As spring and summer make their presence known, ski companies are still busy taking bookings. Not just with late ski holiday requests, but there are also many requests for ski chalets next winter. So what do these people know that others don’t? What are the benefits of booking so early? Here are our personal top tips for booking an early bird ski holiday…
Cheaper Prices
Getting ahead of the game and booking your ski holiday early can often mean you benefit from the best prices. Many operators anticipate the risk of losing out on bookings for the following season but don’t have the time in the busy winter months to sit and work out their costs and prices. With this in mind, they often agree to honour the prices of the current season until final decisions are made. Typically, in the ski industry, prices rise each year. Therefore, by booking an early bird ski holiday, you are more likely to benefit from lower prices.
Some other operators like to publish early bird ski holiday discounts for a limited time. Make sure you don’t miss out on some of the great early ski deals; just get in touch with our team to discover all the offers on the table. Who doesn’t love a ski holiday offer?
Best Range of Chalet Choices
Finding the perfect chalet that matches all your criteria is certainly a tricky task. This is especially true if you’re planning a large group ski holiday with many voices in the choir. The longer you leave it, the harder it gets to find a luxury ski chalet that fits all your groups’ criteria. Desired travel dates, the perfect location, all the facilities and services you need and, of course, all within budget. Quite simply, by booking early, you will have a bigger chance of finding a luxury ski chalet without compromising.
Peak weeks for Christmas ski trips and New Year celebrations, as well as Easter holidays, are the most popular weeks. These dates are often the first to get booked, particularly in high resorts with good snow coverage. We consistently find that at the start and end of winter, people request these snow-sure ski resorts. Who doesn’t want their Christmas ski holiday to be in a fairytale wonderland they’ve always dreamed about? Popular resorts for early and late season skiing include Courchevel 1850 and Val d’Isere. However, you can also find yourself a great Val Thorens chalet, or secure accommodation at La Plagne, Chamonix, and Zermatt. We advise acting quickly on securing an early bird ski holiday, as many of our popular chalets book out their peak weeks well before the season has even started.
Deposits
By booking an early bird ski holiday, you will only need to pay a deposit initially. Most of our partners will then allow you to stagger payments in the run-up to your long-awaited luxury ski holiday. This is particularly useful when planning a large group ski holiday, as it allows time to collect everybody’s payments ensuring you’re not out of pocket.
We all know how spending can go in the run-up to Christmas… If you are looking for luxury chalets to book for Christmas, securing your trip in advance and putting money aside throughout the year will mean when the full balance is due, it won’t hit so hard during your festivities and present buying!
Cheaper Flight Prices
The days of last-minute £1 flight seats are well and truly a thing of the past. Most airlines now work on a fluctuating pricing model. This means that seat prices are often at their lowest at the time of release. Airlines often release seats similarly to festival early bird tickets; then once they have been sold, prices increase. By booking flights early for your ski holiday, you can take advantage of getting the seats at a lower price, which can mean more beers at après? Airlines such as Easyjet tend to release their prices about 6 months in advance.
It also means that you are able to secure flight seats from regional airports at reasonable prices, whereas if left too late, you might be travelling across the country for a more affordable flight. Start planning your flights here.
Availability For Large Groups
If you plan on travelling as a large group, then booking a ski holiday early gives you more choice across better accommodating properties. Although most of our large chalets are on an axclusive occupancy basis, we have a handful of large luxury chalets, such as Club Bellevarde in Val d’Isere that are offered on a shared basis. At a shared chalet, you would only need one couple to book one room. This way, you miss out on what would otherwise have been a perfect chalet option for your large group. There aren’t as many large luxury ski chalets for groups as there are for smaller parties, so these tend to book up fast. Another great option is a luxury ski residence, balancing hotel facilities and style with private chalet elegance.
So there we have it, the top 5 reasons for an early bird ski holiday. We’re well and truly looking ahead to next season, already securing a number of bookings. Don’t wait any longer, as you may lose out on the best luxury ski chalets in the Alps or you may end up paying more. Luxury ski chalets for New Year and also properties for half term are proving particularly popular already. Let us find the perfect chalet to meet your needs. Send us an email or give us a call on +44 1202 230 650 to take advantage of our knowledge and advice.
