Why are they SO expensive now

[Sallymads]

I’ve been looking for our family of 5 and the prices now are so expensive! Even with a free child place. I don’t think we’ll get away at all this year, same as last. Or maybe my expectations are all wrong for what you can get for your money?!
I found a perfect package deal on Tui with free child place, spent the day convincing my dh, and by the next day the price had shot up. Urgh
Has anybody had any last minute success? Booking a couple of weeks before they fly?

Try looking again but from an incognito browser (google I know can do this) the holiday companies / flight companies will whack the price up if you look at the same thing the following days - it should be illegal to do!
I hope that might help show a cheaper price again :)

Have you considered a cruise? We have just been and absolutely loved it. Just rebooked for 2025 (in school holidays) and the price was brilliant for all inclusive, far less than the likes of Turkey and spain.

How much are you talking about, OP?

But cruises aside I would recommend following the Facebook pages of loads of travel agents like your lovsl branches will each have their own and they post loads of deals every week.

Holidays have always been expensive for a family of 5. We take up a lot of space!

This was why we have always driven. Mainly to eurocamp style holidays. Ideal with DCs: playgrounds for young ones and lazing at the pool for older ones. Self catering but most campsites have pizza, snack bar etc. Then there is the joy of a foreign supermarket.

I think people are noticing more now. When our DCs were young all types of flying holidays were out of reach so I didn't really notice if a holiday was £500 or £5,000 beyond my means. More people are now just at the margin of being able to afford a holiday or afford the holiday they want.

I do find Tui more expensive, how are Jet2 comparing? You might need to comprise on something

Following this as I'm curious to whether prices come down nearer time??

it is extremely expensive have you tried looking at flights and hotel separate if you are flexible go on Skyscanner and you can see cheapest days to fly and then hotel on booking.com

Thank you I’ll give it a try! It should definitely be illegal! But I’m sure they’ll put it down to supply and demand!🙄

Yes I have and they just don’t do it for us unfortunately. I do think it’d be a good way to see a few different places at once, so maybe in the future at some point!

Don't close the window when considering a holiday! The price goes up every time you reopen it

Have a look at Egypt. Super cheap. We got a weeks AI for under £2k for 4 people

£3k max, I’ve found a few over the years even 2 months before. We got a steal to Rhodes the other year AI, 7 nights for £1300 for 4 of us, that was booked 2.5 months before the flight. But even looking 4 weeks in advance now they’re still a lot!

Try Love Holidays, we always go with them and they are always cheaper than any of the others.

Yes we definitely do take up a lot of space😱I did look at eurocamp/style holidays but my dh just doesn’t want to self cater with 3 kids. Not even in a hotel! He thinks it’ll work out more expensive with travel, food, drinks etc

Jet2 were even worse! As soon as I clicked on a holiday it jumped up 600 quid!

Yes I did try that way but the hotel we were looking at was way more expensive than the travel agents for some reason! Disappointing!
I might just have to wait till a week before our dates and see what’s available 😂

Oooo interesting! I’ve never been, Have you been before? What is it like? Where did you find that please? Thank you!

Ah shoot, sorry, a friend of mine has enjoyed Sunny Beach area in Bulgaria, i don't think that's too expensive? or Turkey?

Yes I quite liked the look of Bulgaria but apparently the season is short and things start to shut for winter mid to end of September, when we’d be looking at going. Turkey is still pretty cheap, but I’ve found it hard finding somewhere that meets everyone’s wants/needs. I think I have my heart set on the one that went up in price (also turkey)! Just going to hope it comes back down closer to the time, so long as it doesn’t sell out x

easyjet Holidays. It’s hot fairly similar to Turkey. We really enjoyed it. The resorts are amazing

We check which are the cheapest flights from our local airport ( with Skyscannet or Google) to somewhere warm then book accommodation separately. Cheapest flights tend to be to places in the South of France or to Italy.

It is illegal, and has been in the UK for many, many years, but regualrly rolled our on here as fact despite not actually working. No idea why people share it as some sort of hack thinking they are gaming the system when in fact they are wasting thier own time.

Don't believe me - here's a journalist who tested it - www.birminghammail.co.uk/black-country/tried-google-incognito-flight-hack-25951967

The answer to your question is that aviation fuel is paid in US dollars. Hotel rooms (in the Euro zone anyway) are paid in Euros. So that fact the exchange rate is not in our favour has really had an impact.

Completely agree. This 'hack' does not work.

I use Skyscanner. It makes no difference to the price even by using multiple devices and different browsers. It is always the same quote on Skyscanner.

Don't waste your time.

We haven't been abroad in years, its too expensive

They do it in real time, never mind the next day.