 Poster: A snowHead
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OK, I'll admit it, I am really struggling to figure out the best dates to offer for Xmas and NY holiday weeks next winter.
As I understand it, English schools break up on 19th Dec and go back on 2nd Jan. Scottish schools break up on 23rd Dec and go back on 9th Jan. Plus a bunch of regional variations.
What holiday dates would people ideally like to see? I had thought of offering Fri - Fri (so xmas week 23rd - 30th and NY week 30th - 6th) which makes sense for me, but might be awkward for a lot of people if kids are back at school on the 2nd Jan.
Suggestions? Other than the whole fortnight priced at 2s6d per person....
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Honestly I don't know. We are going to take short week travelling Boxing Day returning Sunday but we are going to our own place.
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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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Just sat down with a calendar and a lot of crossing-out. Think we're going to offer a few somewhat flexible packages rather than try to tie people down to particular dates.
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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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Yeah it's an odd one this year. Big Tour ops seems to be going with fri-fri or sat-sat a few have come up with some marketing BS of one or two days allegedly "free new year ski days" (yeah right) by offering 8 or 9 days from the fri. I've seen a few mid week or shorter breaks from smaller ops.
I think the harsh reality (for holiday sellers) is though the week commencing NYE this year is not going to be such a premium week as normal if flight prices are anything to go by, mainly due to kids being back at school the Tuesday after NYD. We are jammy that our school has kindly dumped two inset days into that week leaving only two school days in that first week - well.... I can survive the guilt trip of them missing two days, whereas I wouldn't pull them for a whole week. Anyway, rights or wrongs of that everyone will have their own opinion on. But.... by example Feb half term BA flights are currently going for around at least 400 return pp (the odd exception can be had for naff flight times), trust me I've looked everywhere, LYS, GVA, GNB, TRN, MUC, INN, SZG etc etc. Conversely I've just booked BA going out on NYE and back 8 days later on the Sunday at good flight times for 120 per person incl. luggage. I went for Lyon as flight times suited and it was marginally cheaper, but there were/are deals to be had to GVA, TRN, TLS etc, etc. Sleazyjet seats can still be bagged for 50 quid return (plus luggage). Given flight prices are massively reactive and demand driven I think that tells a huge story. Equally I've picked up an 8 day 7 seater car rental for under £250. From the research I've done the last few days before plumming for the DIY route, tours ops are still ambitously setting top whack prices for that same new year week on the basis that it's "new year". (Funnily enough I don't give too hoots about NYE and would normally actively avoid it for the daft pricing). I personally think they're are going to be disappointed with waaaaay more limited family demand than a normal NY week. With flights car hire and accomodation (haven't decided yet where to book) I've probably put something together for 1200-1800 for 8 days in a 2 bedroomed apartment for 4 of us depending on where we stay. Cheapest tour op pacakge I found was crystal for 7 days staying in a 1 bed shoe box (so sleeping on a sofa) in grand bois in La Tania at 650 pp = 2600 ! OK that includes flights, but its a whole whack more for a day less skiing, cramming into accomodation 1 bedroom too small, possibly naff flight times (didn't check), ski carriage extra, and a wretched coach transfer to boot.
Anyway point being based on scheduled flight costs I think the new year week this year will prove more of a buyers market than normal. I think sellers (I know some will already be booked out to regulars etc) may have a harder time this year given the return to school dates, so your thought about being flexible is probably quite sensible as you'll likely get more enquiries/leads.
For what it's worth we are renting somewhere for 7 nights NYE sat-sat 7 Jan (giving us 7 ski days sunday-saturday, checking out saturday morning, ski all day, drive down to just outside lyon in the evening, overnight in a motel for flight home Sunday morning.
Oh, and that week is still Dutch, Belgian, and Italian holidays though so if you do/can market to them you may find higher demand? Plus the Scotts of Course 
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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 booked flights for Boxing Day (Monday) returning on the Sunday thinking I would easily pick up Sunday to Sunday accommodation only to find that loads of places had changed to Friday to Friday to give themselves a chance of selling 2 separate weeks. It's the first time I've gone to Europe at Christmas and the lack of flexibility has really put me off.
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