 Poster: A snowHead
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My friends and I have the week 12th-19th March off to go away and want to get a late deal, but how late do we want to leave it?? Some resorts are actually already booked up for that week so dont want to end up with limited choice but also want the best deal. When do the usual TOs offer their best deals??
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I go on sunday and I booked last friday, have a look on the Nielson site it was offering free passes and ski carrage or hire on loads of deals, but I ended up booking with thomsonski going to Prageleto Italy 3 adults H/B L/Pass and other charges 1750 4* accom and it should be snowing as we arrive (well hopefully). I 'd say stick with it until you can bare it no longer and then go for it. In all honesty I could have booked that deal 3 weeks ago for the same money but wait for something better that didn't materalise. Are in Sweden for £1500 including everything h/b l/p with neilson was tempting but the acoomadation won over mrs rocki and the cheaper beer for me won the day. good luck.
ps sign up for all the email notifacations you will get all there deals to your email. Igluski, silverski, alpine answers and the like.
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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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Burtonboy83, it depends on where you want to go, how many of you there are, and how you want to get there. If you need to fly from a regional airport then flights can sell out. Sometimes all flights sell out, and TOs are unlikely to put on an extra charter plane at a late date. Driving gives you much more flexibility to negotiate a better deal, but I've known people flying from the London aiports leave it until the morning that they're thinking of going to book.
If you're a big group then the later you leave it you may not be able to stay in the same accomodation, or even the same resort (although that would be really unlucky.
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Thanks everyone for your input, except Pam W, your always well unhelpful
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Burtonboy83 wrote: |
| Thanks everyone for your input, except Pam W, your always well unhelpful |
Your last remark reminded me of this thread
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allanm, ha ha so it does work on SHs... 
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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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under a new name, Mmmm... TBH, 'Tosser' sprung to my mind initially.  .... but yes... OK, looks like it does work.
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allanm, 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Burtonboy83
Mrs MA & I have the same week off work. 2 weeks ago we started looking for a cheap package. We earmarked a week in Mayrhofen with First Choice for a bargain £250 each, bed and breakfast. Went to book it a couple of days later and it had gone up by £50 - so we booked a self catering week in Brides Les Bains instead for £242 each.
Checked last night and the hol has now gone up to £319 each - including a £30 scam described as 'late booking charges'  Waht's that about then?
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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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Burtonboy83, last minute = less than 24 hrs before departure. But obviously you only get what's left- but at a great price. You might have to drive a bit for a flight- so what?
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| Burtonboy83 wrote: |
| Thanks everyone for your input, except Pam W, your always well unhelpful |
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You know it makes sense.
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tour operators have two goals one to fill the seats on their planes as they have already paid for them and secondly to filled guaranteed rooms again this means rooms that they have already paid for and will always include chalets and club hotels. They have a yeild team who monitor this and offers come about when these requirements need filling, that is why it is difficult to get a deal at half term as most of these holidays are booked well in advance so most TO's do not have much availability left and will only reduce very close to departure date. but quiter periods will be reduced much earlier to make sure that seats and beds are being filled. In the last couple of years TO's have cut capacity so sometimes deals can be hard to find but the general news is that all are expanding again for 2012 so more offers will probably be available earlier.
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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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Burtonboy83, I have 2 Snowjet flights for sale on here departing 10am Sat 12.03.11 Stansted to Sion in Switzerland, returning 2pm on Sat 19.03.11. Sion is 1/2 hour from Haute Nendaz and you can catch the coutesy bus from the airport 5 mins to Sion and then straight up to H.Nendaz on local bus, bus stops at the main lift station, costs 8€ each. We cant go because of work commitments so am looking to sell them.
Haute Nendaz links directly with Verbier, and its a great way of skiing Verbier ski area on a budget, literally takes 3/4 hour to ski/ board to Verbier and avoids crowds, great uncrowded runs home etc at end of day.
The flights werent cheap, they cost me over £250 each but I'm open to offers..............remember you dont need a transfer! I can transfer to your names for £50 each, I have agreed this with Snowjet.
There's plenty of budget accomodation, self catering via the Nendaz tourist info website, and plenty cool bars that serve great tex-mex/ pizzas etc, good vibe in resort, and supermarkets etc, you'd pick a place up pretty cheap I reckon, and you'd definitely get a deal. Your mates could book flights with same company and all share the flight saving.
Just a thought...........maybe this would work for you - you'd get 2 x 1/2 days on the piste, plus 6 full days. Much better than a tour operator trip.
PM me if you want to discuss. Mark 
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Poster: A snowHead
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mountainaddict, I saw a nice late deal with Igluski for me and OH. I saw it in the evening but next morning when I looked, it had gone up £20 each. I rang Iglu and moaned that it had gone up, whilst asking for a complete price to consider, (ie with ski carriage, any other extras etc). He split the difference so so I only paid £20 extra instead of £40 and threw in free meals on the plane! Great service!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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pam w: "Go Pam W, Go Pam W!".....It's getting like Jerry Springer on here! 
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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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mountainaddict, Please no! A virtual, trailer trash shirt ripping thread is more than I can stomach! Dont know what Burtonboy83, expected! Late deals do not give you flexibility! In this instance pam w, is right!
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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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pam w, you forgot to throw in the free 'snow bunny'
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Talking of late deals - in one of the Sunday papers this weekend: 1 week HB, F & T to Val D'Espair......£300 pp......yes, that IS £300pp. And I just can't justify taking next week off 
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Years ago, before we started driving to the Alps, we used to use Thomson "square deals" and had some excellent ski weeks ALTHOUGH it might have meant flying in the early hours from some distant airport. You pays your money........
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Also years ago, we used an outfit called "Snowbusters", a phone based service. We booked "3 valleys, self-catering, flying from Manchester" and only found out where we were going - Courchevel 1850, as it turned out - when we met the "rep" (some bloke with a dodgy coat and a clipboard) at the airport. £500 for the pair of us if memory serves. Windless sunshine all week and awesome snow...
Christmas 2009, we booked on the Tuesday, flew on the Sunday and found half the chalet had booked after us!
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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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| Chasseur wrote: |
| Talking of late deals - in one of the Sunday papers this weekend: 1 week HB, F & T to Val D'Espair......£300 pp......yes, that IS £300pp. And I just can't justify taking next week off |
I tried such deals years ago and they never worked out quite as was being promised. I now rather book and know that I have bought what I want, where I want. Where I am going is more important than saving £100.
That said I will never forget a friend getting into work on Black Monday, seeing red all over the screens and ringing up a travel agent for a holiday starting that afternoon. He got Concorde to Barbados and back, staying two weeks FB at Sandy Lanes... for £500 each.
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| Burtonboy83 wrote: |
| Thanks everyone for your input, except Pam W, your always well unhelpful |
That's harsh, don't you think? Seems quite to the point to me.
As there are plenty of half price deals around already, for March and April, seems unlikely they'll drop in price much more. And if/when they do, then the choice will be less.
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FAQ
On the whole, naturally, the last minute "deals" will be the ones nobody wanted to buy at full price. 
