Travel column with Katie Butler of Total Travel: How far ahead are you planning your next holiday?
How organised are you when it comes to booking your holidays? Are you a last-minute sort of person who likes to see what takes your fancy, or are you one of those super-organised people who has next summer’s holiday booked before we have even thought about putting the Christmas decorations up?
I have to admit, I am envious of the latter! I wish I was half as good at planning ahead as some of our customers, who seem to have their holidays sorted years before I have even decided where to go for the weekend.
In all my many years of working in the industry I do not remember holidays coming out so far in advance but I do love for our customers that they do, many love to have the option to spread monthly payments and chip away at the bill, and once you are on top of this cycle you can ensure you get away every year without feeling the pinch too much.
Jet2 has recently released more than 20.9 million seats for summer 2028, with holidays available from 14 UK airports to 64 beach and city destinations. With flights running from Easter through to October half-term, there is plenty of choice for those who like to get organised well in advance. Jet2 said it had brought the programme out earlier than last year in response to customers already asking when they could book.
TUI has also joined the early-booking party, launching its summer 2028 holidays with one million free child places across 16 destinations. These include popular family favourites such as Spain, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus and the Balearics, as well as long-haul options including Mexico, Florida and the Caribbean.
For families tied to school holidays, getting in early can make a real difference, particularly when it comes to finding the right hotel, family room and departure airport.
Cruise lovers have plenty to get excited about too. P&O Cruises has revealed more of its winter 2028–29 programme, covering 130 destinations. Imagine welcoming in the New Year in Madeira, with its famous fireworks display, or exploring places as far-flung as Japan, Madagascar and the Seychelles.
Royal Caribbean has also unveiled an expanded European cruise programme for 2028–29, with seven ships offering everything from shorter breaks to longer itineraries.
Newmarket Holidays has started releasing its 2029 long-haul tours, including trips to North America, Asia, India and South Africa. For anyone dreaming of seeing the Taj Mahal or following in Elvis Presley’s footsteps through Memphis, New Orleans and Nashville, get planning.
Of course, booking early is not for everyone. Some people love a last-minute getaway, and with 30 per cent of our bookings last week being for late departures, there’s clearly still plenty of life in the last-minute market! But if you have your heart set on a particular hotel, room type or school-holiday date, getting in early can give you a much better chance of securing exactly what you want.