Lots of people are asking my advice on when to book. Well, the scary price rumours are partially true. It would seem the earlier you book the better the deal. At the moment I would definitely advise not to wait for a last-minute special on flights – they just won’t be offered in the foreseeable future.

There are some reasons for this. The cost of fuel has increased dramatically – we all know this when we fill up our tanks, and aviation fuel has increased even more dramatically. All of these companies have lost money for the past 2½ years and they are all trying to recoup their losses.

The biggest impact on flight costs is the availability. There just aren’t as many flights operating. Where Singapore airlines flew 4 flights a day to Brisbane there are now two or three. Where Emirates flew two A380’s (the double-decker planes with around 500 passengers) they now fly one. On and on it goes. One of the biggest gaps from pre-Covid flights is the Asian airlines, especially the Chinese airlines, several flew into Brisbane and offered very competitive prices, which drove down the prices across the industry. None of these Chinese airlines have started flying to Australia yet. So, capacity has a big impact on prices.

The flights that are operating are full, so the earlier you book the better the airfare. airlines increase prices as the flight fills up.
Hotels are similarly better to book early to secure a better price.

As with Australia, the world seems to be suffering from a shortage of staff in the hospitality industry (I do wonder: where they have all gone?). So, when I was in Europe recently there were issues there too. Hotels say they are full and this may well be the case or it may be that they have closed several rooms because they cannot service the hotel with the number of staff they have. This too, drives up prices.

One area where there are some specials is cruising in 2022. If you feel like a last-minute escape for a river cruise in Europe then you will probably get a 50% discount for travel this year – this will help to ease the pain with the airfares! Cruising in 2023/24 is on the market and there are some great deals – discounts, free beverages, free shore excursions etc. The offers vary between cruise lines and destinations however there are some really great offers if you are prepared to book and deposit well in advance.

We travel agents are frantically busy – travel isn’t as straightforward as it once was and all the checking and rechecking, the changes to airline schedules, the last-minute changes are all taking a lot of time to ensure the best holiday for you. I apologise if we are tardy in getting back to you.

So yes, the world is back travelling, demand is exceeding supply and the prices for last-minute bookers is high. So, my advice is to book early and secure your dream holiday. 

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