Why we're better...
Online Booking (Part I)
The most obvious difference between Directski.com and other ski tour operators is that we are 100% online. Straight away, this means no expensive high street shops and no glossy brochures - you're saving money already!
Online Booking (Part II)
The really clever bit about being 100% online is what happens after you book. If you want to make a payment, check your booking or pre-book ski packs, we ask that you log-in an do this online anytime night or day. This means we don't need an army of administration staff (which saves you money) and it frees up our customer support team to allow them to focus on offering great customer support and advice. Call them - they know their stuff, they love to ski and they're here to help!
Keep it Simple
Ski Tour Operating can be a complicated business and it's behind the scenes that the work (and costs) can really ramp up. Put simply, we constantly challenge every business process to find if there's a simpler way of doing it. This means that we've been able to grow our business without adding extra back-office staff (again, this saves you money). It also results less mistakes which makes for happier staff, happier suppliers and happier customers!
Hire Smart People
(At Home)
Because we've done away with most of the mundane back-office tasks which drive up costs for "traditional" ski tour operators, we can afford to hire really smart people who have the time to figure out ways to further improve what we do. Laura, our Chief Lean Officer ensures every member of staff has the training and the tools to continually find ways to improve our customer experience while lowering costs.
Hire Smart People
(In Resort)
Ever go on a ski holiday and wonder why there are so many tour operator staff hanging around but not helping customers? Many ski tour operators hire cheap, inexperienced sales people to sell you stuff in resort then have to hire an army of managers to supervise them. We're different. We only hire smart, mature in-resort staff and then give them the training and tools to let them get on and do their job. The result is empowered, enthusiastic staff who provide a service our customers love.
Help Our Suppliers
Everyone wants a bargain but rather than just squeeze our suppliers for lower prices, we help them find ways to simplify and improve how we work together. This gives us access to better product, better availability and lower prices without compromising on service.
Simple, honest prices
We strongly believe in getting you sight of the price you will pay for your chosen holiday as quickly as possible. You won't find any sneaky airport supplements, baggage charges or airport taxes later on. Everything is included in the price you see at the start of our booking process. The only exception is credit card charges which we pass on to you at the same rate we're charged by the bank - however, we strongly recommend you pay by Maestro, Switch or Solo to avoid these charges.
We love to ski and it shows
Our founder and CEO Anthony Collins and his family have been skiing for years. Starting on the dry slopes as a kid, he quickly caught "the bug" and the whole family enjoyed yearly pilgrimages to the Alps. Now with kids of his own, he's experiencing skiing from the parents' point of view. His brother Neal represented Ireland as a junior skier and is now Sales & Marketing Director for Directski.com. All our staff you'll come in contact with are also avid skiers and we encourage our staff to visit our resorts at least once a year.
Every part of the Directski.com experience is designed by skiers for skiers. From the moment you arrive on the website until you arrive home, all aspects of your relationship with us has been carefully considered. From website design to hotel selection, everything is designed to make your holiday as enjoyable and as affordable as possible.
This results in over 50% repeat business each year plus lots of awards and accolades including Top 3 Ski Tour Operator in the Guardian Travel Awards (2010 and 2011).
Your holiday is fully protected
Directski.com is a licensed and bonded Tour Operator and all our holidays are fully protected. For passengers departing from the UK, our holidays are ATOL Protected by the Civil Aviation Authority (ATOL number 5653). For passengers departing from Ireland, our holidays are protected by the Irish Commission for Aviation Regulation (licence number is TO172) so, no matter what happens, you can be confident that your holiday and money are safe.
Directski.com is a well-funded, established tour operator whose shareholders include ACT Venture Capital, Ireland's leading Venture Capital fund, and Enterprise Ireland, the Irish government agency responsible for the development and promotion of the indigenous business sector.
Here's what our customers had to say
This is an e mail to congratulate you on your staff on your customer service . We travelled to Badhofgastein in February this year . We were a big group and I would say were quite difficult to manage as we gave you all a lot of trouble!! Even at the booking stage the people I spoke to were so helpful and pleasant.
Pamela Regan, Dublin
I would like to thank you for organising a very enjoyable holiday for my 3 children and myself in Andorra last week. It was a first time ski trip for all of us and I was a bit apprehensive. However the location was smashing, the instruction was excellent and the hotel was very good (Hotel Arinsal).
John Ryan, Dublin
Your colleagues, Directski were very efficient, organised and helpful.Thank you very much for all your help, you have been very helpful and accommodating throughout what has proved to be a complicated booking. I have been impressed with the customer services so far and would definitely use Direct Ski again and recommend them to others.
Richard Burberry, Wimbledon
I feel a need to say that I've never dealt with your company
before. I am impressed however with the prompt and efficient way in which you have dealt with my baggage query and subsequent change to booking with the addition of a ski bag. I normally dread trying to change anything but you have made it so easy!
Vernon Plim, Shropshire