Kuoni is to extend its guarantee of out-of-date range flights to more destinations up to October 2027.
The tour operator is committing to airfare prices with selected airlines to extra countries, including the Caribbean, Indian Ocean, Asia, Africa and north America.
The move is designed to help agents secure additional early bookings at a guaranteed price so there are no surprise cost increases at a later date.
Kuoni said it had listened to feedback from trade partners and added that the decision would particularly appeal to the family market who want to lock school holiday prices in at popular resorts or for special occasions and peak times.
Florida, Canada and Mauritius airfares are now guaranteed until October 2027 and the Caribbean, Asia, Africa and the Indian Ocean are guaranteed up until April 2027, including Easter. The guarantee is across all fares including economy, premium economy, and business class.
Sarah Weetman, head of trade partnerships, described the range of destinations and airlines guaranteed by Kuoni as “industry leading”.
She said: “We get feedback from partners that early booking requests are a challenge due to flight pricing not available so am sure that this flexible approach from us will be welcomed.
“By extending how far out we can now guarantee pricing it will give our trade partners the support they need to handle these enquiries with more confidence that the prices won’t go up in six months’ time when the flights are released, and they will have to handle a difficult conversation with their customers.”
She added: “The Kuoni Travel Experts in our Expert Hub are ready to support trade partners with enquiries beyond what the airlines currently have on sale and can help with pricing and securing early in demand requests from their customers”.
Other operators have made similar moves to allow agents to book out of date range flights. Gold Medal is allowing travel agents to book some packages online until 2027 for the first time.