How much does AI cost this year?

[Summerhappy]

Last 2 years we’ve gone to Majorca and Corfu 4* AI holidays for 4000-4500. Trying to book something on a sandy beach, AI, for family of 4 (kids 3&5) for last 10 days of school hol and last minute which is usually cheaper. I’d saved all year based on that figure. Now shocked at lack of availability and anything decent is around £5k.

Husband not helping as only wants a flight 3 hours or less but I’ve told him I can’t see that happening as I can only find anything in Rhodes (which is a bit on fire!!) and Turkey, or Tunisia flying out of a different city (extra travel time)… but I can see his point because it’s about the kids being a right pain in the butt on a longer flight. I’m also being picky that it has to be beachfront and not a high rise because trying to get our hot, moany kids to walk back from the beach is another pain, and I have sensory sensitivities so get overwhelmed by a busy environment. Corfu little white sugar cube rooms dotted around a garden are my dream. Perhaps we’re being picky but it doesn’t feel like a small amount of money!

How much are you spending? Any ideas? If I’m being unrealistic then please put me right. I can put the extra on a credit card but it feels uncomfortable.

3k, but that's just for me and DD who's 13. Definitely seems pricier of late 😫

Holiday prices have gone up dramatically for next year. We will be going self catering next year and booking our own flights independently.

Yes, and it doesn’t make sense to me with the cost of living crisis because I would have thought demand would go down as no one can afford anything! Is everyone just taking it on the chin? I’d take it on the chin if I thought it was just 1 year but I fear this might be what’s ahead and how is a family holiday affordable going forwards?!

Last minute is seldom cheaper, hasn't been for years.
Also your children are little. Once they are 12 you pay full adult prices for them. So yes, it only ever gets more expensive.
TBH with tinies I think AI is probably wasted unless you are big drinkers. Comes into it's own when you have unfillable teenagers.

Rhodes hasn’t been on fire for weeks. It’s about a 4 hours flight and a lovely island with loads to do. Including boat trips, water parks, etc.

if you want any help with hotels or area on Rhodes I can help. I spend a good deal of time there rescuing cats and have some amazing friends on the island.

Honestly, it depends. It depends on where you fly from, where you fly to, what standard you're willing to accept (when I was looking we saw AIs in Benidorm for £500pp), but in general everything is more expensive now. You do have quite specific requirements, not that I think you're being picky or anything (why go on holiday if it's not somewhere you want to be?) but you either have to compromise or pay the extra. Tbh 5k is only about 10% more than you expected to pay, and roughly around inflation, so doesn't seem that unreasonable to me?

Also agree with PP that last minute is rarely cheaper, especially if you do want something specific. Maybe a better option if you're really flexible. You could also look at half board options if you want somewhere quiet, AI are usually the busiest hotels because people tend to stay there all day.

Argh I’m so frustrated! After this reality check I decided to up the budget and go to Rhodes, but the ones that were £4500/5000 last week are now £1000 more expensive!! I feel like crying. I think in the last 2 years we’ve booked within 5 days of going and got good deals but this year seems different so I don’t know whether to hold my nerve or we’re just going to miss out. I am probably not being fair but I’m cross at my husband for not helping looking and saying no to everything until this point now he realised he can’t be so choosey, and now it’s too late.

Is it worth trying a real travel agent? One you speak to on the phone? They often have access to the deals before they are loaded to the website and can match you with new cancellations which may never make it online at all.

If you're at a computer whilst speaking to them you can look up the apartments.

Sorry I can't help with recommendations, it's a friend that does this.

Just on the point about things being more expensive when you look a second time - just check in a private browser that it’s not because of cookies

What dates are you looking at?

and yes AI, well most travel, has got a lot more expensive this year. The pound is still not great against the Euro, flight demand is very high but the number of flights is still below pre-pandemic numbers, fuel prices are high across Europe, food prices are high etc.

Prices have also increased because of the British weather and people wanting to escape it at all costs.

Would you be willing to compromise? For e.g. only go for a week and go half board?

Try Malta

We've got next years Easter & summer holidays already booked. Last minute is NEVER cheap if you're stuck to school holidays.

No kids but I'm a teacher. We're laying £3k for Cape Verde at Easter and £2600 for Turkey in August, both AI.

Get booking for next year before all the bargains/free child places are gone.

The prices are very high this year. You need to either be less fussy about where you go or pay the extra. I wouldn't be putting it on a credit card though, just go for a shorter amount of time or go half board/self catering. There aren't really any last minute deals around, most of the holidays have already been booked by people fed up with the rain in ol' Blighty. Definitely clear your cookies though before browsing or look in incognito mode if using Chrome.
We went for a week last year for £1200 self catering. Very similar this year but for an extra two nights has cost us another £1000.

Could you book for a week rather than 10 days? So same price as you were expecting but slightly shorter.

I would definitely check with a TA, I wouldn't normally book via them as like doing it myself but they may have deals that you can't see. Tell them your budget and see what they come up with ?

Prices are definitely up, we paid around 4k for 10 days AI with a free child place. It wasn’t anywhere particularly fancy. Just a good 4*.

We paid 3600 for 10 days for 4 of us in Costa deal sol. Going next week.

The last 2 years bookings have been down due to covid. You also would have paid a minimal amount for children under 2. I think for 10 days all inc in summer holidays you budget is too low. Is there a reason you have to
go in summer holidays?

This one on Love Holidays?

We spent around 5k self catering, 2.5 weeks including accommodation, food, car rental, activities, we most mostly ate at home bar 3 meals out and snacks which probably costed 500 euros; excluding groceries and packed picnics which may have been another 500 euros.

We usually go Portugal or menorca but we were completely priced out of both this year. We paid £4200 for 10nights in portugal last year and that exact same
holiday was £7300 for this year!
We ended up booking 2 weeks in lanzarote for £3915 and we leave on Sunday. Canaries came up cheaper than anywhere else for us.
We already know we won’t be going next year.

What about a cruise ? They are much more competitively priced compared to AI and P&O have a generous alcohol allowance which allows each adult in the cabin to bring 1l spirits aboard to enjoy in the cabin.

We’ve got Egypt AL for about £5800 but have got two free child places so that’s knocked the price down a lot! I know it’s a long flight but definitely worth it in my opinion!
theres 8 of us going and we only booked around 2 months ago xx

It depends on your dates. Your children are young so I'm presuming you wouldn't mind missing a few days of school-it makes a huge different to price.
We've seen many below 3.5k AL in Greece/Spain on TUI for the last week of August/going into first week of September (for seven nights).

Prices are through the roof. We are not willing/cannot pay 5k for a week's holiday-especially when the same holiday was far cheaper a year or two ago. We have noticed many holiday heavily discounted the past few weeks which leads me to believe there are last minute deals out there BUT it might not be ticking every box.

All the best trying to find somewhere.

I could have written this! We are in exactly the same boat trying to book a last minute holiday (although we are only looking for 7 nights) even at a grand per person some of the reviews are terrible! We’re going to have another look this evening and maybe up the budget to 5k. Tell us if you find anything good OP!