I remember when I was first old enough to go on holiday without my parents, huddling around the TV with my friends as we scrolled through Teletext for cheap holidays. We wanted two weeks in the sun and we didn’t want to spend more than £300 each, ideally far, far less. And blimey did we get some bargains. £109 for seven nights half board in Malaga, £218 for 14 nights in Ibiza and our best ever 10 nights in Majorca for £89 bargain. As long as we could be at the airport at 4am with 36 hours notice the world Mediterranean, was our oyster.
Whilst those holidays might not be quite my thing these days, sometimes I just crave being anywhere but dull, dank Manchester and having my face illuminated by the fiery ball in the sky. So I got to thinking, do cheap last minute holiday deals still exist? Can I fly off on holiday for the price of the average weekly shop? Well, alas, Teletext no longer exists in the same format it once did and budget airlines seem to be adding new charges to flight prices by the passing minute. There are, however still some ways of snatching a last second holiday without stumping up too much.
Phone around
Yes, actually using the phone. Remember those? Once you’ve narrowed down a hotel (if booking hotel and flights seperately rather than a package) give them a call and ask if they have any discounts or deals. Whilst the prices online seem pretty final you’ll often find they’re happy to be a bit flexible with prices if you phone them. We recently saw a hotel room in Milan which was £140 per night online but when we gave them a quick call we bagged the same room for £89 per night.
Haggle
If you’re booking a last minute deal through a travel agent, pop into the shop and talk to them face to face. You can often get a nice discount or at the very least some freebies such as free transfers, room upgrade or excursions. They want to sell that holiday as much as you want to go on it. Make sure you can come to a great deal. It is also worth remembering that you should shop around just like you would do online and be sure to tell the agent what the competitors are offering. I’ve been given discounts or freebies every time I’ve tried this out, so don’t feel cheeky.
Be flexible
When it comes to budget airlines one day a flight could cost you £345 the next £10. If you can be flexible three days or so either side you’ll find better deals cropping up all over the place.
All about the nerve
Do you have the nerve to book really late? That’s the real key. When it comes to holidays you need book either as early as possible or as late as your nerves can take. When I say late, I don’t mean 6 weeks, I mean 2 days. Hold out your panic and go with it, then take the plunge 48 hours before you go. These companies would rather sell the holiday at a discount with 2 days to go than have empty rooms. One friend of mine even decides which day she’d like to travel, heads to an airport and books whilst there, I’m not sure I could have the nerve to do that.
Great sites
Travel supermarket compares and collates the best deals from package deals to flights and hotels in once place.
If you want a cheap and cheerful break to the Med then Icelolly is an easy and quick way to find a deal based on your nearest airport.
No longer on our screens but still pushing cheap breaks our way, Teletext has a great site which allows you to search by dates and airports.
One of the most popular last minute holiday websites has to be Lastminute.com and whilst most people know about them, they’re still well worth a mention.
My current favourites are Sunmaster and Beach Collection both of which I’ve personally used and found great deals through.
What are your best tips for last minute deals? Any great websites we should know about?
{Image: mandolin davis}
