Booking a last minute holiday

eskbanker

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82037598#Comment_82037598

How would you feel if she kept trying to push you towards supporting Spurs? 😉

Arsenal2019

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82037655#Comment_82037655

I’d be… concerned 😂

Grumpy_chap

It might be worth the OP signing up for some of the larger travel company marketing email. You get a lot of junk, but sometimes some good offers. It also depends how flexible you can be on every parameter of the holiday and your instant-ness of personal availability to travel.

As an example I received a marketing email at the beginning of last week (Tuesday) with an offer to Cyprus flying from Bristol on all inclusive basis in a 4-rated hotel. Fly Wednesday (the next day) and return Sunday was one offer. Fly Thursday and return Sunday was - IIRC - £130 each based on two sharing. It's desperation selling empty seats and empty nights.

Arsenal2019

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82039924#Comment_82039924

do you know what I would have to type in or what companies do this? I am highly flexible so that’s something I could deffo do!

Grumpy_chap

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82040185#Comment_82040185

The TUI and Jet 2 sites both have subscribe functions.

The last minute deal sent this Tuesday just gone (16th) was for 7 nights AI in Egypt 5'T' destination departing Birmingham today, £600 each.

While there won't be many people able to just go for a week with only 2 days' notice, that seemed a good price to me.

There were other holidays offered as "last minute" but actually a month away at £1.5k each

Arsenal2019

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82040216#Comment_82040216

thanks!

Yes, I’ve noticed quite a lot of the so called deals are not something you’d associate to be a ‘deal’ . I’m sure however the odd one will come up every now and then

SpeedSouth

We booked a TUI holiday this year. We booked it i think 18 days before we flew. We'd be monitoring prices for ages. Only ever done that type of holiday once before.

In the lead up there was huge fluctuations in price from.one day to the next. The hotel and holiday we ended up with was the cheapest we saw it by chance. The following day and days after it jumped by £1,000 circa 25% up on what we paid.

Other resorts did similar.

Arsenal2019

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82040792#Comment_82040792

interesting! Thanks for this info! I’ll monitor and look to book at least a week before travel

Grumpy_chap

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82040792#Comment_82040792

That is probably not that surprising.

TUI (or whoever) contract with the hotel to take, say, 25 rooms every night and pay for those rooms whether empty or full.

Two other tour operators also take 25 rooms every night and pay regardless.

The hotel also has 25 direct sale rooms.

Three weeks out, sales have been poor. TUI offer their remaining rooms at a discount to get the rooms sold. TUI do not need to make a profit on these rooms, just to cover the costs.

Two weeks out, TUI have sold all their rooms but the hotel offers 5 additional rooms at a discount to TUI. TUI don't need to sell these rooms but will do so if they can make a profit.