In the last two weeks, several clients called us and asked for last-minute vacations at resorts in the Caribbean for the next week or two, assuming they’ll get great deals. Why? Because they found out about them on television.
Did they get great deals? Absolutely not. In fact, two of them ended up booking resorts they could drive to. While we had no trouble finding hotel rooms, last minute airfares made their vacation prohibitive. Of the few flights we found that had seats available, the air price was only between $ 1,200 and $ 1,500 for two tickets to Jamaica, Mexico, or California. That was the budget that each client had in mind for all their vacations.
Meanwhile, a client who booked a Cancun vacation in April for four nights at a four-star All-Inclusive paid $ 1,185 for two, including flights and transfers from Newark airport. Why? Because you booked early. Another example? I booked my own four night vacation from Long Island to Las Vegas four months ago for the week of September 28th. Direct flights from Long Island with four nights in Paris and roundtrip transfers. The price? $ 993 for two people. (That’s the normal price, not a travel agent fee – another fallacy is that travel agents always get discounted travel.) The same vacations today cost $ 1106.
We receive daily notices from providers with what they consider last minute trips that are actually three to four months away. In July, we receive reduced cruise rates from various cruise lines for trips in October. Here is an example of something we received today at discounted prices:
Mexican riviera
2009
September 26;
October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31;
November 7, 14, 21, 28;
December 5, 12
Prices start at $ 399 * $ 499 * $ 649 *
See the dates? The earliest date for sale prices is September 26.
We check last-minute prices for a seven-day New York to Bermuda cruise, two weeks before the ship’s scheduled departure. There were very few cabins left and an interior cabin was priced at $ 1779 per person. If the customer had looked six months ago, that same cabin would have cost around $ 800 per person from New York during the summer (the most expensive time to sail anyway).
Don’t believe all the last minute vacation hype you hear. The last minute in many cases means one, two, three or four months in advance. By waiting up to a week or two before you want to travel, you are dealing with planes that are almost full, as most airlines have reduced the number of flights to avoid flying planes that are not at capacity. Of the few seats you can find, the price is two to three times what you would have paid to book the flights three to six months in advance.
Book early to get the best prices. Our agency will always check prices several times before you travel and if we find a better price from the supplier, we will always try to get that price for you. But these days, it’s rare to see a price drop when you’ve booked ahead, with the exception of some cruises.
Buy travel insurance with coverage for cancellation for any reason. Several travel insurance companies have canceled the insurance for any reason. If something happens to your job or the economy takes a turn for the worse, you can cancel your vacation and get your money back. That type of insurance is definitely worth considering if you are concerned about the economy changing after booking your vacation. This type of insurance is more expensive than insurance that covers illness, but for some it is worth the extra money.
Last June, when the swine flu outbreak caused people who had booked at Mexican resorts to cancel their vacations or to rebook in other areas, those who canceled insurance for whatever reason were able to rebook and not have to worry about the penalties: the fines were reimbursed by your travel insurance. Those who chose insurance that only covered illness were not so lucky. Unless they were sick enough before their vacation to cancel their trip for covered reasons, they ran the risk of having to travel or losing their money.
Bottom line: book early, purchase travel insurance to protect your investment, and call in an experienced travel agent who will make sure your vacation is as hassle-free as possible.
