Agents report surge in ‘late late bookings’ as clients seek cheap deals

The trade has reported a sharp rise in late sales as holidaymakers continue to seek out cheaper deals at the last minute and are put off by peak prices.

 

Agents said the boom in “late late bookings”, including for May half-term, represented a repeat of the weeks prior to the Easter break.

 

The Advantage Travel Partnership said May had been its top-selling departure month for the past two weeks, accounting for an average 21% of weekly volumes, in part driven by the May half-term.

 

June was its next biggest seller, followed by July. Chief commercial officer Kelly Cookes said this indicated late sales were “very late” this year.

 

Overall, 39% of Advantage’s bookings last week were for the next 12 weeks.

 

She added: “We saw the same last-minute pattern for the Easter holidays, with consumers waiting until very late to decide whether to travel. Summer months are selling well but there is more growth in the shoulder months overall.”

 

Idle Travel director Tony Mann said even the recent spell of warm weather in the UK had failed to dampen late sales, adding: “We’re selling more lates than normal.”

 

Summer holidays prices a sticking point

 

But summer prices remained a sticking point for families, he said. “I think they’ll wait until prices come down a bit in June,” he added, but warned against “dramatic” price drops by suppliers later in the season.

 

Agents said suppliers were continuing to provide good-value offers to stimulate late sales.

 

Seaside Travel head of business and commercial Paula Gleeson said: “There are some absolute bargain prices about, lots of free child places, and families are still prepared to take kids out of school purely for price.”

 

Travel Stop owner Bridget Keevil agreed, adding: “Prices are still high for summer but out of the school holidays there are bargains to be had.”

 

Hays Travel personal travel consultant Ryan Lambton noted: “In other years, it’s not been this mad [in lates], and the deals weren’t there. Suppliers have really cottoned on and put prices down.”

 

Barrhead Travel cited value as key in the current market.

 

“Value is the common denominator across bookings just now – customers want to make sure their budget is going as far as possible,” said managing director Nicki Tempest-Mitchell.

 

“Summer lates are picking up pace already but we’re still booking spring bank holiday weekend getaways for those wanting some sunshine.”

 

Protected Trust Services reported a pick-up in lates but said most consumers were either booking “late last-minute departures” for June or early July or for peak summer, rather than May.

 

’People are booking closer to departure date’

 

Executive director Emma Collis said: “The general consensus across membership is people are booking closer to departure date.”

 

The Travel Network Group said bookings departing over May half-term in 2025 were 47% up on last May half-term.

 

A greater volume of bookings is departing within six weeks of booking, with no issues about availability of lates.

 

The consortium also noted that enquiries that have started for the US are converting but new enquiries not materialising as quickly as usual.

 

Vertical Travel Group chief executive Peter Healey remained optimistic about summer sales despite “a lot of unsold capacity” in the market.

 

“I’m hopeful the bookings that were slow to come will come now, as we get to this late-booking season,” he said.

 

InteleTravel UK managing director Tricia Handley-Hughes said a “sharp rise in short-term UK accommodation” could indicate domestic breaks were replacing “shorter overseas city breaks”.

 

The homeworking group attributed a 26% decrease in average booking values year on year to a rise in half-term bookings for domestic trips, which are up by 106% year on year.