Cats_Do_Dance

I posted earlier about how all my planning to get the best deal on our summer vacation to Honolulu fell apart due to my husband's job putting a hold on vacations.

Well, that hold has been lifted and I'm once again in the planning stages. It has NOT been easy. All the lower fares I was prepared to POUNCE on have gone. Changing dates slightly by a few days lowered airfare prices (not as good as before) but on the flip side, caused the hotel reservations I had to go UP. I found myself very cranky last night on what to do. We could a) cancel b) use Priceline c) wait once more in case last minute deals became available or d) find a travel agent or e) just DO IT.

My family chose to JUST DO IT. Canceling wasn't a good option because we have family events coming up next year that we know we have to attend.

I just can't use Priceline; I've read biddingfortravel.com, but I'm too much of a control freak with my vacation and I've lost enough control already.

We've waited long enough and more waiting would drive me crazy.

I haven't found a good travel agent in the past and don't have time to look for one now.

In the end, this IS Hawaii and we really want to go. To do that, I simply have to forget about all the past fares/hotel rates and go with what's happening now. It's hard (I love great deals) but this WILL be a wonderful family vacation.

But I remain curious, how do the rest of you handle vacation plans that suddenly are out of your control?

dgruzew

what are the dates you wanted to go? and what are the dates you can go? maybe it is to early to shop for airfare?

I have never heard of a US( are you in he US?) company putting a hold on vacations? That is actually illegal here in illnois unless they pay it out to your or you get to take later in the year.

suzanne

Cats,
I can totally sympathize with you...I often can't make vacation arrangements until a couple weeks before a trip because of my BF's job. It always makes it more expensive. But it's always worth it to just go, especially if it's to a place you've been dreaming about. You can't let a few more dollars get to you. You'll pay it off eventually.

Tiff

Hi all,
Lucky you, dgruzew, it hasn't been illegal at any company I've ever been at, they could deny/hold vacations at will. Especially in industries that affect people's lives like hospitals.

To Cats, book it and enjoy, there are plenty of places in Hawaii that are beautiful and affordable (condos, etc) if you end up paying more than expected on airfare.

Enjoy!

p.s. And to answer your question, we do what you are doing, make the best of it. After all, look at the alternative! Aloha.

dgruzew

I was not saying that they can't hold our vacations, but that they(companies in illnois) are required to give you your stated vacation or pay you the equivalent. It is entirey possbile for my company(alhtough I doubt they would) or anyoneone else to "hold" a vacation IE - no vacation from june x to july x, but if they don't let you use it by the end of the year they have to pay cash.

Vacation is part of your salary - if your company denies it they are in violation of your employemnt contract( you do have a contract - even though you never signed one, and your employer can terminate it at will as long as it not due to race or religion)

It just bothers me that a company would pull this off on a there employees.Most States have labor laws regarding vacation. not trying to complain to much but we americans get way to little vacation as it is.

Suzzane, around here most hospitals are FORCING there employees to go on vacation because many of the employees have to many days carried over (which adds alot of expense to the hospital). hospitals around here have the best vacation schedule(4-6 weeks)

GoTravel

Go ahead, jump in and just start doing it!

It this point, it would be self destructive to worry about "what could have been".

I would instead try and focus on the good side of having to reschedule.

Maybe a different hotel will end up being one you like better once you get there?

Maybe the airlines have overbooked your flight and will offer you and your family free roundtrip anywheres and upgrade to first class if you volunteer to be bumped and take a flight 15 minutes later?

Maybe you and your family will be able to experience something totally different because of the difference?

I've always found out that whenever God slams a door shut, he always opens a window.

beachdreams

My company has told people that they could not take vacations (unless already approved) from x perdiod of time to x period of time for different issues. I think it really depends on the circumstances. Should you not be able to use your vacation they can pay you or you can opt to roll your vacation over. Granted my company has only done this twice since I have been here (more years than I want to discuss) but when we hit very busy times, that was what happened.

travellyn

I commend your choice to go ahead and take the vacation even though it's more expensive now. The big question is not how much it would have cost, but whether it's worth it to you at the price you get now. I just finished Barry Schwartz's book, "The Paradox of Choice", which addresses just this kind of question.

In terms of my own experience, I can address problems that crop DURING a vacation. I've learned to expect one day or activity on any trip to be really miserable, not at all what I had hoped for. Then, when it inevitably happens, I just tell myself not to let it get me down, it's just that bad day I knew would happen, and it says nothing about me in particular or how the rest of the trip is going to turn out. I don't think this makes me a pessimist, just more accepting of problems, and more likely to enjoy the really good days.

The other thing I learned during a particularly miserable experience in Switzerland is "go where the weather's good", literally as well as metaphorically. It's okay to junk some plans if things beyond my control are going to make them backfire. For example, as soon as my husband and I realized that it was going to rain for 3 or 4 days while we were camping in a Swiss valley we had expected to love, we should NOT have stuck it out in the wet tent until the weather decided to change, but paid for a B&B or left early for a part of the country where it wasn't raining. Of course we only figured this out in retrospect, but it has served us well in the ensuing 18 years.

Given the fact that you're making the best of a letdown, I'm thinking you're probably someone who operates this way anyway, but maybe it will help some goofy kid like I was when I made the mistake of expecting my vacations to be perfect.

Cats_Do_Dance

Hi Everyone!

Thanks for your support. We ARE just doing it. I booked the flight today and went ahead and accepted the increase price at the HHV. GoTravel is right, there have been blessings in this change. Number 1, we only have ONE stop each way and from a previous post here, that sounds like the way to do it. Number 2, when looking at AA's seating charts, it turns out the flight is close to being sold out except for First Class tickets. By putting our tickets on hold last night (in order to use vouchers we had), we managed to get on the flight! Number 3, the price has gone up since yesterday! I guess it's true, this summer looks to very busy. But the most important thing I've learned is how lucky my family is. The truth is, we CAN afford these costs increases. For some people, even our orginial estimates would have been totally out of reach. So I'm grateful and really looking forward to seeing Honolulu again! HAWAII!!!! YES!!!!!! It's enough to make a cat dance! Await my countdowns!

lcuy

I have a 4 things that I try to keep in mind when travelling or planning trips:

1) Don't ever look back at costs. So it cost less 6 months ago, or in the last store, or the last country. If you hadn't been looking then, you'd think this was a decent price. Pay it and move on, before prices rise again.

2) Don't set your expectations too high, or you're setting yourself up for disappointment. an example would be the people who want to reserve the "best" room in a hotel, or the best table in a restaraunt. These are not things that can be guaranteed. If your happiness is contingent upon getting them, you may end up unhappy.

3) Leave time to improvise. We make genaral plans, and have a list of backup attractions we will see if time allows, but always are willing to improvise on trips. Some of our best adventures came about due to tips from locals.

4) Remember that the worst mishaps make the best stories later. Always!!

GoTravel

Yippeeee Cats_Do_Dance!!

Good for you and it seems like you do have many blessings!

Now it's time to get REALLY excited! It's just around the corner!

platzer

I use your method. Whine.

mlarson

To Cats Do Dance, I commend you! I totally understand your situation. I would like to make a couple suggestions. If you haven't already, buy the Entertainment Book for Hawaii (there's a book for every state in US). You'll find alot of savings there including BIG discounts for hotels if you're still in planning mode and might consider staying elsewhere. I am staying at HHV in June and have been planning for one whole year! Now, if your heart is set on HHV, try this. Join their Hilton Honors Club. You get some bene's. So, how long are you vacationing and are you going to try and hit some other islands?

Maggi

Cats, I agree wholeheartedly with GoTravel, especially her last sentence. Once we were looking forward to an August cruise ending up in Istanbul. The cruise line asked us to change the dates in exchange for some perks, and we did. Then came the huge earthquake outside of Istanbul...the exact date when we would have been there. This has happened to us more times than we can count. Most recently, the Oahu rental I had paid for last August for this summer's trip went out of business. At this late date we were able to book another which, on the internet anyway, looks to be even better. I'll let you know when we get back in mid-August! Remember that famous Hawaiian saying..."hang loose"!

Linda0515

My husband and I call mushrooming out-of-control vacation planning glitches "the Jack F. Syndrome" after a good friend whose travel suggestions invariably pale as plans firm up (he's invited a disagreeable person along, he wants to eat at a mediocre restaurant, you get the picture). When we make our own travel plans, we've developed an instinct for finding the point where the Jack F. Syndrome kicks in and the trip isn't worth it. Usually money isn't the issue, unless the price has doubled--it's more things like the flight schedule is inconvenient, the right hotels are sold out, that kind of thing.

That said, last year I had exactly the same situation as Cats_Do_Dance. We thought we had an opportunity to do a fairly inexpensive trip to Italy and, by the time we learned it had evaporated, the cost of going had gotten pretty pricey. But we were all so disappointed that we decided, hey, we're going to go anyway! We did and it was absolutely the best vacation of our lives (and the most expensive). So I'm glad to hear that you're going for it!

makai1

aahhhhhhhhhh... no worries ><