 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm looking to make ast minute booking for week commencing 2/3 Mar Italy or france - Catered chalet preferably. Not really turned anything up yet, has anyone got any ideas or recommended operators to snatch a bargain from
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Not last minute enough yet. Give it 10 days and start making silly offers to TO's. They won't discount anything too heavily with two weeks left in case they get someone to pay full price. If you leave it to 3/4 days before, they need to shift the accommodation or lose money. The gamble is, everyone else might jump first. If you do't care where you go, wait out until 1st March and hit the phone. Would be unusual if you couldn't get a massive bargin
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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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Great advice above. Also look at the websites of www.sno.co.uk alpineanswers igluski skibeat skiline etc.
Interested how people fair booking the day before. Not sure if my constitution is up for it! 
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marksovereign, That's a great week to go skiing, and there should be bargains a plenty through TO's the weekend before.
Ski World (mid-range), Ski Val (mid-range), Ski Total (budget), VIP Ski (upper-end), all start their reductions as a new weekend approaches.
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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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Thornyhill, do the TO really give in at the last minute ? is that you personal experiences or just wishful thinking ?
yesterday, there were still numerous places with iglu ski for today and tomorrow, do not have time to play games with them though to see how low they would go,
especially that I decided to stay at home this half term,
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| Thornyhill wrote: |
| Not last minute enough yet. Give it 10 days and start making silly offers to TO's. They won't discount anything too heavily with two weeks left in case they get someone to pay full price. If you leave it to 3/4 days before, they need to shift the accommodation or lose money. The gamble is, everyone else might jump first. If you do't care where you go, wait out until 1st March and hit the phone. Would be unusual if you couldn't get a massive bargin |
Im in the same mindset as im not prepared to pay virtually top money for leftovers! I think keeping yor nerve is important but like has been said others may jump in before!
I'll update the thread with what happens!
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marksovereign, I got a decent 3/4* Chalet in St Anton with independent small-ish TO flying out 17th Feb (Yup, a peak week) from LGW for under £500. Not cheap, but it's not a cheap TO. I've had Easter weeks at £350 for the past 3 seasons. It's just deciding what do you really want to pay, and for what sort of deal.
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| Quote: |
That's a great week to go skiing
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but will be busy in France - Paris holidays. I'd go to Italy. Hold your nerve. In bocca al lupo.
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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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SKimastaah, May I ask when you usually book the holiday? 
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Mate last year I booked with crystal ski 24th feb and went 25th feb,
We went to L2A
Flight, transfers, all inc., £ 345 each, but I panicked as my departure dates was fast approaching.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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We booked last minute, day before although started negotiating on the Thursday with Crystal in March 2012.
Got 3/4 star half board in Tignes for two, Espace Killy lift passes, ski carriage for 2 sets, flights and transfer for £960.
If you can hold your nerve and also build a good rapport with the TO staff member then i think you have a great chance of a good deal, only downside is it may not always be to your first choice of resort.
We are going to try again this year and see if we can get a similar deal.
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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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I've worked for a couple of TOs in the last few years so have seen first hand some of the bargains that can be achieved. The best tips are:
- for the uber-bargains, last minute really does mean exactly that. We're talking booking on the Thursday or Friday before Saturday travel, not a week or two in advance.
- certainly in France, travel in January and late March/April is going to be more likely for a big bargain; February especially and early March less so.
- you typically have to not be overly bothered where you go and be quite open to whichever resort has the availability to afford the discount you're looking for.
- if you're looking to use a major operator then be sure to use their travel agents, either on the phone or in person. I was very surprised to see how many travel agent bookings there still are (Crystal in particular had a very high percentage of bookings from their high street associated agents) and these often provided the best bargains.
- by negotiating with the travel agent or direct with the staff on the phone, be prepared to bargain for free/2 for 1 lift passes, or perhaps free equipment, if they're not budging on much of a price reduction.
- if you can, get various options lined up from a few different sources so that you can play them off against each other.
- more than anything, hold your nerve and be prepared to go right the way to Friday night to get the reduction you're looking for. As an example the best deal I saw when working for Crystal in resort was a couple who got a room upgrade in a 4 star hotel, catered all week (stunningly good food) and got the whole transport, accommodation and hotel stay for £250 each, in late January, down from a regular price around 3 times that amount. In general terms, if you can get a catered deal for £250 - £300 then you've done very well, or if you can get those sorts of savings with free or discounted lift passes then its worth looking at.
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^ This and being prepared to deal 30 mins before the office shuts on the Friday is how you get the deal. Obviously it's pretty easy to lose your nerve before that as you see places on flights disappearing and the resorts you'd been targetting being taken.
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You know it makes sense.
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Blimey theres not much about! 
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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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marksovereign, for 2/3 ? I have been looking and I am surprised the the prices are not going down as much as I would like, even though there are a lot of deals on the market, do they let it go empty ?
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Poster: A snowHead
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I think we may have to go the wire on this complete with sweaty palms!
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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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marksovereign, interested to see how this goes, we're planning to go on the 16th/17th March...
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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 day on the phone tomorrow i feel!
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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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marksovereign, please let us know how you get on. I'm looking to book something for the following week. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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At the moment, not good, it seems like there is very little availability at top prices!
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Are you calling marksovereign, or relying on the websites?
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calling!
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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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Ah ok, good luck then. I notice alpine answers had so ok deals, but then you needed to have a kid travelling with you.
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We booked 10 days before half term and got nearly £400 off Mark Warner ..... good result and great holiday.
Noticed that MW website stopped quoting prices for less than a week before departure - but pretty sure you will get even better price if you phoned direct that week or went through say Alpine Answers.
I wouldn't worry ..... in current economic climate I'm sure there will always be some space pretty much wherever you want to go.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| PBJ wrote: |
We booked 10 days before half term and got nearly £400 off Mark Warner ..... good result and great holiday.
Noticed that MW website stopped quoting prices for less than a week before departure - but pretty sure you will get even better price if you phoned direct that week or went through say Alpine Answers.
I wouldn't worry ..... in current economic climate I'm sure there will always be some space pretty much wherever you want to go. |
I don't think so.
In current economic climate, TOs seem to have become much more cautious in the number of beds and flights they buy, and so there is much less around for late availability this year than there has been in the past.
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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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These guys are very good - stayed with them last year, and would very happily do so again - travel not included. Looks like nothing left for the 2nd March though...
http://www.skiamis.com/lastminute.htm
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You know it makes sense.
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Im looking at a couple of things at the moment, fingers crossed
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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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Travelzoo.co.uk have some decent deals under there 'ski and snow' category.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| alex_heney wrote: |
| In current economic climate, TOs seem to have become much more cautious in the number of beds and flights they buy, and so there is much less around for late availability this year than there has been in the past. |
marksovereign, I would guess this.
I've always advised booking late/bagging a deal if it suits you, but.............. As little as two seasons ago you could get a late "sub-two-hundred-quider" (flts/tfrs/accom) if you weren't too fussy, but last season it definitely seemed to change, and this year there appear to be even fewer deals around.
If LGW is a realistic option then maybe, but judging by your location, maybe not. Good luck.
FWIW, JMO..........
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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 got a very good deal from skiworld in mid-jan - highest category chalet in val d'isere for £299 ex LGW booking the day before departure. (brochure was £1000) However, I have monitored them since and it hasn't been anywhere near as good. I guess it depends on last minute cancellations.
Try inghams too.
If you cannot get a cheap package - then Thomson (=Crystal) seem to offload their excess flights via agents e.g. £59 or £99 a few days before - including taxes and luggage (+£35 for skis) - try www.charterflights.co.uk, but then you need to sort out your own transfers (=you can usually just get on the Crystal bus at the airport for a few euros) and accom - perhaps easier in Austria or Italy where the small friendly family hotel is alive and well. Manchester to Grenoble is already quoting £99 , to Geneva £119 but it may well fall further next week.
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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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Well Im fortunate in the fact that ive sorted out a break as my sisters boss has given us there chalet just outside Flaine to use.
Having spent most of the weekend on the phone and develpoing man flu, I can honestly say that there is next to nothing available , apart from a bit of self catering and the more expensive £900 plus cha;lets and hotels.These have not been discounted at all, there were instances of prices going up
Apparently due to snow conditions, this year demand has been exceptional and most operators have completely filled their bookings! All I will say is that if you are planning something last minute and you see what you want grab it while you can!
This is not a good year for the last minute bargain. Good luck to anyone who's still looking
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Having decided to press the "buy" button a week ago for a 9th March trip, I am glad to be feeling smug right now. It looked as if there wasn't going to be much about. Later in the month looks more promising, but as has been noted, the TOs have their act together and don't have much spare capacity to offload.
It looks like a great season.
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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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we're still just about holding out for w/c 16th/17th March but really just deciding between a few deals we've been sent. It should be quieter week anyway but i've found a fair bit around the £500-£600 mark
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Curzonian, This week is very popular and cheaper with most pre Easter and with some TO is sold out
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at the moment we have some options but looking to book today/tomorrow
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Just booked for catered chalet in Tignes for week of 9 March. Having seen the way prices are going I decided not to leave it any later. Got a good, if not spectacular deal. There were better prices available in other resorts but my heart (and that of Bogus Junior) was set on a return to the Espace Killy.
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