It used to be much worse a few years ago when the January-February period used to account for as much as 40% of all bookings made during that eight-week period. Whilst this time of year continues to be busy, it tends to be more evened out, so the peaks and troughs of demand are less pronounced. One of the most frustrating things for travel agents at this time of year is the amount of ‘tyre-kicking’ that goes on with the result that the time-wasters who are only pumping travel agents for information so that they can go ahead and book their travel arrangements in the mistaken belief that they are cutting out the middleman (and thus the costs), add to the workload of said agents with the result that it takes them much longer to get back to those with genuine enquiries.
There is a simplistic theory that has gained purchase on the minds of many consumers wherein they believe that because airline seats and hotel beds and the like are a kind of ‘perishable’ product, that it pays to hold your nerve and hold off until the last possible moment because there are bargains to be had and savings to be made. Whilst there is an element of truth in that observation, there are a couple of serious downsides to it as well, so it is important that you are aware of what those downsides are, before you commit yourself and your travelling companions to that particular strategy:
- There is no absolute guarantee that there will be any of the product left that you wish to purchase for the date(s) on which you wish to travel. As that annoying ad says: ‘When they’re gone, they’re gone!’
- Worse still; we now live in the age of what is called ‘dynamic pricing’ where advances in both technology and software enables airlines, tour operators, car hire vendors and the like to just as easily raise prices as reduce them, depending on the level of demand that is out there in the marketplace.
- Not all product is created equal. That is to say that on any given aircraft, there will always be seats that are right beside a bulkhead; cabins on a cruise ship whose view outside the porthole are restricted by a lifeboat or hotel rooms that are located by a noisy lift shaft or which overlook a blank wall. Guess which ones are likely to be sold off at a cheaper price or remain available when all the ‘good stuff’ is gone?
The analogy that I often use to best illustrate this point because I feel it is one that most people can relate to is turning up at a shop at 5.00 p.m. during the January sales and still expecting to capture a good bargain. There may still be bargains to be had but more than likely, not the ones that you would necessarily choose, given the option. The price might be right but the items you want might be in the wrong size, wrong colour, wrong brand or even wrong material. If they’re not really what you want, do they still represent a bargain?
When we advise people to book early, it’s not because we want you to get the best price, as that, let’s be honest, is a given. It’s because we want you to enjoy the best choice and the best value for money.
