 Poster: A snowHead
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This year Christmas Day and New Year’s Day is a Friday but due to the leap year in 2016 it falls on a Sunday. While most TOs operate Saturday to Saturday this will not be an issue and will probably benefit a lot of people. However, for those TOs that operate Sunday to Sunday what will they do? I can’t see there being a huge demand for people to fly out on Christmas Day nor will there be many people pleased to fly back on New Year’s Day.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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From memory some did a short week in January to make up for moving the changeover day
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Flying back from holiday on either New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day would both be awful! Though for different reasons. Flying in general on New Year’s Day would just not be a good idea…
Christmas – I wouldn't want to fly on Christmas Day, but Boxing Day is fine – the only issue is availability of transport. This year I'm flying back from the parents on Boxing Day, then out to the Alps on the 27th. I was lucky and managed to find accommodation from the Sunday – I’d have preferred to fly out to the Alps on the 26th, but couldn't find any flight options that would work, as they are so restricted on Boxing Day.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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A few year's back I had a 10-day New Year holiday in Obergurgl because Inghams moved the transfer days to avoid New Year's Day. Only problem was that I enjoyed the longer holiday so much that since then I've always taken the two full weeks for Christmas and New Year. Great fun but very expensive.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Some years ago I picked up my daughter and two of her cousins at Geneva on New Years Day - it was a bargain flight
They were not in terrific shape. I took some food with me, bottles of water and cans of coke. Even the magical sight of heavy snow falling around the Christmas trees en route didn't get much reaction, nor did the graunching of my ABS as I slithered down the last bends to the apartment.
They did have a great holiday though!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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When I worked for Crystal in 2010 they started the season Monday to Monday to avoid Xmas and New Year travel on a Saturday. There was then a 5 day Monday to Saturday week which was discounted, then Saturday to Saturday for the rest of the season.
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I discovered the hard way that there is absolutely no public transport on Boxing Day (and Xmas Day and New Years Day) which makes it difficult and expensive to get to airports and train stations in the UK. My solution was to change my Eurostar tickets to come out a week earlier and make it a two week trip but that's not an option for everyone.
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Some years ago we picked up a very cheap week in Tignes starting on New Year's Eve booked the Thursday before. I think the TOs are wiser now and jiggle short/long weeks to fit.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Working for a TO a few seasons back when they fell over a weekend. First couple of transfer days were Fridays, then they had a longer week to take it back to the usual Sunday.
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The long or short "weeks" TOs use to get back on to regular weekend transfers post Christmas/New Year generally offer some super discounts to attract takers so keep your eyes peeled.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Normally next year if it wasn't a leap year (which I hadn't realised till now, excellent! would hope not to have to worry about it again till 2021 now) we'd either be flexible or do a couple of Sun-Sun weeks with a short week in January.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Next year, 2016, probably won't involve a ski trip for us, well not at Xmas/New Year unless the wife concedes to a Xmas trip and therefore not being there on Xmas day for the older two kids.
2017 is an interesting one too though. Xmas week will start on 23/24th Dec, and New Years week on 30/31st Dec. Not sure what the school hols are like elsewhere but ours mean we could go either, or even both, weeks i.e. schools finish on Fri 22nd Dec and return on Mon 8th Jan. Would the New Years week that year be as popular/pricey as normal? I'd have thought it might involve 'problems' for many with more time off work than normal being required, even if the schools elsewhere are closed until 8th Jan.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Gaza Luckily where I work the office doesn't really shut during the Xmas-New Year period, so although I've always taken it myself, I'd have the option of working 27th-29th Dec and taking the next week off without it really affecting me in terms of the number of days leave I'd need to take. In my previous job though the office always shut from Xmas through to after the New Year so I suspect a lot of people will have that problem.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Judging from the emails I am getting at present, the answer particularly after last years poor early season snowfall is 'panic'! A bit of an exaggeration I'm sure but there are some pretty good deals out there at the moment.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Esprit released their 2016/17 brochure yesterday. They are doing the first few weeks of the season Friday to Friday and then on Friday 30th December are offering 9 nights for the price of 7 (I'm sure that the extra 2 nights are hidden in the price) and then switch to Sunday to Sunday.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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the last time it happened the t/o had 4 day jaunts for about 1/2 the usual daily rate 4star pool etc so we went and had a cheap extra trip if I remember correctly 2pax flight transfer 1/2 board under £250 each
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Flying to the currently very snowy US on January 1st; couldn't care less about new year's eve 'celebrations'! 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I'm just looking at the school holidays to try and work out what we will do with the chalet dates over Christmas and New year next year.. I'm thinking about running some chalets Friday to Friday and others possibly Wednesday to Wednesday so the kids can do New Year "week". I think a lot of schools go back 3rd or 4th Jan.. so families would you let your kids miss the 1st day of school? Or possibly take them out a day early? (of course I am not encouraging this is any shape or from).
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I know some are offering 8 days for the price of 7 to encourage early bookings.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Crystal Holidays are out for the 2016/2017 season and for most places (France, Italy, Andora) they are doing a Tuesday (as well as a Saturday) flight. Therefore you can go 20th to 27th (all school holidays) or 27th to 3rd Jan (our school goes back on 3rd so they'd miss one day).
The dates fall back into line from 7th Jan but you can book 11 nights from 27th Dec to 7th Jan for those that are able to go for that long.
Austria only seems to have the Saturday flight which means travelling Christmas eve or New Years eve.
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@Bianchigray, I had most state school down as breaking up from the 21st /22nd Dec, so I'll have to have another trawl around the internet to check. Private / Prep schools seem to have much longer hols so they could even do a pre Christmas break.
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@SnowRetreat, my daughter breaks up 15th Dec, back on 5th Jan (private school).
However Easter break doesn't start until Friday 31st March, so I'm thinking a Christmas / NY break is the way to go...
If you did Wed - Wed - Wed you'd be empty for 2 nights before getting back to normal on Sat 7th. An opportunity for last minute snagging or staff training perhaps?!
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FAQ
