Plan your summer holiday now

It's a good way of cutting costs, on both travel and stay; also, in case of late cancellations, travel agencies will offer alternative dates or locations

If you've missed the bus by not planning your winter holiday in time, it is not too early to start planning your summer travel now. Starting early can help get discounts as high as 20-40 per cent and even free domestic holidays in some cases. If you have to cancel at the last minute, travel agencies will change the dates of your trip or offer an alternative destination. In some cases, buying travel insurance can help.

Summer travel typically begins in April and ends in July or early August for Indian families. It coincides with summer vacations for children, when families take off their annual holidays.

Locations
Europe is the main draw - Britain, France, Switzerland, Germany; travellers like to escape the summer heat. Also, with America liberalising its visa regime for holiday travellers, traffic there has seen a surge in the past couple of years. This is expected to continue in 2016, says Karan Anand, head of relationships at Cox & Kings.

First and second-time travellers seem to prefer locations such as Singapore, Thailand, Macau and Malaysia. The more seasoned ones prefer Turkey, Egypt and Oman. Beach destinations such as Seychelles, Mauritius and Maldives are also popular. For those wishing to explore wildlife South Africa, Kenya and Zambia are good options.

Among domestic locations, travellers prefer hill stations such as Ladakh, Kashmir, Sikkim and Himachal or beach destinations like the Andamans in the March to September period, says Neelu Singh, chief executive at Ezeego1.com.

According to Daniel D'souza, head of sales for India and non-resident Indian markets at Kuoni India, destinations such as Ireland, Norway, Iceland and Barbados are popular in the May-August period, offering scenic beauty and outdoor activities. Japan, Korea and China are new destinations emerging for summer travel. Island destinations such as Fiji and Bali have also seen rising uptake, says Jatinder Paul Singh, senior vice-president at Thomas Cook India.

Since summer is peak season for these destinations, booking in advance will ensure you get airline tickets and hotel rooms of your choice and at cheaper rates. Many airlines come up with 'early bird' offers. You can also save at least a fifth of the cost if you book a couple of months in advance. "We currently have discount packages which over time will change," says Anand .

Singh of Ezeego1.com says, "Planning in advance might save up to 40 per cent of the travel cost. In the past two to three years, airlines have been announcing low fares every two months. People who plan their holidays in advance book these at least three to six months in advance. Simultaneously, they also book a package which works out to be cheaper."

For instance, if you book Ezeego1.com's Europe group tour packages departing in March 2016, you get a discount of Rs 10,000 per person. The tour price starts from Rs 1,10,290 each. These prices would increase closer to the travel date.

A last-minute flight might result in limited options, especially with seats. By booking in advance, travellers can avail of early bird discounts or value added services like free transfers, dining, complimentary additional nights, upgrades and flexibility from among a variety of flight operators and stay options to choose from, says Singh of Thomas Cook.

"The only disadvantage to booking early is when airlines, to leverage upcoming festive periods, offer discounts to improve airline loads and fill distressed inventory for the next travel cycle. In this case, having travel-booked already might seem a hurried idea,'' he adds.

Hotels, too, offer seasonal deals and sales for travellers. For instance, Hotels.com currently has a Resort Getaway sale, where one can avail discounts up to 40 per cent in destinations such as Koh Samui, Fiji, Maldives and Hawaii, says Amit Agarwal, senior marketing manager.

Since you are booking well in advance, what if you have to cancel the trip due to a personal emergency? "Travellers plan and book their holidays in advance and also obtain a visa in case of an overseas destination. But, if due to certain exigency they are forced to change locations, the travel agency will offer alternate comparative ones,'' says Anand of Cox & Kings.

Kuoni India, for instance, gives a customer three months to avail of his holiday. "So, if he needs to postpone the dates, we allow that flexibility. In case he needs to advance his holiday, we can service his request," says D'souza.

"It is important to intimate your travel agent about any change in travel plans. With last-minute changes/cancellations, tour operators offer help such as minimising of cancellation charges, accommodating for another departure date, etc, depending on availability and a valid reason for cancellation,'' says Singh of Thomas Cook.

Travel insurance can help in conditions such as terrorism, medical emergencies or a natural disaster. Some policies cover the cancellation if the destination you are travelling to has been recently declared unsafe by the government or due to war.

Insurance is particularly useful in case of prepaid, non-refundable trips, says Agarwal. "It is worth paying slightly more for flexible rates, as you never know what could happen at the last minute. Having the option to change dates and/or cancel is a safe back-up that means you won't lose out, should something happen," he adds.

With the rupee expected to remain weak against the dollar, what should travellers do to keep their costs down? "The best option is to book the foreign exchange and pay the money in advance, so that these are not exposed to currency fluctuations. We, therefore, recommend that our guests pay and book their foreign exchange component in advance," says Anand.

To curb a loss from currency fluctuation, visit merchants which offer a facility to pay in the home currency. Many duty-free stores at international airports offer this and you can lock-in the exchange rate, says Agarwal.