It’s often said that everyone loves a bargain, but that’s not entirely true – some people prefer to splash out big bucks because they believe it’ll get them something exclusive and high quality. For the rest of us mortals, however, competing for cheap travel deals has become something of a national pastime. Travel comparison websites are all the rage, and – largely thanks to consumer intelligence campaigners like Martin Lewis – getting the best value for money is almost an artform. Here’s the latest intelligence from travel industry insiders:
Early is now usually better
According to ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents), genuine last-minute deals are getting rarer and rarer, because operators have higher quality data than they used to, and are getting much better at predicting demand. Unless you have an unusually flexible lifestyle, or really don’t mind where you end up going on holiday, booking as far in advance as you can bear will typically net you better savings than waiting until the last minute. This means being organised, planning ahead, and committing to long term plans – easy for some, but if you’re the hectic type, try thinking of it as giving yourself an oasis to look forward to. Get that done, and you can get on with everything else that’s flying around your schedule.
Booking in advance is especially important if you’re organising some sort of get-together – for example, a villa or cottage in a location that’s mutually convenient for all your scattered family. The challenge in this example is getting everyone else to commit to a date!
When does last-minute outperform early bird bookings?
Normally if you are super-flexible – either you have time off but don’t mind where you go, or you can travel whenever flights and rooms are best value. There will be a risk that you don’t find anything, but there’s normally something interesting available at low cost for the open-minded last-minute traveller. If you’re into adventure travel and guided trips, rumour has it that small group tours are more likely to have good last minute discounts because they have to cover fixed costs, and thus need to fill as many places as possible to turn a profit.
Sign up to newsletters and social media feeds
Most travel operators, travel comparison sites and airlines send out email newsletters with up-to-date deals, and alerts whenever they have a sale. Many also have comprehensive social media coverage, giving followers preferential treatment – providing you’re on the ball, you’ll read about the latest deals before everyone else finds them. Travelzoo has an especially active social media presence, with frequent updates and reliable info. If a travel site’s Facebook or Twitter doesn’t look like it’s updated regularly, it’s normally better to sign up to the e-newsletter, as most companies have got their email shot acts together by now, whereas social media still seems to be a challenge for some!
Travel myths busted
It used to be “common knowledge” that the cheapest flights are on Tuesday, but they’re actually spread across Tues – Thurs, with early morning flights usually cheaper.
“Australia is cheapest in January”. Actually the best fares are found in early December, but they are normally booked up by the previous February, so get in quick.
“Sunny weather means more people will be going abroad”. Actually, if there’s a good British summer,demand for European sunspots is often lower, so it’s an especially good time to find bargains abroad.
