Last-minute deals and cheap flights will be in short supply this summer, according to the head of Tui Group.
Chief executive Sebastian Ebel warned that people cannot expect bargains shortly before departure.
Europe’s largest travel group, which reports results for the first half of its financial year tomorrow (Wednesday), is seeing exceptionally high demand in the first full summer since the end of the pandemic.
Ebel told German weekly newspaper Bild that Greece is the best-booked destination, with some destinations already full.
There will be no “last-minute summer” as in previous years, he said.
“On the contrary, prices will tend to be higher rather than lower shortly before departure, because hoteliers and airlines also know that a lot is still booked at short notice,” Ebel added.
“Spontaneous bargains will be the absolute exception.”
Demand for holiday flights is exceeding supply.
“That’s why these cheap offers with selective exceptions for marketing campaigns will no longer exist as they used to,” Ebel said.
“We will make a profit this year. We have fully repaid the government aid in the last few days,” he continued, referring to the repayment of three German ‘stabilsation’ state aid loans worth around €4.3 billion received during the Covid-19 crisis.
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