Agents report ongoing ‘late, late bookings’ despite deals warning

Travel agents have reported a renewed trend for “late, late bookings” despite warning clients to book ahead for summer amid predictions of fewer peak season deals this year.

The reports came as fears grow for family sales in the possible absence of traditional discounting in the summer lates market. Hays Travel chief operating officer Jonathon Woodall-Johnston said: “Demand for lates is there – particularly with couples booking to travel in eight to 12 weeks’ time [but] the family market is still not where we would expect it to be at this point in the year.”

Seaside Travel cited ‘late lates’ as popular but said it continued to urge clients to “get booked now” to avoid future price increases.

“We’re focused on staying positive and getting the message out that booking on the high street is the way forward,” said head of business and commercial Paula Gleeson.

Independent Travel Experts managing director Kai-Yin Knapp said: “The lates travel market is performing strongly, with 20% of month-to-date bookings scheduled for travel within the same month.”

She cited a “small number of members” raising concerns around pricing ahead of the summer lates market but said suppliers had already helped convert current sales by “extending discount codes”.

Advantage Travel Partnership head of business development David Moon said families had already been put off by higher prices early in the year, while budgets continued to be squeezed by cost-of-living pressures.

He said some prices for early May had come down but remained “on the high side” for half-term.

Agents said they were warning customers there may not be a glut of cut-price deals in June.

Experience It Now director Richard Light noted: “Where customers have fixed dates, we’re encouraging them to book sooner as availability and pricing later in summer are not guaranteed.”

Premier Travel managing director Paul Waters said: “We’re advising customers that this summer may not follow the traditional lates market pattern. With capacity constraints and ongoing cost pressures, including fuel, availability could become more limited rather than significantly cheaper closer to departure.”

Shevaun Joy, director of Destination, said agents may have to “work a bit harder” to convert sales.