Received from Mrs T, Skopelos client:
Dear All
I have just returned home following a 24hr+ journey and would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all at Sunvil Holidays and GIC both on the islands and in the UK, for their tremendous efforts in making that journey possible. Following the collapse of XL, there must be so many people still desperately trying to get home.
This was my first holiday with your company, but hopefully will not be the last. The holiday itself was wonderful. I have been to Skopelos on two previous occasions and on my last visit 7 years ago, also stayed at the Andromachi Studios. For me they are situated in just the right location. I shall look forward to your 2009 brochure.
Once again, many, many thanks.
Mr & Mrs R, Alonissos clients:
I would much prefer to speak to someone - but I appreciate how busy you all must be - to offer our thanks to all concerned - especially Julia Browne - for the time and effort spent in arranging to get us home from Alonissos on Friday. Inevitably there were some lows as well as highs along the way, but the fact remains that we arrived home just nine hours later than we had anticipated. Considering that the news had only broken that morning, that was no mean feat and looking at the TV coverage since our return, we realise how well you all did for us in the circumstances.
I do want to bring to Management's attention just how fantastic Julia was - a real gem. When we finally left her Friday night, she looked all in. All we had to do was sit on a plane, she had to start again!
We really enjoyed our holiday in Alonissos at the Atrium Hotel and had resolved to return. All I can hope is that this experience does not impact upon your support of the smaller islands.
Anyway, enough of my ramblings. You know how we feel and I must let you get back to the work in hand.
Mr & Mrs E, Skiathos clients:
Just a little note to express our thanks for all the care we received last friday 12th September, following the collapse of XL leisure. Julia and Pam (Reps) on skiathos, yourself at Gatwick and Tracey in the office on Saturday morning.
We had a fantastic holiday and you all worked so hard to ensure it didn't end on a bad note.
Please forward our thanks to Pam and Julia for the help they gave us during the holidays.
Mr & Mrs K, Skopelos clients:
Just to say thank you for getting us home last Friday (12th) from Skopelos. Our reps Peter and Jayne did a great job and could not have been more helpful - will recommend and use again in future.
Palmerston Travel, Cheshire:
I'd just like to offer my heartfelt thanks for the unimaginable efforts you surely had to go to to secure an alternative Samos flight following the demise of XL. My clients are delighted that they can continue with their 2 centre holiday to Ikaria and Samos as planned and with just a 3 1/2 hour difference in their resort arrival time!!
The bespoke nature of your product would have made finding a suitable alternative virtually impossible. I don't know how much longer you must continue to wear the capes and the pants on the outside but thank you for this superhuman effort. It is at such times we are reminded that quality of service is of paramount importance in this industry.
Mr K, Samos client:
I feel I just have to compliment your company on your dedication to duty and professionalism. We go to samos twice a year and have done for the last eight years. For the past 5 yrs we have travelled with manos. Following the xl collapse, manos duly cancelled holidays on the friday afternoon which i can understand. However your company continued with your quest to provide holidays there and succeeded.
This took an enormous effort I know and prooves that your customer services are at the very top of your companies policy. I sit here very envious of the people who booked with you and not with the so called "BIG 2".
I know your representative kate in resort and when i phoned her she did say that you were doing everything possible to get people out and unbelievably you have succeded.
I did try to get out their with your goodselves but was told that you had no spare capacity which I fully understand. I have your 2008 brochure and have ordered your 2009 brochure. I know I did not book with you this year but just felt I had to let you know how much I admire all your efforts I just find it an absolutely stunning dedication to your customers.
Mr & Mrs F, Samos clients:
What absolutely fabulous people you are. However did you achieve that!
Many, many thanks for doing everything you said you would, we cannot believe that a company of your size has looked after it's customers so well. When we return from Samos, we will be writing to you in order that you can show others what a tremendous Company, Sunvil really is, and whatever your competitors say, they are not going to beat you for professionalism and integrity.
You deserve a holiday!!
Mr & Mrs C, Samos clients:
Dear all at Sunvil - we've just returned from yet another fantastic holiday in Kokkari on Samos with your company. We just wanted to say well done and a very big thank you to you all for the massive logistical exercise you've carried out to get us all home safely (and are still doing, I expect). We know that behind the scenes you must have been working long hours to get things to happen and we wanted to say also a big thank you to Nina Talarowski, your rep in Kokkari. She's always been a terrific rep but after XL Air went out of business, she remained calm, reassuring, organised, informative and funny and gave us the confidence to enjoy our hols knowing you'd get us back somehow.
We just hope that you can organise another carrier next year as we've already booked our return trip to Kokkari next May (boring, aren't we) as when you find a place that just ticks all the boxes and is well organised, it's doesn't make sense to risk disappointment somewhere else.
Despina and Yiannis at Despina studios are such warm hosts and make us so welcome - big thanks to them - hope they stay with Sunvil!
Best wishes from two very satisfied customers
Mr & Mrs H, Samos clients:
To all at Sunvil,
Just had to e-mail to say that we have just returned from 2 wonderful weeks in Kokkari, Samos. Needless to say we were caught up in the XL crisis and considered ourselves very lucky to have flown out on Thursday 11th Sept. The next morning we heard the news and had total confidence in Sunvil to deal with the situation. We were not dissappointed as within hours, our brilliant rep Nina had contacted us to reassure us that all was being dealt with and to continue to enjoy our holiday. She continued to update us with info. throughout our holiday even seeking us out on the beach! Even on our last day when our itinerary was still changing nothing was too much trouble for Nina and she continued to be informative with patience, charm and wit when she must have been frequently under pressure.
The logistical feat these problems XL created for Sunvil must have been horrendous and we really appreciated the massive efforts made by your staff in all departments.We know this was made even more complicated in Samos because of the airport requiring special licensed pilots and selected planes for the short runway.
This was the first time we had booked with Sunvil and thank goodness. Everything about our holiday was faultless and we will definately be using you again.Can't wait for your 2009 Greece brochure - please hurry!
Thankyou to everyone once again and a big thank you to Nina.
Mr & Mrs J, Samos clients:
We have recently returned to UK from our holiday spent on Samos Island, kindly provided by your company.
You will have realised that the problems created by the downfall of XL Airlines have caused a great deal of distress and anxiety for a number of people, including my wife and I.
I trust that you will not mind me raising the fact that we believe that your company, in particularly your staff, should be extremely proud that they managed to achieve getting us on our holiday when a number of other operators threw in the towel and cancelled holidays.
Whilst the travel arrangements were haphazard, we accepted that it was a challenge to you to both arrange and notify us to travel in the first place let alone get us to our expected destination.
In talking to a number of ‘fellow travellers’ we feel that a big vote of thanks is due to you, but more particularly to your staff, who maintained constant dialogue with us in a courteous and helpful manner.
It must have been a very trying time for you all so – Thank you.
We could not have wished for more.
Mrs M, Skiathos client:
Dear all
You have excelled yourselves!
Thank you all very much for all your work on our behalf, finding flights London/Skiathos and back, transfers, and collecting two stray students from Manchester and returning them safely, an absolutely magnificent effort, and all done with such efficiency and good will. Whilst rather a long wait at Volos you gave us a delightful lunch – a very good way to pass the time.
Mrs W, Skopelos Tour Leader:
As a leader having just returned with a private painting group from Skopelos in these uncertain times, I feel I must write to thank you and your team for amazing work. It must have been a nightmare for the whole team since XL went down, but everyone in the office and on the ground in the resorts has risen well beyond the challenge.
It must be difficult to find seats for individuals, but to obtain block seating for a party of 21 with all the transfer implications as well, I would have considered nigh on impossible! As a leader I was delighted with the support and assurance from firstly yourself and later from the Sunvil staff at the airport and at the resort. My students were all full of praise and I hope that some of them might feel compelled to pass on their appreciation in letter form or by ‘phone.
I was particularly impressed by the outer serenity with which you and your team coped, and your professional stance regarding not giving specific information until it was confirmed, so that arrangements were not constantly changed. The communications throughout were excellent and the effort on your part to make personal telephone contact with each member of the party added to the feeling of reassurance and calm that my students experienced.
To have laid on a meal at Sunvil’s expense at Volos while we waited for a transfer to the airport went completely beyond expectations, and was a very welcome and well-received treat at the end of the holiday.
I am delighted that we have already arranged to organise two more painting trips through you and feel completely confident that you would be able to cope with any unexpected turn, although we all hope that nothing of this nature will have to be dealt with again!
Again, very many thanks for both myself and from the whole party.
XL Airways page >
Sunvil homepage >
