Direct Ski, www.directski.com

I have booked 6 ski holidays with Direct Ski over the last 8 years. I must say I have never had a problem with them. Booking via the website is quick and easy. Flights have always been on time and with recognised, albeit, budget carriers. Once due to bad weather we could not fly out of our nominated airport. Direct Ski arranged an alternative departure airport with no fuss. Reps in resorts have been knowledgable and helpful. Hotels have been as described.

Finally, I have never been able to find the same holiday cheaper with any other ski holiday company (e.g. Crystal, Inghams, Neilson).

My wife and i travelled to Salzburg with Directski on the 25th February 2014. We had problems in that their brochure states that our hotel is only 80 meters to the ski lifts when in actual fact you have to get a bus daily to the lifts which are 1.4 kms away from Bad Hofgastein. We had a lovely holiday though but i emailed a complaint to DirectSki when we returned and have heard nothing from them. I am in business myself and would not even think to run my company this way.

Their website states that they are 'skiers for skiers' but having had at least 10 Ski trips with CrystalSki i am sorry we did not travel with them. I therefore will not travel with DirectSki again.

I was always worried about booking with Direct Ski, it all seemed too good to be true. Why oh why didn't I take note of the other reviews?

So we book our holiday nice and early (Aug2013), all flights look good, hotel looks good, price looks good.

Today I receive the email (nov2013):

'Dear Skier

We are writing to you to advise that due to low early bookings across the season we have had to cancel our flights from Manchester to Austria.

We do apologise for the inconvenience this causes to your holiday plans and would like to offer you the following options:

1/ We can offer you accommodation only, which would result in a reduction of 324£ per person of the cost of your current holiday. If you pre-booked ski carriage, this option will be cancelled.

2/ We can offer you a full refund of all monies paid to if you wish to cancel your booking.

3/ We can offer you our alternative flight on the same date from London Gatwick with following flight details:

etc

Again please accept our sincere apologies for this, rest assured that the decision to cancel the flight was not made lightly. Unfortunately it wasn't commercially viable to operate with such small numbers.

Once you've discussed with your travelling companions, please let us know how you would like to proceed.

Should you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact us directly.

Kind regards,'

What use is that to a family of 3? Absolutely effing disgraceful.You have just wrecked our holiday because you were unwilling to meet your obligations.

A message to Direct Ski... YOU NO NOT DESERVE TO BE IN BUSINESS IF THIS IS HOW YOU TREAT CUSTOMERS.....

Any other buyers BEWARE!

They were so shocking that I'm surprised they are still in business. Totally dishonest and weazeled out of any responsibility for their actions. As another reviewer has pointed out, they are registered in Ireland so you can't go through English courts - which I wanted to do.

I traveled with Directski.com to Arinsal in Andorra for a week of falling over. Total beginners we went with the full package including equipment, lessons and lift passes. The reps we're fantastic and i'd certainly recommend the bar crawl. I went with my partner but ended up hanging with about 14 others that we met on the first night or two. From the time we got off the plane to the time we got back on the plane we were looked after by directksi reps. The ski instructors we're so patient and and even after the bad falls they would they always had a way of picking your confidence back up. Only complaint was i couldn't fit in the seats on the coach as i've long legs but i get that everywhere. Best holiday i've ever been on and limped home from.

I have just come back from my ski holiday that i booked with direct ski and it has been the best holiday i have been on yet, direct ski have been very helpfull and very good with everything to do with this holiday, an the reps that greeted us at the airport were first class an very helpfully and always there when they were needed, an they made the holiday wat it was, from the moment i got on the plane to getting off an meeting a rep an gettin the coach from airport to accommodation was brilliant and stress free, the reps sorted everything out and explained everything to expect from the holiday, the journey time from airport to hotel was 2hrs an from the time the plane landed to getting on the coach and arriving was just shy of 3hrs very very good transfer, i have had no problems wit direct ski or their reps whatsoever if anything they had made my holiday wat it was, espically the reps, the different things they had planned for each nite was brillant and even if i didnt see them on a day there was a note left at my room sayin wat was happening that nite an hoped that i had a good day and if i had any problems ring them or txt straight away and they would get straight on it to sort it out, and on the mornin of departure the taxi was on time to take us to the bus an then to the airport and we were bang on time check in was just about to open and the reps stood and made sure every1 was ok and had a good holiday and had no problems and if there was they would sort it straight away, so i will def b bookin with direct ski in december again because they couldnt of done more for me and they gave me the best holiday yet

Be aware they are registered in Ireland so complaints and court procedure are more difficult.

I used them once and trying to get my money to be refund.

Very bad and low standard of service.

Complaints are not accepted.

I have just returned from my second ski holiday with Direct Ski. The first time they changed the flight times from a noon flight to an early morning one from Gatwick which meant the additional cost of overnight accommodation as one could not get an early enough train from Milton Keynes.

I decided to give them a second chance and they did something similar - only worse. Once again they changed the flight times but went a step further and instead of using the usual airports for Andorra (Toulouse and Barcelona) changed the airport for both arrival and departure to Lleida. Yes, I had never heard of it either. It was being used for international flights for the first time ever and is primitive. On arrival the queue for passport control is outside (it's mid-winter remember) and takes forever. Departure was slightly better inasmuch as it had a roof but it was still open to the elements and freezing. The check-in procedure was inefficient beyond belief. The Direct Ski reps were no help at all in sorting out problems. This had been the case throughout the trip and we soon learned that nothing we were told by them could be believed

If all that sounds bad enough, the real killer and the main reason that I will never use Direct Ski again is that our coach transfer from the hotel on departure morning was at the completely unnessarily early time of 0435. This for a flight that left nearly 9 hours later with a transfer travelling time of only 2 hours. Clearly the interests, comfort and convenience of customers is of no concern to Direct Ski.

"Save £70 book by 2pm" said Directski's misleading advert. If I'd waited till 2pm I could have saved more, not less as the price went down at 2 pm not up! Days later it was even lower and two weeks later is lower still and we aren't even in the skiing season! Will never book a holiday with them again. They aren't to be trusted.It's one thing to discount holidays nearer the departure date but to keep changing the price so far in advance and giving the impression the holiday is going to cost more if you don't book now is just dishonest.

Having not yet been on this holiday I can't comment on the accommodation but we have booked specifically with this company for the 6.25 am flight so that we can arrive, unpack, sort out skis, get kids fed etc. Twice now we have had the flight time changed, the second time only this morning, 2 days before due to travel. We will now arrive at resort at 9.30 pm (7 hours later htan scheduled) with 2 young kids having not eaten an evening meal which we have paid for. We are infuriated with this company and would advise anyone NOT to book with direct ski