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LAST MINUTE HOLIDAYS

Late Deal Holidays

Last minute holidays are fantastic. They’re perfect if you want a great holiday for excellent value and are open to seeing any beautiful, sunny corner of the world. You can’t beat that rush of spontaneity either! Best of all is that you’re likely to grab a bargain too – waiting to book a holiday at the last minute means you can take advantage of the discounts on offer, snapping up a great deal for a fraction of its original price.
So, if you’re wondering how to get the best last minute holiday deals, look no further. Here’s everything you need to know.

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO BOOK A LAST MINUTE HOLIDAY?

People argue about the best time to a book a last minute holiday, so it’s not surprising that we’re all so unsure about it. Some people say that booking at the very last minute (just days before you jet off) is the best way to do it, whereas others say you should book about four weeks in advance of heading to the airport.
The best time for you will depend on who you’re going on holiday with. If you’re going on holiday on your own or as a couple, you might be able to be very flexible, snapping up the last couple of plane seats and checking into one lovely remaining hotel room. In this case, waiting until the very last minute is a good idea.
On the other hand, if you’re travelling with children or as a large group, you’ll understandably be interested in getting plane seats and hotel rooms beside one another. If that’s the case, you’re better off booking approximately four weeks before you want to go to make sure you have a good choice of options.

WHEN DO LAST MINUTE FLIGHTS GET CHEAPER?

Generally, last minute flights get cheaper the closer it gets to the departure date. This might mean holding out to book your holiday a little closer to the week you want to go away on, but there are plenty of good deals to be found along the way. Flight prices vary in price throughout the week, and even at different times of day, so you can find great deals if you’d prefer not to leave it too late.
The best thing you can do if you want to find cheap flights for a last minute holiday is to be flexible; if you don’t need to stick to a specific departure or return date you could snap up a great deal, regardless of how ‘late’ you leave it booking your holiday.

SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR AN ALL-INCLUSIVE DEAL?

You might also be wondering whether you should look for an all-inclusive deal when you’re booking a last minute holiday. Again, it entirely depends on your situation. If you’re the kind of person who spends lots of time outside of your holiday resort and likes to eat in different restaurants every night, a half-board or self catering last minute deal might be a good option.
However, if you know you’d like to relax close to your accommodation, splash in the pool and help yourself to the the food on offer in the hotel restaurant, an all-inclusive deal would be perfect.
Paris, Copenhagen and Venice make fantastic last minute, short-haul city-break destinations. Or, you’ll find an amazing last minute deal on long-haul destinations to places like the Dominican Republic, Hong Kong or Phuket… making that ‘holiday of a lifetime’ so affordable that you can go right now!
Package vs DIY holidays
The first thing to decide is whether a package holiday’s right for you, or if you would get a better deal booking a DIY flight and hotel online.
A package holiday is an all-in-one, where the tour operator provides flights, connections and accommodation for one price. That means they’re off-the-peg and best suited for standard breaks of standard length.
Package holidays are usually protected
ATOL certificate
Package holidays generally come with added ATOL or ABTA consumer protection. This means that if the travel company fulfilling your booking goes bust, you’ll be refunded if you’re yet to travel, or found alternative accommodation and flights home if you’re abroad.
Always ask a broker before you book: “Is this holiday ATOL-protected?” and “What happens if my flight is cancelled?” Also, watch out for holidays booked through airline companies – not all are ATOL-protected.
The collapse of online travel agent Lowcostholidays in July 2016 shows the importance of ATOL protection. Almost 140,000 holidaymakers found they had little official protection after the firm went into administration, as it was registered in Spain and so didn’t have ATOL protection.
You can check if you’ll get ATOL protection via the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA’s) ATOL holder search. With all holidays, if you’re covered, you’ll get an ‘ATOL certificate’.
Changes to the ATOL system in 2012 mean package holidays aren’t the only way to get protection for your trip. If you book a flight plus separate hotel or car hire together (or within 24 hours) from the same travel website (not airline), you get ATOL protection, just as with a traditional package holiday.
It’s worth comparing this with booking the cheapest flight and hotel separately to see how much this protection ‘costs’ you. Also, bear in mind Expedia*, Travelocity*, Ebookers* and Lastminute.com* often give extra discounts for flights and hotels booked together, though always check if you can get it cheaper separately – see Cheap Flights and Cheap Hotels for MoneySaving tips.
With DIY holidays that don’t include this type of ATOL protection, if one of the components fails, you’re unlikely to get your money back unless the transaction was over £100 and you paid by credit card (for more on this, read a full guide to Section 75 Refunds).