Many of us do exactly the same thing throughout the year…we start saving for our annual summer holidays. This year seems to be different, the savings account has been dipped into and the credit cards are maxed out!
With the credit crunch affecting most of us, finding enough spare cash to book a holiday with can prove almost impossible.
I like to have my holidays booked well in advance of travelling, it gives me time to book my holidays in at work, start saving and leaves plenty of time to look forward to it. At the moment i'm panicking because I have no holidays booked, nothing to look forward to and my bank balance doesn't look too promising.People tend to think that because we are in a recession, tour operators will be dropping the prices of all holidays, unfortunately this doesn't seem to be the case. Tour operators pay for the hotels in Euros, therefore lose out on the terrible exchange rate as much as we do. Hotels are not dropping their prices therefore the tour operators cannot drop theirs. Flights have not become cheaper to fly overnight, they still use the same amount of fuel and charge the same compulsory taxes. The pilot and crew still need paying as do the airport and ground staff….unfortunately holiday reps don’t work for free either!
When looking ahead to book a holiday for 2010, the prices look very expensive. I have searched a number of operators but cannot find anything around the price I paid last year. I think that tour operators are keeping holiday prices high in the hope that things will turn around and people will start booking.
I personally cannot see the end to the current recession anytime soon, therefore will not be able to consider booking my next summer holiday anytime soon. When looking at late deals for this year, the prices are so cheap! There are so many available, whether that’s because the tour operators have alot of stock left and are trying to get rid of it, or whether that’s just the norm for this time of year…I’m not sure but I think it's amazing!
Comparing these great late deals to the same time next year, got me thinking! My plan is to choose where I want to go to, check which dates the flights are leaving, get my holidays booked in at work (leaving a few days flexibility either side) then wait up until 2-3 weeks before I plan on departing, and start checking the prices.
The best way to find
late holiday deals is by waiting and waiting. Search through 2-3 major tour operators online, phone through to call centres for extra discount and as soon as you find the price you're happy with, get it booked! If you are realistic with your budget and what you're looking for, you should find the perfect holiday without too much trouble.
