ebookers

History of Ebookers.com

Ebookers can trace its roots back to the late 1970s, when a travel agents known as 'Flightbookers Ltd' opened its flagship store in London's Earls Court. But Flightbookers' major innovation came twenty years later, in 1998, when they formed ebookers.com; the first online travel agent in the UK. They haven't looked back since.

Ebookers was so successful that it floated on the stock exchange in both the UK and USA. That flotation raised $60m, which allowed the firm to expand across Europe. The company now has offices in twelve different European nations, with a team of staff who are passionate about travel in each location.

Ebookers bought out Flightbookers in 2000, to re-unite the two firms once more, before it was purchased by Cendant Corporation in 2005. They are now a part of a network of online travel agents called Oribtz Worldwide, which gives them a global reach. They work with 250 airlines and over 110,000 partner companies; including hotels, car hire firms and insurance providers.

Customers shop with Ebookers for three main reasons. They have an extensive range, and are specialists in everything from short weekend breaks in Europe, to long haul vacations across the world. They employ travel-savvy customer friendly consultants, who have the industry knowledge necessary to ensure that travellers get the perfect holiday for them, any time of the year. And they offer great value for money, discounting their products by up to 75%, with a price-promise guarantee that ensures you won't find a better price anywhere else. So when you book from Ebookers using a voucher code, you know you're getting the deal of a lifetime.

Brands

Ebookers work with a number of well recognised international brands. Here is a small selection:

• Crowne Plaza Hotels
• Holiday Inn Hotels
• Thistle Hotels
• Marriot Hotels
• Novotel Hotels
• Walt Disney Hotels
• Best Western Hotels
• Ibis Hotels
• Ramada Worldwide Hotels
• Hilton Worldwide Hotels
• Continental Airlines
• Virgin Atlantic Airlines
• Qatar Airline
• Emirates Airlines
• Malaysia Airlines
• Singapore Airlines
• Ethiopian Airlines
• Turkish Airlines
• Etihad Airline
• China Southern Airlines
• Iberia Airlines
• Asiana Airlines
• Ryanair
• EasyJet
• Avis
• Alamo
• Celebrity Cruises
• Norwegian Cruise Line

Departments

Ebookers offer everything you need for a holiday, from car hire to camcorders, and much much more:

• Holidays
• Flights
• Hotels
• Cruises
• Car hire
• Travel insurance
• Foreign currency
• Credit cards
• Airport parking
• Visa processing
• Cameras
• Camcorders
• Luggage
• Travel accessories
• Sun glasses
• Polo shirts
• Sun lotion
• Lip balm
• Cosmetics

Opening Times

Ebookers' website is backed up by a team of travel experts who can talk you through your holiday plans in person, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on 0203 320 3320. They also have a dedicated sales line, which is open from 7:30am till 11:45pm, 7 days a week.

Delivery Information

Customers purchasing car rental, hotels and flights, through the Ebookers website will receive a confirmation email within minutes of making their order. A second email, entitled 'E-ticket / Flight confirmation' will be sent at the same time. This will act as a ticket, so there's no need to wait for any travel documentation to arrive in the post.

For items which do need to be sent by post, such as cameras and polo shirts, Ebookers offer Royal Mail Special Delivery . Most items are delivered by 1pm the following working day, if they have been ordered before 4pm on a weekday. From time to time Ebookers also offer voucher codes for free delivery too.

UK rail tickets purchased through Ebookers.com can be collected from any UK train station, with the 8-digit Ticket Reference Number and payment card used to book the tickets, two hours after they were purchased.

Returns Policy

Most flight tickets are non-refundable. Flights with low-cost airline, such Jet2 and Transavia, can only be made by contacting the airline directly. Flights with regular airlines may be refundable, depending on the type of ticket purchased, but this will incur a charge.

Hotel reservations can be cancelled by logging in to the 'My Bookings' section of the Ebookers website. Some reservations aren't refundable, whilst others will incur a charge. Refunds will be returned onto the customer's original card within 7-10 working days.

Car hire can be cancelled by contacting the Ebookers customer service team. It is free of charge if done more than 48 hours in advance; otherwise a £20 administration fee will be applied.

Security & Reviews

Ebookers are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and are IATA accredited. Holiday packages which include flights are also ATOL protected. They use 'market leading firewall technology', protect customer's connections with 'industry standard encryption technology', and have an extensive Privacy Policy to protect customer's personal data.

Whilst Ebookers is widely recognised as an industry leader, it has gotten a number of negative reviews on Site Jabber (http://www.sitejabber.com/reviews/www.ebookers.com).Ebookers was nominated for three World Travel Awards in 2014 (http://www.worldtravelawards.com/profile-29734-ebookerscom),including the "World's Leading Online Travel Agency" award.