Travel column with Katie Butler, Total Travel: From a lovely coffee morning to stormy travel chaos!
Following our brilliant coffee morning last week in aid of Breast Cancer Now, it didn’t take long for things to go from lovely and relaxed to absolutely manic! What a week we’ve had at Total Travel!
Storms Austen and Boelo brought some pretty miserable weather across parts of Britain, causing disruption in several areas, with Storm Boelo particularly affecting Leeds Bradford Airport.
There is nothing quite like a weekend of wild weather to keep a travel agent on their toes. Our team spent the best part of Sunday checking flight departures and arrivals for both Sunday and Monday, keeping a close eye on what was happening and contacting customers whose flights had been delayed or cancelled.
We were able to get in touch with those affected that very day, explain the situation and let them know what they needed to do next. Thankfully, all our customers did eventually reach their final destinations, although some understandably experienced delays along the way. It certainly wasn’t the relaxing start to a holiday they’d been hoping for, but at least they weren’t left trying to work everything out on their own.
And this is exactly where having a local travel agent in your corner can make a difference. When things don’t go to plan, we are here to help. We might not be able to control the British weather (if only!), but we can certainly help you navigate the disruption.
On a more reassuring note for anyone planning their next getaway, Jet2 and TUI have both ruled out adding fuel surcharges to holidays already booked with them, despite rising costs linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Under package holiday regulations, companies can increase prices after booking in certain circumstances, provided their terms and conditions allow it. However, Jet2 has confirmed its no-fuel-surcharge guarantee applies to flights and holidays on sale up to summer 2028. The message is simple: the price you book is the price you pay, without a fuel surcharge being added later.
This is welcome news for anyone who has spent months saving for their annual holiday, put down your deposit and the price agreed is the price you will pay. There are, however, wider concerns about what rising fuel prices could mean for future holidays. Ryanair’s chief executive has warned that European airfares could rise by as much as 20 per cent next year. Nothing is certain at this stage, but is another reminder that prices can change, so if you have your heart set on somewhere special, it’s worth keeping an eye on your options rather than leaving everything until the last minute.
October has been kind to us for new bookings, and last week was particularly busy. Bucket-list trips were high on the agenda, with Caribbean cruises, Christmas cruises, Mauritius, Mexico and multi-generational family holidays all featuring. November was our top-selling departure month last week, accounting for 11 per cent of bookings, with December also taking an 11 per cent share. September 2027 came third, with eight per cent. Late bookings accounted for a healthy 31 per cent of all our bookings.
As for destinations, Majorca took first place based on passenger numbers, Tenerife came second, and Alicante, particularly Benidorm, secured third place.