10:41am Friday 26th February 2010
As our finances are tighter than ever following the Christmas festivities, and the recession seems to be as tough as ever, it seems that we may have to forgo our summer holidays, weekends away and our cheap holidays in Sharm El Sheikh. However, travel agents are just as keen to make the bookings as we are to get away on holiday and now could be just the right time to persuade them to start giving us some discounts.
If you want to book a family holiday then look for free child places, these are only available on certain holidays but travel agents usually know where to start looking for them.
Have a look for some ideas on the internet first, print off a couple of pages with holidays you are interested in and take them in to your travel agent. The prices you'll find on the internet are generally lower than a travel agent can quote; however those who really need the sale could be persuaded to price match.
You might find in-flight meals included in your booking, however if they are not, why not suggest that the agent adds the meals on but then discounts the cost back off the total price of your holiday, in effect making them free, they will probably agree just to secure the sale.
Luggage allowance is a similar thing, most chartered flights have a set allowance but allow the option to upgrade by 5kg for a small fee, usually between £10 and £20 per passenger, why not agree to the upgrade but ask for it to be discounted off at the end. If the travel agent wants the booking badly enough, it is these small gestures that are likely to get them it.
Its worth talking about the fuel charges and flight supplements too, while these cannot be removed from the booking, a little discount could be offered to offset these extra charges.
A golden rule is of course, to always ask nicely, don't just expect to receive discount or kick up a fuss if they refuse it, after all, they have targets to hit and profits to make. Don't get frustrated is they cannot offer any discount, they do after all have to make some profit on the sale, however a small hint as you are about to leave that you may pop into another travel agent may be just enough for them to offer something as a gesture of goodwill.
So whether you want a quick break to Bulgaria, cheap holidays in Sharm el Sheikh or luxury breaks to the Caribbean, try pushing for some discount and see if you can get yourself one of those cheap summer holidays you deserve. After all, you've heard the old saying, 'you don't get if you don't ask...'
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