1. Do your research
Before you do a holiday search decide what you want to get out of your holiday. Do you prefer the beach or the pool?, Do you ever want to leave the hotel?, what do you like to do on holiday etc etc. Once you work out what you want from your holiday it will make it easier to either do a holiday search online or speak to a travel agent. And don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and speak to an agent, the whole point of a good travel agent is that they should know what destinations are good and give you travel advice, if you find the travel agent you are speaking to is not so knowledgeable on the destination you want to visit then ask I there is anyone else available who has been to this destination. Travel agents are sent on trips to destinations called ‘educationals’ so they can familiarise themselves with the resort and hotels that are there, if you can speak to an agent that has visited the place they are talking about then it’s a real bonus and will help you get a really good idea about the destination you plan to visit.
2. Get advice or recommendations
Read holiday reviews for the hotel or destination you plan to visit; speak to friends and family to see if you know anybody who has been there before, getting advice from someone you know is invaluable as you know if they have a tendency to exaggerate or if they’re fussy. There is no better endorsement for a travel company than if a friend recommends them to you, it encourages and rewards good customer service.
3. Get value for money
A good tip that can make all the difference to whether you get a bargain holiday deal or not is what ‘extras’ you get with your deal. With a lot of holiday packages there are a number of optional extras that may or may not be included in the price, many unscrupulous travel agents can not include some of these extras to make the deal seem cheaper than it is:
Transfers – A transfer is usually a coach that will take you from the airport to your accommodation and take you back again on your day of departure. The cost of a holiday transfer usually ranges from £10 – £35. Do not confuse transfers with a ‘transport supplement’, which is more likely to be a flight supplement, which is a compulsory supplement you pay to fly from your local airport.
In flight meals – Some people prefer to have an in-flight meal some don’t mind going without. They cost around £10 – £15 and you can usually request vegetarian or other dietary requirements at the time of booking. I’ve heard lots of stories of people being given flight meals whether they have booked them or not, but I can say from personal experience that when I haven’t booked one I have not got one.
Extra luggage allowance – The standard luggage allowance on a package holiday is 20kg but this varies with every holiday. More and more frequently we are seeing tour operators lower the luggage allowance to 15kg and charge a supplement for the extra 5kg if you wish to add it on. If you’re the sort of person who travels light then this is ideal but if you like to pack lots of different outfits (as you girls always do) then its worth taking this supplement into account, the last thing you need is to turn up at the airport and find that you’re over your weight limit as you can be charged an excess. Also bear in mind when you’re shopping on holiday that anything you add to your cases while you are away will be weighed on your return, so again if its over the weight limit included in your holiday you can be charged extra. Another good tip if you’re travelling with the family is to check your luggage allowance for infants. Infants often receive a small luggage allowance (around 10kg) also and this can be included in what you take.
There are often several supplements that make up the cost of your holiday, my advice would be to ask about anything you are not sure about and understand exactly what you are getting for your money.
4. Spend a little bit extra
Many people call us up and ask us ‘What’s the cheapest thing you have available?’. That’s no problem and a travel agent can always find you the cheapest holiday deals available that day, but spend a little bit extra and you could have yourself a real bargain. For example it’s not unusual to see the cheapest half board holiday £20 – £30 more than the cheapest self catering, or again an all inclusive holiday may just be slightly more than that. Would you rather pay £129 for a self catering or £199 for an all inclusive? I know which one I would book. If you tell the agent that you want 7 days self catering because you think that’s the cheapest then they may assume you can’t do different durations or board basis, if you’re flexible then let the agent know and if they spot any bargains as they are searching they can let you know.
5. Consider allocated on arrival
Travelling allocated on arrival means that you will not find out which accommodation you are staying at until you arrive. Whilst this sounds a little worrying on face value it can be very useful if you know how to us it to your advantage. There are often many different version of allocated on arrival available from each tour operator and each one can guarantee you something about which accommodation you will be staying at. For instance if you want Tenerife holidays, enjoy luxury holidays, but other than that you are flexible you may get an allocated on arrival holiday that guarantees you a 5 star or equivalent rating. High rating, guaranteed board basis, guaranteed resort or combinations of any of these can often be found saving you hundreds of pounds against booking a specific hotel. A good tip here is to take a look at what’s available at the rating or board basis that’s guaranteed; if you are guaranteed a five star all inclusive then check or ask what five star all inclusives are available, the availability the tour operator has is not only a good indication of the quality of accommodation you can expect but there is also a good chance that you may be staying at one of those hotels. Allocated on arrival holidays are not a risk, just think of it as a reward for being flexible.
6. Ask the agent to call you back
If you don’t mind waiting for some details give a travel agent a call at lunchtime and give them as much detail as possible about what you’re looking for and ask if they don’t mind giving you a call back later on that evening, you can say around what time is best for you and it will save you the cost of the call. If you are serious about booking there are no lengths a good travel agent will go to get your business and make you happy, just make sure they know if they find the right deal then you’ll book.
7. Avoid exchange rate problems
With the pound being so weak against the euro there has never been a better time to go on long-haul holidays or book all inclusive. The exchange rate against the euro has fallen by a huge amount in the last year so at the moment you get a lot less euros when buying foreign exchange than you did previously, travelling to non euro-zones is one easy way of avoiding this which is making far away holidays much more popular this year, especially Egypt holidays. Another clever way to save yourself a fortune if you are going to destinations that have the euro are all inclusive holidays. Booking an all inclusive deal means that you spend less currency while you are away which will help to avoid any exchange rate problems.
8. Fly from an alternative airport
This one can be especially good around half term and for all those people who have to book their holidays during school holidays (extra discount on holidays for teachers imho). Because school holidays vary according to where you are based in the UK there can often be a great deal if you travel to another airport further afield, especially between Scotland and England. As with most of these tips the general rule is that the more flexible you are willing to be the more you could potentially save.
9. Haggle just the right amount
Travel agents know there is a lot of competition for holiday bookings and expect you to want the best deal you can find so don’t be afraid to ask for a discount. Just ask ‘is that the best price you can do if I book it right now’ and if the agent know they can get your business then and there they will break the bank to get you to book and you can be confident they are doing the best they can on price. Another good tip is to get some added value if you’re happy with the price, tell them you’ll book now if they throw the parking at the airport in, it’s not rude to ask for the best deal you can get, the worst that can happen is that they say they can’t. Either way it can often be good fun.
10. Don’t sleep on it
Tongue in cheek this one, but if I had a pound for every time somebody called back the next day and the price had gone up I would be a very rich man. If you find the right deal for you at the right price then book it, don’t worry about whether the price will come down or if you just shop around a bit more etc etc. Only you know what you think a fair price is and how disappointed you could be if you miss out, other people are often looking for exactly the same things as you so deals get booked and flights get filled, there isn’t anything an agent can do to keep your holiday deal for you so if you like a deal go for it.
The views published in this post are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Co-op Travel.
