Anyone an expert on when is best to book flights for May half-term?

[TeapotDictator]

Hi there,

Hoping someone might come along who is better at this than me - my twins have just started Reception and so this is my first attempt at booking flights/holiday without paying ridiculous amounts.

At the moment the Easyjet flights to Chania (Crete), that I have picked up before for about £100 return although not in half-term hell are showing at about £330 per person. MY question is, will they get lower? I know traditionally the sooner you book the better, but is it - really?

I'm tempted to hold off for a while. Am I mad??

I booked my flights for May half term next year at the beginning of June this year! That's to Majorca with BA, who were £900 in total for 2 adults and 3 children as opposed to Jet2 who wanted over £1,600.

I think that prices are only going to go up for the school holiday period, it's not like they are going to end up with seats unsold. I would book now.

I feel your pain. I planned to book our flights for 2a 3c to Malaga a month or so ago but thought I would wait as it was coming out at 1500£. I looked again a few days ago and it was £1650. We finally got round to booking today and with two cases it has come out at over £2k. That's Leeds with jet2 I have no idea why it is so costly it was £1100 this year...

Flights need to booked ASAP now. Very rarely is there a bargain to be had by waiting nowadays. Just booked mine for next September.

HarrogateMum - we live in Sheffield, but are driving to Heathrow because I looked at Jet2 from Manchester, Leeds Bradford and East Midlands and all the prices were extortionate! Plus the flight times from Heathrow are better, 1pm I think rather than 6/6:30am from all the northern airports. We'll go down the night before and have a more civilised start to the holiday rather than having to drag the kids out of bed at 2am in order to get to the airport for 4am!

Ho hum. Thanks for the thoughts. How bollocked would I be to let my two 4 yr olds miss one day of Reception by getting slightly different flights? (And saving us £500 in the process...)

Our headteacher is very pragmatic about such things and just requires a note to say why and when they won't be in. I just send a note in the day before saying 'littletitling wont be in tomorrow as we are on holiday'. She hasn't bollocked me yet.

I don't think they have to legally attend school until the term after they are 5 anyway.

I saved £500 taking the children out one day early in July this year.

Flights get more expensive the later you leave it.

Oh and IME they do bugger all on the last day of term anyway.

I think they do bugger all for the last two weeks, actually!

My older two are missing the last day of half term before Spring Bank next May for our trip to Majorca. The are in Y4 and Y1. Like others have said, what do they do on the last day anyway? Watch DVDs it seems! Our headmaster is equally pragmatic, I don't think he really likes his hands being tied by the Goverment, and although I've not filled in the required form yet I don't anticipate any problems getting that one day off.

It's kind of the school's fault anyway, they have made Mon 1st June an inset day, so the temptation to fly abroad on Friday 22nd May and have a 10 night holiday was too great!

So do you think if I flew out on Monday 25th May and returned on Monday 1st June (no inset day sadly!) and they are aged 5 but in Reception, that I'd be okay? And when do you think I should let the school know?

All advice gratefully received - am feeling like a snivelling schoolgirl myself over it all!

ie. they'd be back in school on the Tuesday...

Should be OK just check there aren't tests that week, although I assume as they are Reception there won't be. They only get sniffy at our school if it clashes with QCA or SATS which are usually the first week of June, from Y2.

I told our school as soon as I booked it, had it refused, as expected. Not sure if they logged it, so I reminded the office and the teachers a few weeks before as well.