Would you book a holiday just now ?

[llm24]

The travel industry has been one of if not the most hard hit industries since the start of the pandemic

January / February is normally one of the busiest times of year and every travel agent looks forward to these months with a lot of money going into preparing and advertising

My question is simply

Will you book a holiday for Summer 22 over the next months ?

If not , why not ?
If yes , will you be booking through a Travel Agent ? If not why not ?

Help a Travel Agent out

I've booked 5 for this year some long haul some European weekends away. If it's cancelled you get money back so why not

No, too much hassle with testing and the risk of it being cancelled

If I did book I'd book online

If we don't there won't be any travel companies left when we are finally allowed to travel freely

Booked all of mine already. As long as you book with with a decent tour operator so you can get your money back I don’t see why you wouldn’t.

I think the advice is to book a package - that way you are covered. If you book separate flights and hotels it is much harder to get your money back, if at all. At the end of November, when things looked better, I booked a trip to Italy in April and a river cruise in France in September. I have no idea if I will go on either. I don’t think I would booking them now. I’d be waiting to see what happens for the next few months. If you are going to book now, check the conditions. We booked a cottage in Dorset through Booking.com and when we had to cancel through illness (non Covid) we got our money back.

@dementedpixie

Can I ask why you would book online ?

Booked but for UK.
Not booking overseas because the likelihood of it turning into a hassle of cancellation, rebooking, isolating in the host country etc. It's not so much what our gov may decide but those abroad. We'd love a foreign holiday again and I wanted to do a big one as it might be the last one with DS (turns 18). Will review in a few months,

We’ve booked our family holiday to France for August 22.

All booked separately to keep costs down. We’re going via Eurotunnel and can rearrange dates free of charge if necessary. The campsite offered Covid cancellation cover for about £40 so we paid that. Have also taken out our own travel insurance.

It is nice to have something to look forward to.

We're due to pay the balance for a holiday in April. Not sure what we'll do for Summer yet. Really miss easy foreign travel. Both adults are fully vaccinated but we have DC who aren't eligible yet

Haven't used a travel agent since 2002ish so not really your target market

I’m considering booking for June, DP not so keen though. I will be scouting the cancellation conditions.

If we do book, will definitely be online rather than via a travel agent. Can’t remember ever using a travel agent tbh, I’m honestly not sure what is the point these days? Even when I have gone in there, they generally have less info than I can find myself with a few simple google searches. Not meant as to be disrespectful to OP, just not sure on their role these days.

Holiday booked for mid January another in October both long haul both refundable, I have to book my holidays well in advance so no real alternative.
One day travel will return to normal - until then we look forward.

[quote llm24]@dementedpixie

Can I ask why you would book online ?[/quote]
Because that's the way we've done it in the last few years when we've gone abroad. Although it was through the James Villas website so was still a package holiday

@ShipwreckSunset

Thanks for the feedback
Would be nice if you considered booking with a Travel Agent considering it’s been a hard hit industry, google searches are a great source but nothing makes up for experience of us Travel Agents

@dementedpixie

Thanks for the feedback , would be great if you thought of taking ur business to a Travel Agent and help out an industry so hard hit during this pandemic

I'm on holiday now, Emirates booked separately with accommodation in Thailand. Much much cheaper than a package xx

I’ve booked a villa for two weeks, can cancel for full refund two months ahead. Nearer the time I will arrange travel and hotels myself as I have always done.

I think people think booking through a travel agent is more expensive @llm24. Plus if you book online you can fiddle about with options more easily without appearing to be a pain.
I doubt I’ll be going abroad this year again, mainly due to the testing , was thinking of going when you just had to be double vaccinated to fly but that’s changed.

No way. Things are changing almost every day with regard to rules with testing and isolating etc. I just don’t like the uncertainty and the stress of not knowing what’s going to happen.

We had a special family holiday booked to New York just as it all kicked off and managed to get a refund and haven’t even considered trying to go abroad since.

I have a best friend who is holiday obsessed and has booked about 3/4 holidays since Covid’s happened and she’s had to move or cancel most of them. I just cannot be bothered with all that.

We will just keep going on holiday in the U.K. for the time being.

Yes so long as my insurance figured me if one of us had covid - ours does.

And I'd choose an airline and holiday group which allows for flexibility - cancellable, refunds, can change flights etc.

@Borisjohnsonshairbrush

Hope ur enjoying your holiday

Did you try a Travel Agent for a price ?

Especially independent agents get direct rates with hotels etc and work out the same
price with the added bonus of having a protected package

Worth keeping in mind for the future
Travel Agents are keen more than every to get a booking , the airlines , hotels get the money regardless so why not book through a TA

@Countmeout

Not all travel agents are dearer and us Travel Agents can fiddle about with stuff and we certainly wouldn’t think you were a pain

Independent agents have direct direct rates with airlines and hotels and come with protection from Covid

Keep an agent in mind for the next holiday you book 🙏

@CantStandMeow

Can I ask why you don’t use a TA

I've always booked online, usually independently booking everything separately.
For last October I booked a package as it offered a bit more covid related protection.

I've only tried to use an in person travel agency once in the last few years. It was for a last minute break. The in person experience wasn't great unfortunately/ they couldn't offer me the same deals that I could book online, even from their own website. In person it was a few hundred pounds dearer. I went next door to a cafe and booked the holiday through their website as it was so much cheaper.

I do know some older people who use independent type travel agencies, but don't know people my age and younger who would do so unless they wanted a very bespoke holiday, to places where online is trickier.

@llm24 I work in the industry too albeit for an operator not as an agent. Its a tough job convincing people to use an agent when they believe booking online is cheaper - I've seen it stated as fact so many times on here and elsewhere. I always book with an agent, its rarely cheaper to DIY, I have better protection financially and frankly I'd rather someone else do the admin.

Its five years since I was an agent (independent homeworking agent) and I've had quite a few former customers and acquaintances contact me over the last two years for advice as they booked online and couldn't get through to anyone to ask questions.

Unfortunately for many people travel agent = high Street multiple staffed with people of limited experience selling a small range of product. People just don't understand how agents work and what deals they can get.
I work for an operator who pays very generous commission to agents. Frankly you'd be mad to book direct almost agents willowherb discount, additional incentives etc that you won't get booking online. We have exclusive rates and group departures with a variety of agent partners etc which are cheaper than direct.
I love working in travel but I think the industry as a whole does a poor job of explaining the benefits of booking packages via agents.
Good luck for Jan, I think it'll be quite but pick up as we hit mod Feb int match and people can see an end to the worrying winter period.

@Abraxan

Thanks for the feedback

That’s a shame the TA couldnt help you

I work for an Independent agent and I could
count on one hand in the last ten years where we have lost a booking to a customer getting it cheaper online

Independent TA get direct prices from airlines , hotels etc cheaper and come with the added protection

Keep this in mind for your next trip