Pam, I'm sure you are right about people feeling insecure in their jobs. In this country there are quite hefty penalties if you have to cancel a holiday, unlike ,say, the USA. Also the pound is so weak against both dollar and euro, that will make people think quite hard. Booking early doesn't always get the best deal, even in the school holiday period. We have always booked early to get exactly what we wanted, but last year our identical holiday was being sold considerably cheaper after Easter- I nearly cancelled and rebooked as we would still have saved a couple of hundred pounds.
Haven't booked anything for next year, but that is mainly because I have just taken early retirement so we can go where and when the fancy takes us. I just hope the tour operators manage to hang on in there as there could be less choice and fewer bargains around.
kate

Although we say we aren't particular about holidays, when it comes down to it - we are. We literally spend hour upon hour researching on the net, and that's just to decide on a country It's not the actual standard of accomodation, but its location, facilities etc. We have long since decided that we need to book early in order to get a decent choice and exactly what we want. Our only poor holiday was when we had to cancel a long haul flight as hubby had been ill, and booked something immediately- it wasn't exactly a disaster, but if at all possible I wouldn't do it again. We booked our Easter week, months ago and now it has gone up by over £200.

My booking habits have changed, but mainly due to the fact that my kids are now older - son doesn't want to come anymore and daughter doesn't want to go with just her and myself - we are taking her best friend at Easter on a free child place (her mum will supply spends).
I have always gone away during school holidays because of having kids in school; and now I'm working in a school I will still have to have (expensive) school breaks, so I'm used to paying those sort of prices anyway. However, I am now concerned about the amount I will be spending while away due to the terrible exchange rate.
For the last few years we have had two holidays per year (Easter & August) but I think we will just have the one at Easter in 2009 - I could do with spending my summer break at home anyway getting a few big decorating jobs done. Haven't a clue what I'll be doing in 2010, daughter still won't want to go with just myself; and her friend will be 17 by then so there won't be a free child place for her
I love my holidays but I've had to get used to the idea there won't be so many in the future, not just because of financial problems but because of a general change in family circumstances.

i also havent booked a summer holiday for next year yet and i normally have 3-4 booked by now, we have had 6 abroad this year but we wont be able to afford that next year grrr, we have only got 4 days in euro disney booked for march at the moment, the prices are so high for the flights to turkey for summer 09 that i have not booked yet having to stick to school holiday, my older 2 wont come with us now either so we are now down to 3 of us, i only need flights to turkey but if i got a cheap enough package with a free child i would consider that, been looking for mths but cant find anything i consider a bargain yet, so going to keep looking

I have always booked named late deals but this year I am considering booking my holiday soon as I am worried Turkey will get booked up by people who are going instead of Euroland!

What an excellent post and of course some excellent replies. Up to about 10 years ago we would book our family (6 people) summer holiday by 2nd January. Then we would have several months of looking forward to the holiday.

So far, so good. Then we realised that in mid February the exact same holiday (same amount of people, same destination, same dates etc) became reduced in price. By the end of February the holiday was less than half price (£2600 reduced to £1200).We complained and after some 'positive whispers' from the Travel Company we laid low. To make a long story short we never booked with them again as their 'whispers' became 'Go to Hell' after the holiday.

The following year we decided on DIY i.e book an apartment, book flights, book car rental direct from holiday home owners. We have not looked back since and we save a fortune every summer. The secret is to book directly from the owner which obviates commission aspect etc.

However, we have not abandoned the Travel Agent completely. We avail of the special offers in say Mid May or mid September/October. But, they would have to be at knockdown prices. Early in December 2008 we flew to Fuerteventura for €129.00 each, self catering.

No matter what the advertising, it is cheaper to go totally DIY. Two weeks at a well known destination in Spain in July of summer 2009 is costing the 6 of us (all adults) under €2000 including flights, apartment, car-hire.

I have just booked a 2 week holiday tonight with Portland by phone.They gave me their web price including the on-line booking discount.
It has cost me less than I paid for a B&B late deal in October and its a better hotel and HB.It has only cost me £36 more than the cost of the flight!so I could not have done it any cheaper by DIY.
Thomson was £100 dearer for the same holiday and Thomas Cook almost £200 dearer.
I would say book now if you get a good price as I think Turkey will be more popular this year due to the poor exchange rate for the Euro.(0.98 yesterday at the PO!) There wont be as many flights this year due to the demise of XL Airways.

yeah ours have. For the last two years we have booked our holiday around a year before we travel. When we got back this October, I searched for prices straight away for the same hotel in mexico and it is just coming up too expensive even till now. Just hoping the price goes down!! I have searched through several countries and they all seem more expensive than when I have looked in the past.

Great post.

I think my booking habits are changing I always used to be an early booker, but I am not so sure that I want to commit myself to things so early now. Also like Cyber our needs as a family are changing as my kids are getting older.

No need for frantic searching about for free child places etc as they are not classed as children on hotel bookings anymore only on apartment bookings, and for these you get the same price if you price for 4 adults as 2 adults, 2 kids.

I am also mindful of the Euro exchange rate and cant decide if to go to America for our main holiday, although I think that whereever we go our money wont go as far as it used to, but then we have had it good for a long time in this Country holidaywise so it's probably better to just adjust to a new way of thinking about our holidays and be thankful for all the good (and cheap lol) times we had in the past.

Doe

I agree Doe-we seem to have taken for granted the fact that we will get our two weeks in the sun each summer as you could hunt out deals and do well for your budget. At the moment things seem so expensive, but then again it is our first time having to book for 3 adults and a child rather than 2 and 2 as our eldest will just have turned 13, so I suppose that doesn't help.

Really interesting posts everyone- certainly gives food for thought!!

Pam

Only used to have the one 2 week holiday abroad during the School Summer holidays but found that for the past 2/3 years we've been able to afford an Easter break (diy normally). We booked for this Easter months ago and got a week's S/C deal for both of us for £546. I re- checked the price a few days ago and it had gone up to over £800. I don't understand why airlines/TA's are increasing their prices at a time when the pound is so week. You'd have thought they'd be almost giving hols away to fill their planes. We are concerned that we will need loads of spends this Easter because of the exchange rate. I@m only glad that the Summer 2 week hol we've booked is AI to the Dom Rep

i used to book through the travel agents then i started to book online package deals.now i book through places like travel republic,lo cost beds,and alpharooms i find this way works better for me and i think i get some good deals.i do tend to leave till last minuite depending on prices i just keep looking every day untill im happy with the price.i even go into travel agents let them do the hard work eg finding me a cheap flight and hotel to the destination i want to go to get the print out off them take it home then beat the price.i allways research the hotel on here before i book and up to now i feel as though i have done well.i must say this i have just come back from lanzarote i went over christmas had a fab time but be carefull everyone the euro is a killer everything was so expensive take this into account before you go.we spoke to two families that still had a week left of there holiday they went home due to spending too much in there first week they couldnt believe how expensive it was.everything seems so cheap now we are back home but i miss the sun

We decided as the euro was so poor and flights to turkey expensive, to abandon our hols abroad this year and put the money we spend on flights, accommodation and spends to go to Austrailia next year to visit family, it was just the push i needed to go for it! we are going to london in june for daughters 18th (with tesco clubcard points) and booking a sun £9.50 offer for 5 days! I just hope and pray we have a decent summer this year

keepupwith, as you say, some people will have their hols come hell or high water, that is deffinately us !!!
To be honest, we usually do d.i.y, have done for years now, but, having thought about the security of a package deal has swayed us to book an AL to jamaica this may, and mad as it sounds, it works out a bit cheaper than we paid last summer for a private apartment , flights and spends to fuengirola last year !
I really do feel for the people who have lost their jobs due to the economic climate and have to re-think their holiday plans, as its one of the best times of peoples lives, going away on holiday and spending quality time with the family, so, I really hope that everyone gets a break.
cheers guys,
juby