A lot of last minute bargains???

A snowHead

Pricing is supply and demand. If the TOs could get more for non half term weeks, believe me, they would price the trips accordingly. If they had to sell half term for less to shift them, they would. That is economics, not being ripped off. Nevertheless, it seems to come as a complete surprise to every parent and everyone who becomes a teacher.

If people with sprogs got granny over for a week to baby sit the kids, they could have nice cheap holidays. If they cannot bear to spend a week apart from the kids, then they can't really complain about the cost of going exactly when every other parent does.

The other alternative is taking the kids out of school. I was very surprised to see so many children (aged between 8 and 14, I would estimate) in Morzine last week. Our transfer back was with a UK family with 2 school age children and they were part of a group of 17, nearly half of which were children, in the same chalet. Is it cheaper to just pay the school fines and take them in term time?

Back on track, yep loads of bargains and I think the weather is playing a part. I have just binned a trip to Austria next week as I would rather wait until the snow improves. It is not so much binned, as we haven't booked a last minute trip. It is skiable but could easily not be enjoyable in just a few days so I would rather not risk precious time off work. I can easily book within a week of going, once the weather has improved and am not greedy, having just got back.

A snowHead

January is definitely the best time to go skiing. No point in booking beforehand, there's always last-minute availability.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

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It's much the same as the reason why a 3-bed semi costs £60k in Middlesbrough and £300k in Surrey...

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Interestingly there were no bargains for New Year this year. Twelve months ago I found something - though I'm pretty sure they were the last two flights towards the Alps. Two years ago there were stacks of late offers.

But I'm surprised to see so many discounted holidays available for 15/16th February.

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pam w - second half of March will most definately see me heading out to the Alps - where - well who knows!

As for the snow reports not being too favourable - I can only speak as I find - The first week of Jan was fabulous in the 3V - and this week (according to friends) is shaping up nicely - no complaints about the 3V at all!

After all it is free

From where I am (La Plagne) it looks as if the chalet companies are having a tough time. I am in a very nice chalet which had no guests at all last week. This week it is half full despite massive discounting (which I missed out on.) Tiimes are hard.

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Next question - How late does one dare to leave it to book for second half of March for a group of 8 (ish)??
Catered chalet only - flights not needed???

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snow reports

Here's hoping to a good mid march too, we're still on for a 3rd week away on the 15th without the boy!

I've got a bargain with www.ice-fire.co.uk staying in one of their chalets in Les Coches near La Plagne. Still 7 spaces left for travelling this Sunday...only £299, flights & transfers extra..only paid £140 for my flight...still a bargain though for anyone that can get away at short notice. You'll need to check out the detail on their website ref the shared transfers though to ensure flight arrives on/before specified time but it's much cheaper than other transfer options!

You know it makes sense.

Seems like lots of chalet discounts... How about hotels?

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Hotel christiana in Les Gets are offers 50% disc at mo - I am guessing if chalets are offering good discounts due to availability then hotels must be in the same boat???

A snowHead

Everyone I know in the trade is very quiet - dry ski slopes here, friends with chalets to rent out, others with chalet hotel business out in the Alps. No problem with peak weeks, but the rest is dead. I thought we were supposed to be feeling more positive about the economy? Doesn't feel like it from the numbers of people affording to go skiing. I guess there's always a core of people who go every year regardless, but the first timers don't seem to be jumping in there, and maybe the die hards aren't sneaking off for the extra trips either?

A snowHead

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I have watched this thread for a bit and have decided to be the first person actually running a chalet to stick my head over the parapet and be honest (and I'll remove my signature link so no accusations of spamming please… pretty sure it's not a positive sales pitch anyway!)

I have the impression that reports of poor snow have been greatly exaggerated because it seems many people running a business in the alps are suffering a bit at the moment. We have seen mid January weeks at 40-50% occupancy and early February isn't heaving either, which is just strange for us because it's an ideal time to ski if you're not tied to school holidays (so maybe there is something in the new school holiday rules).

We are not in a particularly high ski area (bottom lift here at Le Plan is 1200m) and there is total piste coverage on the local slopes, everything is white, with off piste on the north facing slopes still ok (not epic but still fun and worthwhile after one of the regular but modest falls this season has seen). Our guests this week and last have pretty much all said "wow, it's nothing like I was expecting", which is what suggests to me that the message at home about snow conditions is quite a negative one.

We are bracing ourselves for a season where we get by but don't grow (we are a new business and so, as you would expect, have grown each season). As an independent chalet, we're just not comfortable with doing a massive price slash because when we discount for some, we offer it to other people who've already booked at full price, so we are pretty cheap anyway and do offer discounts but we can't do crazy 'giving the holiday away' ones. I've never, ever heard a guest here discussing how much they paid to stay with us, but I know it goes on in other chalets and I couldn't bear for someone to feel penalised for booking earlier than others - I can't imagine that adding to your happy holiday experience!

So I can't deny it's something of a relief to see this thread and to see that it's not us but is just the way things are this year. We have had quite a few people who have stayed this season book again already, and 4 of those bookings have been for this same 2013/14 season, so we know there's not a great deal we can do personally to change things - but I guess you don't set up a business in the mountains without expecting some ups and downs!

I genuinely am posting this for interest of those not running businesses in the alps and questioning why there are so many deals out there: it's certainly neither a sob nor a spam story, and I hope it's not taken as one.

ps I am aware that some people on the forum have posted some reviews this season - they've been neither expected nor requested but they have been very gratefully received.

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Hi Miranda - I am the original poster of this thread. I originally started this thread after expereincing an exceptionally quiet but equally excellent week in the Three Vallyeys, the first week of Jan. I then spent some time searching the internet for a last minute deal for my son and friends who are skiing this week. All I can say is that any reports of 'poor snow' in my experience are totally unfounded. Yes, we were lucky to have a decent 'dump' just as we arrived - we covered most areas in the 3V and every where was excellent. My son is currently reporting excellent snow on and off piste. I always book my chalets with small independent companies like yourself - so wish you the best of luck for this season.

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Thanks Dippy, much appreciated. We had expected our French bookings to be down this season but I had the impression that things were headed in the right direction in the UK, so we weren't expecting a drop in UK bookings. Oh well, it's good for the people who do book - as you say, conditions are good and the pistes are deserted so, to those of you taking advantage of discounts, last minute deals, flexible bookings for cheap flights and so on… enjoy!

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

miranda said

After all it is free

We'll decision made am off to la ros tomorrow to see my daughter, £299 all in seemed rude not to!!

Bet all the best deals are from Gatwick which is seriously over provided. It's time the Provences got more allocation. ( sorry I will get off my soapbox)

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Shimmy Alcott, I hadn't spotted your post until now. Thank you! Very Happy

I guess my impression that "poor snow" reports haven't helped stem from a) my mum - who knows very little about skiing - phoning me worried because she'd heard there was "no snow" b) our guests who've been here over the last couple of weeks (non snowHeads) saying how pleased they were with the conditions as they'd heard it wasn't great and c) us getting emails from people who've booked for later in the season (again non-snowHeads) checking in on how the conditions are doing because they'd heard they weren't good (we can make them no promises that far in advance because that's the mountains for you, and we'd be a bit unscrupulous to say otherwise, but at least we can assure them the there is actually no problem right now and what our experience has been over previous seasons!)

Maybe it is a financial thing? As I said, we know the economy in France is not doing so well, so we had expected a lower number of French bookings, but I had thought things were on the up in the UK… but reports in newspapers and how full/empty people's pockets are actually feeling is quite a different thing. Certainly I can sense that there is low occupancy in lots of places elsewhere (much more well known companies/resorts), so we are bracing ourselves for "one of those years". Who knows, once the word is out that conditions are fine, perhaps things will start to reverse (she's says hopefully!)

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in my experience (hospitality) price cutting is not the way to go when guests interact so closely during their stay. I always preferred value adds, rather than discounting - this way you could also value add you existing bookings should the need arise. (free one day ski pass, welcome basket, ski hire etc I guess - for us it is generally a free meal/wine/day trip etc).

The issue you face with discounting is you are setting a long term trend to solve a short term issue - your discounted price becomes the perceived norm.

snow reports

^ I didn't want people to think I was just jumping onto the thread to use it as an opportunity to advertise my business - I know it's pretty annoying when that happens. I'm sure it's also going to get annoying if this thread becomes all about me and my thoughts, so I'll put my signature link in this post and leave it at that and if anyone booking says, "I saw your post on the last minute bargains" thread, I promise to make an extra donation to the snowHeads community Laughing

You know it makes sense.

^^ and as a fully paid up super-snowhead member miranda, you are entitled to advertise in your signature (AFAIK)

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

In fact, don't you have to be..... Puzzled

A snowHead

In our family finance history, we've have good times. we've had some pretty thin times, but still I've managed fabulous ski holidays within budget. I buy my equipment for my kids, mostly 2nd hand, and pass it down, then ultimately resell it. I do self catering, pre prepare meals and put them in a cool box, so it is a pop in the oven dinner, take a lunch in the back back. I drive, instead of flying. All in all, I've done a weeks skiing for less than £800, including ski lessons for the kids, lodging, ski passes, including food, including fuel for the car, including tolls. During half term. As a treat, every day on the mountain they get one big hot chocolate or a crepe, or they each get a hot chocolate and share a crepe. They looked forward to it every day, it was a big treat, as a holiday should be!

Just because at that point in time, money was hard to come by, so I figured it out how to make it work, and was able to ski 2-3 weeks per year.

Now, my kids have grown out of the smaller resorts with cheap ski passes. Fortunately, there is a bit more to go around as well, but still I don't make it too crazy.

Just saying there isn't much gratification (or skiing to be had) with whining...

For the TO and resorts, its just simple economics. Your basic elasticity curve. I've chosen carefully and have never found the lift lines too horrible, but then again, perhaps I choose carefully.. or I'm lucky, who knows.

Having said all that, I'd love to do a catered chalet one time with the kids...maybe it will work out for me one day, and if not, we've still had many great weeks together being outside, breathing fresh air, and being awed by the scenery.

A snowHead

HeidiAmsterdam, £800 is good work!!!

I really like self catering - as we slob in our pjs or thermals after skiing Very Happy

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I'll stick my head up as well as an appartment owner who rents it out in Val Thorens.

To be honest we tend to get more enquiries when there is a period of perceived poor snow. I guess because of the altitude. Although, all our guests this season have reported that the pistes have been great and the sunshine has been fantastic. I think most people ski on-piste and probably it is a minority of enthusiasts who ski off piste a lot. But the story of poor snow still gets circulated.

We have already got 3 weeks booked for next season. Xmas week, new year and half term. However I am sure that we will end up with a small gap in January and also in April. Late April has to be the best time to go as well as January.

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Achilles-Zeitgeist

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see Achilles-Zeitgeist (disambiguation).

The Achilles-Zeitgeists refer to various popular participant sports trends characterised by the growth, peak and plateau of participant numbers followed by an inexorable fall and decline in popularity. The Achilles-Zeitgeist phenomenon was particularly noteworthy in the sport of Alpine skiing during the northern hemisphere winter season 2013/2014 when previously enthusiastic skiers all over the world simply woke up one Monday morning and thought to themselves, ''meh''.

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I'm very envious of you guys that can take advantage of the great offers when they come up.

For me, in Dubai, it doesn't matter what the bargain is at the resort (accommodation/passes etc...) I still have to take an international flight to a different continent and the prices are never discounted enough to make it worthwhile.

I wish I could just blag a few days of work, jump in the car, or for the price of a bucket airline ticket, get to the slopes for 3/4 days.

Lucky barstewards wink

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

To Barshaker - some people do not have the luxury of having granny just pop over to look after the sproggs for a week. Grannies or Grandads may not live near enough, may not be fit and well enough to do it or may indeed not be on this earth and therefore unavailable for duty. I wish I had the luxury of being able to to book a week off work at short notice. One of the joys of kids aside from having to pay through the roof for holidays is that you are restricted to these holidays and the holiday time is not always available at work.

After all it is free

moffatross, I'm more of an Ecclesiastes [3:1-8] man than a Hegel one.

Poor snow rumours have probably not helped as people tend to book January at the last minute once the big snowfall happens. It didn't this year, and we had two weeks empty in mid January when the pistes were almost empty and a ton of pwder fell. Guess when we are going to take our hols next year? Apart from that the season is pretty much booked up until late March. This is another suck it and see time, and will probably go later if the snow is still good by then.
Our New Year guests booked through my apartment manager and then tried to cancel just before arrivall claiming snow was poor and hoping we would consider a refund due to them being Spanish and the economic situation there. It wasn't my call to refund and my manager stood her ground as it was too late to book someone else in there. Snow had been poor 14 days prior to their email, but was looking pretty good from my terrace by the 27th December

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AsterixTG, Im also on Dubai and know how you feel. For two of us its £1,000 to fly into GVA, Whats even worse is that if you fly from UK/Europe into Dubai on return, its cheaper by 20% than going from here as original destination Evil or Very Mad

Help!!

A lot of last minute bargains???

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