I’m a money saving expert – here’s why you should book your package holiday at the last minute
A TRAVEL expert advises to get the best deals on a package holiday, book as late as possible.
According to the Money Saving Expert website, run by Martin Lewis, waiting until the last minute to book often pays off as prices start to plummet.
It says: “The reason’s simple. Tour operators have chartered the planes and reserved the rooms, and, if they don’t shift ’em, they lose money.
“The later you leave it, the more desperate they are to flog empty rooms, so the price drops further.”
However, the site does warn by doing that you will have much less choice and you will have to be flexible both about when and where you go.
If you need to go somewhere which has, say, creche facilities, then you might be out of luck if you leave it too late in the day.
However, if you just want somewhere hot and aren’t fussed where that is, then the advice is to leave it until a week before you want to fly.
That way, you might get a fancy break at a rock bottom price.
No matter if you book early or late don’t forget you will need travel insurance.
Package holidays do often provide more protection than a DIY package when flights and hotels are booked separately.
Money Saving Expert says: “In 2020, travellers who’d booked flights and hotels separately found it harder to get refunds from airlines when holidays were cancelled, because the flight itself was still running.”
You also get greater protection with a package holiday through ATOL and ABTA.
In short, if the travel company fulfilling your booking goes bust, you’ll be refunded if you’re yet to travel, or found alternative accommodation and flights home if you’re abroad.
While package holidays are often the cheapest way to travel for a break, it is worth comparing costs with a DIY holiday.
Generally, if you want to get away for a seven, 10 or 14 day break to a traditional holiday destination, then a package holiday is often your best bet but if you want to go, say, for longer or to a less popular area, it might be cheaper to book flights and hotels separately.
As well, if you are flexible about when you do go for your break, it’s best to go when others can’t for the best deals – such as going outside of school term times.
If you are restricted to school holidays, it is often cheaper to fly out towards the end of the holiday.
So if you can head to the sun towards the end of August, rather than at the start of the school holiday, prices are also that bit cheaper.