Trade welcomes 2027 momentum amid ‘incredibly late’ bookings

The trade reported continued demand for “incredibly late” bookings as the school summer holidays got underway, but many agents also noted growing momentum for future seasons despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainty.

 

Advantage Travel Partnership achieved 6% growth in sales last week against the week before, alongside year-on-year growth of 10%, with 42% of bookings for travel in the next 12 weeks.

 

Commercial director John Sullivan added the proportion of late bookings was “slightly up” compared with the same point last year.

 

The heads of the two biggest carriers in the UK highlighted the unusually late market when reporting their latest results last week.

 

EasyJet chief executive Kenton Jarvis reported “a shortened booking window across the sector” but insisted the carrier was performing “well” in lates, while Ryanair Group chief executive Michael O’Leary noted “people are making up their minds much later”.

 

Alan Bowen, legal advisor to the Association of Atol Companies, said: “Short-haul bookings are coming in for within a fortnight; it’s incredibly late. It means airlines cannot predict what sales will be like, which affects pricing.”

 

He added: “Even for longhaul, such as the US and Caribbean, operators would expect bookings six months in advance and they are getting two to three months in advance.”

 

A number of agency chiefs noted the continued strength of the lates market but also hailed healthy sales for future seasons.

 

Dawson & Sanderson managing director David Chambers said business last week was “positive”, with bookings up 11% year on year.

 

He added about 50% of bookings were for departures before the end of September, while summer 2027 departures accounted for about 30%.

 

Experience It Now director Richard Light said: “There will always be some customers who leave it until the last minute, but that’s not what we’re seeing across the board.

 

“July has been our second-busiest month ever and many people are booking well into the future. In fact, 54% of our most recent bookings are for 2027 and beyond, so customers are clearly still happy to commit.”

 

He said the latest military strikes between the US and Iran had failed to deter people from booking a holiday.

 

“The situation in the Middle East does make some people think twice about certain destinations, but it isn’t stopping them from travelling. They’re simply looking at alternative destinations if they’re unsure,” he said. 

 

Paula Gleeson, head of commercial at Seaside Travel, noted the lack of demand for Dubai, but said the last two weeks of trading had been “fantastic”, adding: “Lates in particular have been amazing.”

 

Idle Travel director Tony Mann said most of the bookings in the last week were for departures in the next eight weeks, but turnover linked to 2027 was already strong, while Newport-based La Vida Travel director Karen Marin Reyes said sales were split equally between lates and further-out departures.

 

“We’ve been really busy – our sales are up year on year,” she said.

 

Protected Trust Services managing director Emma Collis said 40% of recent bookings had been for winter departures, with December particularly strong, but she described late demand as “subdued”.

 

“Family enquiries are largely focused on future seasons,” she added.