In these years following the recession, our holiday demands have become, well, more demanding. Money is too tight to mention, but we aren’t about to give up our week in the sun. This means we have to make what little money we do have for a holiday stretch further than ever. This isn’t easy, what with rising fuel costs, tax increases and inflation. But with some know how and savvy shopping tricks it is possible. Here are a few tips on how to bag that bargain holiday.
Travel at the very last minute
Can you travel at the drop of a hat, like tomorrow? If so then you could be in for some serious bargains. Tour operators and travel agents buy up an allocation of seats on a plane and rooms in a hotel. They need to fill these seats and rooms or else they will lose money. They would rather sell then at a huge discount and break even rather than leave them empty at full price and make a loss. If you can wait until just before the holiday is about to commence you can find amazing bargains.
Allocation on arrival
This basically means you won’t know which hotel you will be staying in until you arrive at your destination. Tour ops and travel agents use this option to give them greater flexibility if they have bought a lot of allocation in one resort. You will be guaranteed a certain star quality and board basis, and usually get to see which hotels you could end up in. If you aren’t fussed about how far out of town you are, then this is a great option and an easy way to save money.
Travel outside of peak times
If you are willing to travel at 4am or 11pm in the off season you will be able to find decent rates even on scheduled flights. Likewise, if you don’t mind transiting through at least one other airport with a long layover, you will also find yourself plenty of bargain options. You can also look at flying on standby if you don’t have any specific accommodation booked at your destination. You may have to wait in the airport or by the phone for a few days, but you could end up getting a cheap flight right at the last minute.