BETWEEN a fifth and a quarter of the population always hold out for a late deal, according to operators and agents. But with operators more cautious this year and reducing capacity, prices in the traditionally weak months of May and June have held up reasonably well.
Just around the corner, though, is the critical six weeks between mid-July and August when operators make the vast bulk of their money.
Which holidays have been slow to take off this summer? Where are the good deals? And what products have sold so well you won’t be able to find a late deal for love nor money? Travel Weekly finds out.
Short haul
What’s available? Cosmos overseas purchasing and operations director Hugh Morgan said the reduction in capacity, particularly in the western Mediterranean, means late bookers will not necessarily pick up cheap deals.
“May and June are normally a disaster,” he said. “But for the first time in a while operators are smiling.”
Pockets of availability remain in Turkey at the beginning of July although prices are virtually identical to brochure rates. “It is a fallacy that a late deal is always cheap,” said Morgan.
Sold out: in-fashion Croatia has sold well, with few cheap deals expected to materialise. Bulgaria and Egypt have also sold well although there is likely to be some availability.
Sample product: Cosmos has seven nights at a two-star self-catering apartment in Antalya, Turkey, for £189 per adult and £149 per child, at the end of June, from Manchester.
Accommodation-only
What’s available? If it’s European city-centre accommodation you’re after, bargains abound, with some prices being slashed by 50%, according to HotelConnect marketing manager Nicky Clarke.
“We are likely to have lots of late availability in July/August when there is usually a lull in city breaks,” she said.
The picture is different for resort accommodation. Somewhere2stay commercial manager Steven Moore said deals in mainland Spain will be available in the first two weeks of July – a traditionally weak pre-school period – but high-season prices remain strong.
But Lowcostbeds chief executive Paul Evans said hoteliers in Spain are likely to pump out special offers. “There may be 20% more arrivals but 3% fewer bednights,” he said. “Hoteliers need to fill the rooms.”
Sold out: if you’re after a cheap deal in Cyprus, you’ll be disappointed. Many of its brochure hotels are three and four star, and less likely to discount.
Sample product: HotelConnect has three-star properties in Rome in July and August from £31 per person per night – a 65% reduction. Somewhere2Stay has seven nights’ self-catering at the Sa Coma Platja apartments in Majorca at £30 per person per night, based on four sharing, departing early July.
Flight-only
What’s available? Capacity is tight, meaning few late bargains. Tiny pockets of availability – literally two or three seats – for departures within three days are likely to be on the market but high-season capacity will be scarce.
Avro managing director Michael Vinales said: “There are currently lots of cheap no-frills seats to mainland Spain but prices will go up closer to departure. People will then shop around the charter carriers and our prices will also rise as a result.”
Sold out: anywhere involving a civilised departure time. “Flights to Tenerife at 9am on a Friday are at a premium,” said Vinales. Cyprus is also proving popular and while flights are available, prices are on the rise.
Sample product: Avro has flights from Birmingham to Lanzarote departing July 7 for £129 and Gatwick to Corfu departing July 18 from £159.
Long haul
What’s available? Because few long-haul operators have guarantees on scheduled flights, there is not the same pressure to shift stock. That said, operators are keen to use their allocation while airlines and hotels have late offers, so deals are around.
Predictably, decent late offers can be found to the Far East – for instance, Thailand, the Maldives and Sri Lanka – as the region continues to recover from the tsunami.
Kuoni product director Francis Torrilla said: “People are booking later, sometimes even two weeks before departure.”
Sold out: Dubai – availability is tight.
Sample product: Kuoni offers a fortnight’s all-inclusive at the Meedhupparu Island Resort in the Maldives for £1,189 per person for departures in early July – saving £471 on the brochure price.
City breaks
What’s available? The traditional short-breaks market effectively operates entirely in the lates market with the bulk of bookings made within eight weeks of departure.
This summer, Paris, Brussels and Brugges will offer the best deals, with Eurostar offering free first-class upgrades on some services.
Rome will also be throwing up some fantastic deals, according to Cresta product development manager Ian Lomas.
“Rome is very hot in August but it’s our best month because of the deals in the market,” he said. “Most hoteliers, probably about 80%, offer competitive rates in July and August.”
Sold out: Dubai and New York are extremely unlikely to throw up any decent offers, according to Lomas.
“Getting a foothold in Dubai in terms of additional allocations is very difficult,” he said. “We may get a flight deal here and there from Emirates or British Airways but not from hoteliers. Demand is far outstripping supply.”
The same goes for New York – a perennial favourite.
Sample product: Cresta has two-night breaks at the five-star Marriott and Renaissance hotels in Brussels at £149 per person including first-class Eurostar travel – approximately £200 cheaper than the brochure price.
