05 January 2024 , 15:17
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Holiday prices tend to shoot up and bookings options dry up after seven key dates, according to a letting company.
A week into what has been a particularly cold and soggy new year and many of us are turning our attention to the prospect of a holiday. Travel firms often refer to this weekend as 'Sunshine Saturday' due to a reported surge in bookings among people desperate to leave behind these drizzle dappled shores.
Given that flight, hotel and holiday home prices are often determined by an 'on demand' model which fluctuates based on how many people are interested and the supply, booking after a certain date may see you fork out more than you'd expect.
Analysis of past booking data on the holiday homes website Vrbo identified surges in demand for each of the busiest travel times of the year and when availability starts to dwindle. If travellers plan their trip ahead of that surge, they should have access to the widest selection of rentals and get the best value for their money while looking for the perfect place for their family and friends.
The miserable January weather is turning attention to the idea of a holiday (Getty Images)The trend is likely to be the same on other holiday let companies like Airbnb and Sykes Cottages.
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In 2024, to have the widest selection of available properties for key travel periods, travellers are advised to book no later than the below dates:
Easter holiday: Book no later than 13 February
Early May Bank Holiday: Book no later than 29 March
End of May bank holiday: Book no later than 8 April
Summer holidays: Book no later than 8 June
Autumn half-term holidays: Book no later than 26 August
Christmas holidays: Book no later than 11 November
February 2024 half-term holidays: Book no later than 3 January 2025
The holiday let company has also offered some general advice that can help to keep the price of a holiday down.
- Book airfare on a Sunday to save up to 23%: Travellers who book on Sundays instead of Fridays tend to save, on average, around 21% on domestic flights and 24% on international flights.
- Book domestic flights at least five months before to save 35%: Travellers that booked 162-180 days prior to departure saved 34% on average compared to those who waited until the last minute. Meanwhile, for international airfare the ideal booking period is 8-23 days prior to departure, worst booking period is 36-63 days prior to departure, amount you can save is 8%.
- Depart on a Friday to save up to 26%: Avoid departing on Sundays, which are the priciest days, on average, to start a trip.
- Depart before 3 pm to reduce the chance of cancellations: 19% of UK air travellers try to avoid morning flights because getting up early on the day of travel gives them additional stress. However, year-to-date flight status data reveals flights that depart after 3 p.m. have a 4% higher chance, on average, of being cancelled than those that depart earlier in the day