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What are late availability holidays ?Everybody likes to get a bargain holiday, but what's the best way to go about it? - Tour operators design and print their brochures many months in advance and to a certain extent will be guessing how much availability they will be able to sell.
In some years there will be a shortage of holidays, particularly in the school holidays and prices will be at full brochure price or in extreme cases the prices may go higher than that shown in the brochure.
On the other side of the coin, there will be many times when there are too many holidays available and holiday makers will be able to pick up a bargain. Tour operators have contracted the seats on the flight and the hotel beds and cannot return them. THEY MUST SELL THEM BEFORE DEPARTURE DAY OR THEY ARE WORTHLESS.
After all, how much would you pay for a flight that left yesterday?
Sometimes, tour operators may be able to abandon unsold accommodation but still be committed to the flight seats. This is why many tour operators sell flight only seats on their charter flights at knock down prices at the last minute.
But beware, once those seats have gone the tour operator will put up the SOLD OUT sign and you may not be able to get to your chosen destination.
So here are our rules to help you get a late availability bargain. - Don't buy too early - you will be quoted the brochure price.
- Don't buy too late - all seats may be sold, especially in peak periods.
- Be flexible - always try and have a range of dates for travelling and be prepared to go to less popular places.
- Don't be unrealistic about the price you are prepared to pay - you will usually be unlucky.
- Don't hassle your booking agent. They are professionals trying to do a good job and will be pleased to help you book your holiday (it's the only way we can make a commission) but you won't win any favours by wasting their time. Tell them what you want and how much you are prepared to pay.
- Consider going off season. Some of the best bargains can be found during early May/June or at the end of the season - in October. The winter months are also cheaper as airlines and tour operators just want to keep things moving.
Spanish hoteliers will offer tour operators bargain rates for the winter months just to keep the hotel open and the staff employed!
What are charter flights? Charter flights are organised by Tour Operators for customers travelling on package holidays, however when a tour operator has not filled all the seats, they will often sell the rest at discounted rates just to fill the plane. Using our charter flight search you can track down these bargains as they become available. Unlike scheduled flights that run daily or weekly, they have specific departure and return dates and you will find that they mainly go to holiday destinations. What are scheduled flights? Scheduled flights are operated to a regular schedule by airlines such as British Airways, Air France, Lufthansa, KLM, American Airlines and many more. On each flight there will be a range of fares available depending on length of stay, advance booking period, time of year etc. All airlines need to fill as many seats as possible and this has led to discounting as airlines strive to achieve best load factors. Our scheduled flight search includes both discounted prices and regular fares at the same time to give you the best results available in the market place at the time of the search. Once you have selected your flight you then proceed to the booking stage through our secure server to process payment and the reservation will be made automatically for you. We will issue you your tickets and send these to you, along with all the relevant travel documents you require. If you need assistance please do not hesitate to call our booking line Freephone 0808 178 7533 during our hours of opening. To make a general flight enquiry, please use the enquiry form the in the flights section. How do I searchfor a flight? You need to decide what type of flight will suit your needs. If you are travelling long haul or to a city, you will probably find the Scheduled Flights will provide the best range of fares. If you are travelling to a holiday destination, check the Charter Flight database first. If you do not find a suitable flight, try searching our holidays database as well.
What to do once you have found a deal on our website?
Packyourbags Lapland is one of the first late availability sites that allow you to check 'live' availability of your selected holiday in real time, giving you 100% accurate pricing once you have made an availability search. Where this is possible, please do this so that you get the latest information. Many tour operators 'lead in' prices exclude taxes and airport transfers and can be based on a specific number of people sharing a room. For this reason you may notice a difference between the initial 'lead in' price and the final price payable. Where there is a difference in price we clearly identify what the differences are.
To book the holiday or flight you have found, we strongly recommend you call our team on Freephone 0808 178 7533 as soon as you can as availability and prices change all the time. One of our consultants will be able to make your reservation immediately for you. Alternatively you can enquire using the online request form.
We are independent Being an independent travel agent we are not tied to any one operator, our experience lies in using our knowledge of destinations and the market place at the time to find what's right for you. We are not only internet based, please come in and visit us at our shop or offices to discuss you requirements.
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