Latest posts for the topic " Last minute bargains?"

Last minute bargains?

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 14:29:11 GMT

Bantering with Ian Wickham on the Sleeps till ski-time? thread got me wondering:

1: Are last minute bargains a thing of the past?

2: Have the tour operators had a change of tactics and are they 'just refusing to blink first'?

3: Is this the price we pay for a season with 'epic' snow conditions, where every man and his husky dog decides he is going skiing, resulting in even the less snow-sure or more 'out-on-a-limb' resorts being pretty close to capacity and therefore able to demand 'top dollar' for what little is left?

A quick search on a well-known tour operator's website brought up the following, a-hem, 'bargains' for next week:

France: 7 nts S/C Brides-les Bains GBP505.

Italy: 7 nts H/B Passo Tonale GBP504.

Austria 7 nts H/B Seefeld GBP752.

Disclaimer: I personally have nothing against any of these resorts. They were just the cheapest on offer from London in those three countries departing next weekend. I would just have expected to 'bag' any of those last minute 'deals' for quite a bit less money.

Does anyone else have an opinion on this?

Re: Last minute bargains?

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 14:38:19 GMT

Most operators have cut their capacity in the last couple of seasons, so it's only to be expected that with great conditions there won't be many deals.

If you want a great deal you need to be booking early for next season, Skiworld are currently offering 2-1 deals on lift passes, ski hire and ski carriage for 13/14.

Re: Last minute bargains?

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 15:32:36 GMT

Couple of things.
No, deals are not a thing of the past at all. You have to know when and where to search.
But an mr hull points out, when conditions are this good, they don't need to discount, and with both flight and accommodation capacity reduced by many tour ops this season, at the moment you aren't going to get the big discounted deals.
Be patient, something will come up last minute, last room in a hotel or last 2 seats on a flight will bring about massive discounts as and when they become available.
But at the moment, as gaz says, they're all full up because we want to hit the slopes while the snow is good.

Last jan I had a week fully catered in adh for half price booked 3 weeks before, GBP375 all in. That's a deal.

But with half term only just gone and French holidays coming in to play, resorts have been and will be busy for a while.

I predict march bargains soon so if you can, sit tight and wait.

I will have a quick look and report back on any deals I've come across for the next couple of weeks.

Re: Last minute bargains?

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 15:48:03 GMT

Ok. Austria must be getting the snow big time because the prices are through the roof next week or 2.

Best all round deals I can currently find going away 9th march are rocket ski around GBP500pp either catered chalet or chalet hotel which is flights, transfers, bed, breakfast, evening meal and wine.
They're not particularly discounted but for all round value for money for someone desperate to get away they do a very good job.
I can recommend the hotel beausoleil in alpe d'huez as its in a superb spot on the piste.

Le Corbier is also coming up, not an area I know much about except its blissfully quiet on the slopes there.

There's also a chalet hotel in claviere next to montgenevre and close to sestriere which would now worth a look.

Happy hunting......

Re: Last minute bargains?

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 19:38:08 GMT

Last season we had a February (2012) week in a catered chalet based in Chatel. All in, it probably cost us not far off GBP1000 each. When we came back I noticed lots of great deals for the next month but it was too late for me to get time off work so we missed out. We could have had an all in half board deal inc lift pass in somewhere like Soldeu for less than GBP500 half board.

Fast forward later in the year and I have a very cunning plan for this season, I book a week's leave in January and a week's leave at the start of March and by booking at the last minute sure we can have two weeks for the price of one. Can't we?? It'll be easy…

We go stir crazy all over Christmas constantly looking at the holiday prices everywhere, me looking at a cheapie in Andorra, remember GBP500 each all in, so we can have the same amount of cash for the March trip and my wife looking at spa hotels in Bad Gastein. In the end just when we were about to be committed to a mental institution, we compromised on a week in Sporthotel Manni's in Mayrhofen. To cut a long story short we had GBP300 from out total budget left for a week's holiday for the two of us at the start of March. So my cunning plan wasn't so cunning after all but our Mayrhofen week was truly fab. In the end it was worth more to me to get the holiday I really wanted booked, I caved at ten days to go and more importantly keep my sanity and my wife from killing me.

P.S. Did I say we're off to the Scheffau in the SkiWelt on Saturday, we'll just not talk about where our budget has gone. I will say one positive thing though as it's my first year with two ski holidays and it sure as hec will not be our last. Wonder can I do three next year, I will be 50 after all…

Cheers,
Mark.

Re: Last minute bargains?

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 23:52:10 GMT

Rocksy wrote: Did I say we're off to the Scheffau in the SkiWelt on Saturday, we'll just not talk about where our budget has gone. I will say one positive thing though as it's my first year with two ski holidays and it sure as hec will not be our last. Wonder can I do three next year, I will be 50 after all…

Cheers,
Mark.

Really enjoyed Scheffau and SkiWelt in January. Looks like the snow is still really good :thumbup:. Have a great time there. Know exactly what you mean about more than one ski holiday. Even if you do 'blag' three next year, it still won't be enough! -)

Re: Last minute bargains?

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 00:23:13 GMT

Thanks Gaz, fingers crossed for a great week in and around Scheffau. I only started skiing in my mid 40's and I'm loving it. This year is our first Austrian adventure(s). Just having fun working our way around.

Re more trips yes the more the merrier though I'd love to do a big trip of at least a month some time. Not sure to where or if the logistics are doable. Now that would be a great trip for my 50th :D

Re: Last minute bargains?

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 06:40:10 GMT

Here is my two bob's worth through experience of the last three weeks which has made me more anti TO.

There is still plenty of capacity as in hotels in resorts which are paid for I was told three months in advance, the direct expense of an unsold holiday is the air seat ...... now what they ( The TO's) do is to sell off the plane seat, which is what they have done this year, I can understand it but not very good customer service.
The prices this year for last minute have been ridiculous GBP1000 + for an apartment for two in France.
I have finally got myself sorted but it will not be the Alps ... any ideas :D

Re: Last minute bargains?

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:10:47 GMT

The availability of last minute bargains varies year to year.
Ultimately the tour operators want to sell as many holidays at as high a price as possible.

If they don't take up enough capacity - they sell all their holidays and thus cap their ability to make a profit and may lose future custom. Too much capacity the don't sell them all so have to discount.
Thus the tour ops try and match capacity to demand and tend to fluctuate from year to year.

Skiing isn't as popular in the UK as it once was. It has to compete with long haul winter sun these days. There is recession which has exposed the differences in prices between different countries. The Brits do make up a big part of the European ski holiday market so the resorts want the Brits to come as for many of the Alpine countries their own countrymen don't spend as much as we do on holidays - the French tend to self cater and don't buy much in the resorts. We tend to fly so not the capacity to fill the boot with food so opt for catered accomodation.
The East Europeans come and go - again, like the rest of us hit by the recession and also their own ski resorts are developing so less incentive to get ripped off in the 3V.

If there are no bargains you can find a hotel on the net or take a punt and drive down and do a deal in resort. It depends when you go - outside of half term, Fashing week and the French school hols you will probably be fine - the accomodation not taken up b the tour ops will likely still be open.

Re: Last minute bargains?

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:28:11 GMT

In the last few years I have found a few last minute ski deals on www.snowtrex.co.uk, especially in France. It can be very hit and miss though. Whenever I can't find a deal, I try looking through forums for people travelling on the dates I want to go and see if they are interested in package deal, some operators cut their prices if they know a large group will be coming rather than just one ortwo skiers.It is a long shot but does work every so often.

Re: Last minute bargains?

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 16:03:08 GMT

Ian Wickham wrote:Here is my two bob's worth through experience of the last three weeks which has made me more anti TO.

There is still plenty of capacity as in hotels in resorts which are paid for I was told three months in advance, the direct expense of an unsold holiday is the air seat ...... now what they ( The TO's) do is to sell off the plane seat, which is what they have done this year, I can understand it but not very good customer service.
The prices this year for last minute have been ridiculous GBP1000 + for an apartment for two in France.
I have finally got myself sorted but it will not be the Alps ... any ideas :D

You're anti tour op come what may ;-)

I've a couple of friends in the travel industry.
The planes are either fully chartered by a tour op, or they charter a number of seats on a flight. Thomson and crystal for instance have their own airline, as do Neilson and Thomas cook. However inghams have to charter flights are part charter them. As do others.
It's not the seat prices that cost much as it happens, in fact broken down its a very small cost compared to what you can book a flight for yourself.
It's very unusual to be able to buy a seat on a chartered flight.

Rooms in resorts are booked up several years in advance and paid for at the exchange rate at that time, hence why we saw big price rises a couple of seasons ago which reflected xchange rates with the weak GBP

Wen you can get a deal is when a property or flight is virtually full or both, in which case they've made their money and its a case of filling spare seats and rooms. You have to time its right and get lucky as well.

Also, when conditions are great like now, they know they will sell seats and rooms even late which is why they don't discount them. Funnily enough, in years gone by, the resorts which are usually well discounted are the ones which at the time have poor snow and tend to be low lying resorts. You'll have seen deals for Andorra, soll, niederau, etc dominating the knockdown priced bargains.

Re: Last minute bargains?

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 18:08:38 GMT

Tony_H wrote:

Ian Wickham wrote:Here is my two bob's worth through experience of the last three weeks which has made me more anti TO.

There is still plenty of capacity as in hotels in resorts which are paid for I was told three months in advance, the direct expense of an unsold holiday is the air seat ...... now what they ( The TO's) do is to sell off the plane seat, which is what they have done this year, I can understand it but not very good customer service.
The prices this year for last minute have been ridiculous GBP1000 + for an apartment for two in France.
I have finally got myself sorted but it will not be the Alps ... any ideas :D

You're anti tour op come what may ;-)

I've a couple of friends in the travel industry.
The planes are either fully chartered by a tour op, or they charter a number of seats on a flight. Thomson and crystal for instance have their own airline, as do Neilson and Thomas cook. However inghams have to charter flights are part charter them. As do others.
It's not the seat prices that cost much as it happens, in fact broken down its a very small cost compared to what you can book a flight for yourself.
It's very unusual to be able to buy a seat on a chartered flight.

Rooms in resorts are booked up several years in advance and paid for at the exchange rate at that time, hence why we saw big price rises a couple of seasons ago which reflected xchange rates with the weak GBP

Wen you can get a deal is when a property or flight is virtually full or both, in which case they've made their money and its a case of filling spare seats and rooms. You have to time its right and get lucky as well.

Also, when conditions are great like now, they know they will sell seats and rooms even late which is why they don't discount them. Funnily enough, in years gone by, the resorts which are usually well discounted are the ones which at the time have poor snow and tend to be low lying resorts. You'll have seen deals for Andorra, soll, niederau, etc dominating the knockdown priced bargains.

Not much in the line of bargains this year and the point I was trying to make was that they sell the spare air seats off, and that what has happen this year, options were Belfast, I don't think so, Manchester which I would have prepared to drive to for the right deal.
So from the horses mouth The TO's....... "We have accomodation but no flights" -)

Re: Last minute bargains?

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 21:21:23 GMT

I have finally got myself sorted but it will not be the Alps ... any ideas :D

Pyrenees?
Am guessing it's not Tyrol.
Or perhaps the Dolomites

Re: Last minute bargains?

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 22:46:49 GMT

Ian. The tour ops don't sell off the seats. Certain routes sell out faster. Manchester often fly bigger aircraft so there's more seats, and Belfast or Glasgow don't sell as many as there which is why you can often get these routes as available.
Stansted, Birmingham, east Mids, Bournemouth, Bristol tend to sell fast, gatwick have multiple flights so you can often get a seat on a gatwick plane

Re: Last minute bargains?

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:37:23 GMT

Dids1 wrote:

I have finally got myself sorted but it will not be the Alps ... any ideas :D

Pyrenees?
Am guessing it's not Tyrol.
Or perhaps the Dolomites

Wrong..... Nil point -)

Re: Last minute bargains?

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:45:02 GMT

Tony_H wrote:Ian. The tour ops don't sell off the seats. Certain routes sell out faster. Manchester often fly bigger aircraft so there's more seats, and Belfast or Glasgow don't sell as many as there which is why you can often get these routes as available.
Stansted, Birmingham, east Mids, Bournemouth, Bristol tend to sell fast, gatwick have multiple flights so you can often get a seat on a gatwick plane

Thats strange as I see flights only being advertised on the TO's airlines all the time :shock:

Re: Last minute bargains?

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 11:29:16 GMT

Ian Wickham wrote:

Dids1 wrote:

I have finally got myself sorted but it will not be the Alps ... any ideas :D

Pyrenees?
Am guessing it's not Tyrol.
Or perhaps the Dolomites

Wrong..... Nil point -)

Sweden?

Re: Last minute bargains?

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 12:08:59 GMT

Tony_H wrote:

Ian Wickham wrote:

Dids1 wrote:

I have finally got myself sorted but it will not be the Alps ... any ideas :D

Pyrenees?
Am guessing it's not Tyrol.
Or perhaps the Dolomites

Wrong..... Nil point -)

Sweden?

A tad pricey for me, it is nowhere flash very low and somewhere possible
no one on J2ski would think about skiing ...... A hint it is in Germany -)

Re: Last minute bargains?

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 12:11:10 GMT

Garmish? No idea how high that is? -)

Re: Last minute bargains?

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 12:12:36 GMT

Lynn_D wrote:Garmish? No idea how high that is? -)

Sorry Lynn D- must try harder ...... now I did say it was not in the alps -)

Re: Last minute bargains?

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 12:15:41 GMT

Err, pass. Geography was never my strong point and that was the only German resort I could think of. -)

Re: Last minute bargains?

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 12:18:50 GMT

Lynn_D wrote:Err, pass. Geography was never my strong point and that was the only German resort I could think of. -)

We could go on all week, lets just see how many people read my posts :D

I went there for a few days in the summer :thumbup:

Re: Last minute bargains?

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 12:29:10 GMT

Bavaria :?:

Re: Last minute bargains?

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 12:30:39 GMT

brooksy wrote:
Bavaria :?:

Neicht -)

Re: Last minute bargains?

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:35:23 GMT

Harz mountains?

Anyway to get a bargain, escape the tyranny of the tour operators and book through resort websites. You generally don't pay up front and cancellation is free (if you can't find flights etc). Pick a resort close to an airport for cheap rail/bus transfers and avoid Sat to Sat or Sun to Sun for flight bargains. Don't just limit yourself to 'budget' airlines; Swiss or BA often work out cheaper.

Re: Last minute bargains?

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 17:37:40 GMT

Right here we go, We are driving, lunch time Saturday 02/03/13 channel tunnel, overnight in Bruges meeting up with a few friends for a couple of beers to celebrate one their birthdays ... depart Sunday for Winterberg for a four night stay, not a great deal of skiing but hey ho it is cheap. Works out at three days skiing although I think we might ski it out on the first day, might try and get a run on their bobsled run. Reasonable 3 star hotel B&B, lift passes, channel tunnel 500 euro total ...... plus a couple of gallons of fuel.
Got so pee'd of with TO's availibility that we decided to do something different spent 4 nights there last august so we have walked most of the pistes, reasonably priced restaurants and the people very friendly.
It will be a slightly different report when I come back .... :thumbup:

Re: Last minute bargains?

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 17:42:08 GMT

:thumbup: :thumbup:

Re: Last minute bargains?

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 20:54:42 GMT

Nice one Wickers. Out of interest, what is it costing you for the trip per person?

Re: Last minute bargains?

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 21:01:43 GMT

I'm glad you finally found somewhere to go :)

Re: Last minute bargains?

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 21:19:15 GMT

I went to Winterberg for skeleton once upon a time - didn't get to ski. A hairy old bob track if my terrified memory serves me....

Re: Last minute bargains?

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 02:37:25 GMT

LOTA wrote:I went to Winterberg for skeleton once upon a time - didn't get to ski. A hairy old bob track if my terrified memory serves me....

They have a new one now, you must have broke the last one :D

Re: Last minute bargains?

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:21:57 GMT

Hi All,

Long time reader, first time poster.

I completely agree that I have found last minute deals incredibly hard to come by this year. Thought it could be to do with the amount of snow but regardless it was tough.

This year - like every year - I booked a week's leave and then searched , first week in Feb. Eventually gave up looking for a package 4 days before we were due to leave and booked the schnee express taking me and the missus from Dusseldorf to Jenbach and then to Mayrhofen where we booked a little room on b00king dot c0m. Was stacks of snow and plenty of skiing around the different ski areas. It was an interesting experience and we got to ski on 8 consecutive days but was more costly than a package. Having just moved over to Germany from the UK we were wondering if it had to do with the fact that we were on the continent and people generally drove to the resorts as we used to find great deals leaving the UK. In 2010 in the first week of March we got a deal to Banff canada for 300 quid each including flights and b&b with last minute/inghams!!

Anyway, DIY seems the way to go if the TO are playing it tough...we are driving to france first week of april as we got a cheap apartment for the week in SuperDevoluy - on a side note, any ideas if there is snow that time of year?

Cheers
Matt

Re: Last minute bargains?

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:29:45 GMT

yep booking .com, I have used them quite a lot over the last couple of years
and I always check the Hotel's website to compare prices, and they always seem to be loads cheaper 8)

Re: Last minute bargains?

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:38:52 GMT

Thanks, will bear that in mind.

enjoy Winterberg, was planning to go there on Sunday, missus-permitting....

Re: Last minute bargains?

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:04:09 GMT

mattfoure wrote:Thanks, will bear that in mind.

enjoy Winterberg, was planning to go there on Sunday, missus-permitting....

I Should be easy to pick out ... only Brits there I should think, if you go and think you see me , just give me a tap on the shoulder I don't bite -)
I don't actually get there till after lunch ....

Re: Last minute bargains?

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:25:11 GMT

I came across a deal this morning. GBP89 for a week self catered including lift pass. That's insane

Re: Last minute bargains?

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:55:28 GMT

Tony_H wrote:I came across a deal this morning. GBP89 for a week self catered including lift pass. That's insane

Yes but I don't recommend camping in Norfolk at this time of year, no snow either :(

Re: Last minute bargains?

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 14:33:50 GMT

Ian Wickham wrote:

mattfoure wrote:Thanks, will bear that in mind.

enjoy Winterberg, was planning to go there on Sunday, missus-permitting....

I Should be easy to pick out ... only Brits there I should think, if you go and think you see me , just give me a tap on the shoulder I don't bite -)
I don't actually get there till after lunch ....

Its around 2 hours drive for me...

If I make it and I spot the standout Brits (will keep an eye out for union jack ski jackets or something to that extent...) I will def say hello.

Re: Last minute bargains?

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 14:35:41 GMT

felthorpe wrote:

Tony_H wrote:I came across a deal this morning. GBP89 for a week self catered including lift pass. That's insane

Yes but I don't recommend camping in Norfolk at this time of year, no snow either :(

It's a BYOS deal - Bring Your Own Snow

Re: Last minute bargains?

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:51:25 GMT

Erm. No it's not. It's a genuine ski holiday in a very snowy french ski resort. Problem is I can't find the email now with the deal on it!!!!

Re: Last minute bargains?

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 17:16:28 GMT

Tony_H wrote:Erm. No it's not. It's a genuine ski holiday in a very snowy french ski resort. Problem is I can't find the email now with the deal on it!!!!

And then you woke up in the shower :lol:

Re: Last minute bargains?

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 17:21:21 GMT

felthorpe wrote:

Tony_H wrote:Erm. No it's not. It's a genuine ski holiday in a very snowy french ski resort. Problem is I can't find the email now with the deal on it!!!!

And then you woke up in the shower :lol:

Good grief

Just because people can't find this deal themselves, doesn't mean It doesn't exist
:roll:

Re: Last minute bargains?

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 17:35:34 GMT

And here is the evidence;

http://www.skiline.co.uk/france/valfrejus/du-thabor-7746/?utm_source=jarrang&utm_medium=email&utm_content=main&utm_campaign=emailFeb04

Re: Last minute bargains?

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 17:38:36 GMT

Tony_H wrote:And here is the evidence;

http://www.skiline.co.uk/france/valfrejus/du-thabor-7746/?utm_source=jarrang&utm_medium=email&utm_content=main&utm_campaign=emailFeb04

Been there , stayed there :thumbup:

Re: Last minute bargains?

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 19:31:46 GMT

Hurt my shoulder playing golf today so don't think can play for a while thus definitely and excuse to go skiing. Looking at the deals, agree with everybody else there's nothing special/good around, can't quite go for a very cheap accommodation, have a child to think of. Have anybody been to Valmenier in France and Courmayeur in Italy in the end of March?
What you think of Altibus service from/to Chambery? Many thanks!