5 reasons to book your next holiday early

In my experience of booking holidays for my clients over the years I have seen the same annual patterns emerge when it comes to the ‘early birds’ compared with the ‘last minute bookers’. This year I have spent time making some specific comparisons on holidays I have booked for my clients and studied the price difference between bookings made 10 months in advance versus 10 weeks in advance. I have seen clients pay up to 40% more on accommodation alone and that’s before the cost difference in the flight prices which can be double what you would pay if you book them as early as possible. Most airlines publish their fares around 11 months in advance which is the best time to grab yourself a seat at the lowest price. From there on, it’s a case of supply and demand driving the price up and up and up….

My clients who booked their 2022 Summer holidays between October – December 2021 paid deposits as low as £270 and got a far better deal than those who waited until much nearer the time and they saved themselves thousands of pounds. They also got their first choice when it came to selecting their preferred room type and resort view because availability was plentiful.

The same goes for other peak travel periods such as Easter and Christmas. If you want to take your family to the Caribbean at Easter you will save a fortune if you book it in June or July the year before rather than waiting until January. And if you fancy a festive escape to warmer climates over the Christmas period, I recommend booking something in January or February to beat the rush and bag yourself a bargain.

I often describe my specialism as ‘affordable luxury’ and what I mean by this is that I provide my clients with great value, a service you won’t find online and exclusive rates at some amazing five star hotels around the world packaged together with flights and transfers for a whole lot less than you will find elsewhere. Whilst my service remains the same all year round, the ‘great value’ element is at its greatest when we can take advantage of the best rates when they’re available.

In the last two years holiday prices have increased significantly as a result of Covid, Brexit and political factors that have affected supply, capacity and availability for airlines, staff and accommodation as well as globally increased fuel costs. Now more than ever, it really pays to take this advice on board and save yourself as much money as possible with a bit of prior planning.

I recently had client’s return from an incredible honeymoon in the Maldives which was booked as soon as the air fares and hotel rates were published (11 months in advance). They paid a deposit of £270 until their balance was due 12 weeks before travel and over the course of the year they contributed payment amounts of their choice as and when they could. Two month before they departed I checked how much the same honeymoon would cost if they’d booked it 9 months later and the price had increased by 28% - that’s a saving of £1,920 that they were so grateful for.

In February this year (exactly 5 months ago at time of writing) I booked a family of 4 to the Dominican Republic to depart this December (In 5 months time). Their booking includes Premium flights with BA, private transfers, and a Deluxe Family Room for 14 nights on an All-Inclusive basis at a 5* hotel. Today, just for fun, I re-priced this exact same holiday to find that if they had booked it 5 months in advance instead of 10 months in advance it would have cost them an additional £4,000.

TOP FIVE REASONS TO BOOK YOUR HOLIDAY EARLY

1. SAVE LOADS OF MONEY

Get the lowest possible airfare and save thousands of pounds on accommodation

2. PLENTY OF TIME TO PAY

Book with a low deposit and have plenty of time to budget and pay off your balance at your own pace

3. MORE CHOICE

Abundant availability to secure your first choice hotel, room type and resort view

4. FLEXIBLE TERMS

Maximum flexibility with amendment and cancellation terms

5. THE JOY OF PLANNING

Booking early gives you something special to look forward to for longer and maximises the pre-holiday excitement period whilst giving you plenty of time to research the local area to make the most of your holiday when the time comes

Get in touch to start planning your next great value holiday in plenty of time with plenty of choice, a low deposit, and a personal service with expert knowledge and advice at no extra cost.