgrades with instant price comparison.
- Change board basis with instant price comparison.
- Alternative departure dates with easy price comparison.
- Preferred outbound and inbound flight times.
- Option to return to an alternative UK airport.
- Alternative duration display with instant price comparison.
- Preferred airline selection - easyJet, TUI, Jet2.com and Ryanair.
- Convenient package price breakdown, including low deposit and a choice of payment options.
Cost Breakdowns: At every stage, the platform provides a breakdown of costs, providing users with the exact amounts and expenses associated with their chosen hotel options and travel add-ons.
Top Tip: We found the Refine Your Holiday section very useful - it allowed us to choose the exact airline and flight times we wanted - it also provided an option to depart 3 days earlier at a slightly reduced cost.
6. Do loveholidays offer special deals & discounts?
Loveholidays had a Price Match Guarantee available during our review, which appeared to help holidaymakers receive a reasonable deal. We noticed the company promotes "Top Deals" and "Sales". During our review, the company had a sale providing up to 25% reduction on selected hotels (subject to availability and T&Cs ).
We found loveholidays offers fewer discounts (compared to other OTA's and UK tour operators); however, in general, we found their holidays reasonably priced.
7. What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of using Loveholidays?
Loveholidays offer multiple advantages and benefits, especially when it comes to simplifying the holiday search and booking process. However, it's also worthwhile assessing the platform's potential drawbacks and limitations.
Advantages & Drawbacks
Advantages of using loveholidays.com
1. Convenience: Loveholidays work with a range of suppliers to secure deals on over 35,000 hotels worldwide, which they say can be combined with the vast majority of passenger flights departing UK airports.
2. Customer Reviews and Ratings: The platform incorporates handy user reviews and ratings for various accommodations and destinations, providing valuable insights from other holidaymakers.
3. Transparent Pricing: Loveholidays provides an updated pricing structure. The platform displays updated breakdowns of costs during the search and selection process, allowing for a clear view of additional costs associated with travel options and add-ons.
4. Price Match Guarantee: During our review, Loveholidays were offering a price match guarantee. (Price Match Guarantee is subject to terms & conditions. Offer and Terms are subject to change - contact Loveholidays for exact up-to-date details).
Drawbacks and Considerations
1. Trustpilot Reviews: Trustpilot Reviews - 141,200 reviews, with 67% providing a 5-star rating and 16% providing a 1-star rating as of January 2024.
2. Customer Service Issues: Some customers have reported difficulties in reaching loveholidays' customer service or dissatisfaction with the support provided.
3. Dependency on Third-Party Suppliers: Loveholidays relies on various suppliers for flights, accommodations, and other travel services. Any issues with these third-party providers, such as overbooking or service disruptions, are mainly outside of loveholidays control.
4. Administration Charges: If you're taking advantage of flexible payment options, remember to 'factor in' additional admin charges. Top Tip: Always take a few moments to read and understand the booking terms and conditions relating to your holiday reservation.
8. Is loveholidays ATOL protected?
loveholidays is a member of ATOL (ATOL number is 10989), you can view details of the loverholidays ATOL licence here. You can find out more about the ATOL scheme and what it covers, by visiting the CAA website.
Top Tip: Check your booking is protected by contacting the company directly (before confirming your reservation). Keep in mind that information can change, so verifying the current status directly with the company is the best way to ensure you have the right protection in place.
9. What are loveholidays flexible payment options?
Loveholidays offers a range of flexible payment options to make it easier to book your ideal getaway. Depending on your departure date, you can choose from four different payment plans.
If your holiday is more than 10 weeks away, and you haven’t chosen a non-refundable room, you can choose between all 4 payment options: (subject to T&Cs)
- 1. Pay monthly
- 2. Pay weekly
- 3. Low deposit
- 4. Standard deposit
- 5. Full payment
To obtain the most accurate and up-to-date information about flexible payment options, we recommended you visit the loveholidays website Payment Options Page or contact their customer support team directly. It's also important to carefully read and understand the terms and conditions related to your booking, to fully understand the payment requirements, plus any recurring admin fees or restrictions that may apply.
10. What is the Loveholidays booking App?
The Loveholidays app offers several key features to help enhance customer experiences and provide convenient travel planning and booking.
The app allows you to manage existing holiday reservations on the go - your booking details are stored in one place and can be accessed anytime - even offline. Here are some of the app's main features:
- Use the app to find your perfect holiday. From all inclusive hotels to budget-friendly escapes.
- View your booking details, including full holiday itinerary, flight schedules and transfer details, plus information about your hotel.
- Manage your contact and holiday details, including making or requesting changes to your holiday details.
- Find quick links to 'make changes' to your flight within the app, such as checking in and adding luggage.
To Sum Up
Loveholidays has established itself as a go-to platform for travellers seeking a wider range of holiday options, coupled with a productive and user-friendly search experience.
We found that Loveholidays offers competitive pricing with good levels of flexibility during the initial search and booking process - it also makes sophisticated use of technology integration, making Loveholidays a key player in the evolving landscape of online travel agencies.