2024-12-06 06:12:00
When it’s cool and rainy outside, some people are already looking forward to their next summer vacation. Actually, the organizers observe the tendency to book earlier and earlier. But does it make sense to plan your trip in the fall? Answers to the most vital questions.
Are there more early birders?
After many booked their holidays at short notice during the Corona pandemic due to restrictions and uncertainties, the number of early birds increased substantially, according to the industry. In 2023, many people booked their summer holidays for 2024 earlier than in previous years, says Torsten Schäfer of the German Travelers Association (DRV). “I could well imagine that we will exceed these numbers this year.”
large German tour operators are also seeing a clear trend towards advance bookings.In some destinations – such as Turkey – trips to Schauinsland are currently seeing more than double the advance bookings for the 2025 summer season compared to the previous year.
And at TUI Germany thay observe: never before have so many holidaymakers booked their dream trip for next summer instantly after returning from the last summer holiday.The formula is often “relax, return and rebook” – that is, relax, come back and book again.
According to DRV spokesperson Torsten Schäfer, catalogs for the summer season come out in late summer and autumn, when organizers often start their advertising campaigns with TV spots and more. The main booking phase for summer starts in November and lasts until March. Even if more and more people arrive earlier and earlier.
What are the advantages of booking in advance?
30, 40, 50 percent – depending on the region and the organizer, vacationers are lured with discounts that seem attractive. How much you actually save in the end is not always clear, but more on that later.
An obvious reason to book early is the fact that the earlier you arrive, the greater the choice of flights, hotels and destinations available.This is an important topic, especially for families with school-age children who are tied to holiday periods. the wait for the holiday, which can start with the booking, should not be underestimated.
What are the disadvantages of booking in advance?
Booking a trip many months in advance also means committing early. If illness, a sudden job loss, or a stroke of personal luck ruins travel plans, trip cancellation insurance can cover cancellation costs.
However, these policies do not cover many other eventualities. flexible rates launched during the pandemic, which many organizers continue to offer for a fee, promise additional protection. Holidaymakers can then rebook or cancel their trip without giving reasons. Though, this cannot be done spontaneously; this is usually only possible up to a few weeks before the start of the holiday.
And the last minute?
Book shortly before your holiday and save: many people associate this idea with the last minute. There are some opportunities, but DRV spokesman Torsten Schäfer doesn’t think we should hope too much. “Today last minute means above all that you can leave in a short time, but not that it is necessarily cheaper.” This is especially true during the holiday season: many things are already gone, especially in the cheaper budget range.
What discounts do the organizers offer?
Trips to the Schauinsland offer, depending on the destination and hotel, the “most attractive early bird conditions” for bookings made until the end of December or the end of January. “for example, Mallorca and Turkey sometimes offer early booking discounts of up to 30%,” says Andreas Rüttgers, head of tourism at the organiser.
At Dertour, the highest levels of early booking discounts are generally available until January 31, says Sven Schikarsky, product manager at Dertour, ITS and Meiers Weltreisen. They are particularly high in classic package holiday destinations: in Türkiye and Egypt,such as,up to 45% and in Greece up to 40%.
Moreover there are children’s discounts and fixed prices for children offered by the organizers, including TUI Germany. Never before have so many of these family packages been sold so early as in 2024 for summer 2025, said TUI spokesperson Aage Dünhaupt.
What does the amount of discounts depend on?
discounts for early bookings depend on special agreements between tour operators, airlines and hotels, explains Aage Dünhaupt. “Together we agree on the best prices, which are then offered. Quotas are limited and in some cases are already running out.”
For organizers this provides a certain level of planning security if many travelers book in advance. Companies purchase hotel spaces and airline seats in large quantities well in advance: having sold a certain number many months in advance is reassuring and brings money into the coffers also through travellers’ deposits.
What do vacationers save by booking in advance?
A question that cannot be answered in general. Consumer advocates stress year after year that you shouldn’t just look at percentages, but rather compare overall travel prices, including across providers and portals.
Andreas Rüttgers from Schauinsland-Reisen says something similar: “Guests sometimes find cheap offers and the best value for money in hotels that do not offer early booking discounts particularly high. According to Rüttgers, it is not necessarily the respective early booking discount. “ is decisive, but rather the total price of the trip.
an analysis of the portal shows that, in general, booking in advance can save money HolidayCheck of holiday package prices for summer holidays 2024 for bookings between October 2023 and June 2024. Result: It was mostly cheaper at the start of the early booking period in October and November.
A price example: for a sample family of two adults and two school-age children, a one-week holiday package on the Turkish Aegean coast with full board would have cost around 3,900 euros if the booking had taken place in November 2023. If had I booked in April 2024, the cost would have been more than 5,300 euros, or 1,400 euros more.
It must be said that during the analysis HolidayCheck identified at any time the five cheapest offers from 65 tour operators in the respective region and derived the average from these. So it’s not exactly the same trips compared here, but just the cheapest search results at certain times.
Another result of the analysis is that during the summer holidays prices dropped shortly before departure in seven of the 13 destinations examined: this was clearly visible in Egypt, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Kos, Crete and the Turkish Riviera.
When can you book for next summer?
For many organizers about a year in advance. “We made a large part of our portfolio for summer 2025 available at the begining of summer this year, even though our destination catalogs were only published at the beginning of October,” says Andreas Rüttgers from Schauinsland-Reisen . At Dertour most of the products for summer 2025 can also be booked from June 2024. Likewise at TUI.
Cruise providers are even earlier: with the German market leaders Aida Cruises and the “Mein Schiff” fleet of TUI Cruises, the 2025 summer cruises can be booked from October 2023. If you want,you can look ahead another year and book your holidays to the sea for summer 2026.
Five more tips for saving:
Departure airport: Are there school holidays in your area, but not in the neighboring federal state? If there is an airport there that is also easy for you to reach, you should compare: Is the trip you want also available with departures from there? This could make it significantly cheaper.
Travel period: According to the German Travelers’ Association, you should be careful not to set your departure day on a Friday or at the weekend and not to book exactly two weeks. It is often cheaper if the trip lasts ten, twelve, 15 or 16 days.
Analyze: If you want to book cheaply, you should first look at the prices for a while. advise consumer advisory centers regarding online bookings. Only if you know how much a trip costs on average can you estimate what is cheap and what is not.
Comparison portals: Consumer advice centers point out that not all comparison portals are the same. While some collect quite large fees from providers, others only charge small fees. this is also reflected in the offer price. Therefore: If you want to book your summer holidays online, you should compare different sources.
Organizer: The DRV, which represents the interests of numerous travel agencies and operators, points out: An identical package with the same services from one operator costs the same in all sales channels, both in the travel agency and on the Internet. This is regulated by the commercial Code; the price of the trip is set by the tour operator.
However, you may experience price differences from organizer to organizer. Offers for a specific trip to a specific hotel from the same departure airport may vary in price by individual operators due to different airlines, departure and arrival times and stopovers. Or through individual agreements with the hotel.
dpa
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