Tricks for Booking a Successful, Last-Minute Winter Getaway
Winter is already here, but as predictable as the same Christmas music playing in every store are clients who wait to book their warm-weather getaway until it’s cold outside. Luckily, there are some tricks of the trade that can prepare you for these last-minute requests, including ways to find winter escapes that will please any client without turning you into a grinch.
Know your contacts.
This tip might seem obvious, but it’s one that should never be taken for granted. Relationships take time to develop, so don’t wait until the end of the year to reach out to your hotel, resort, and other tourism contacts. Schedule periodic check-ins throughout the year — even if they are informal emails or calls — to maintain a report with properties and other vendors that will come in handy for last-minute and special client requests. You want to be top of mind and on good terms with a selection of accommodations and tour operators, so in a pinch trying to get placement during popular times of the year will be more of a mole hill and less of a mountain
Ask for flexibility on flights.
A client might already have an idea of how difficult it can be to book the perfect last-minute trip, especially around the holidays (that’s why they have you). So take the opportunity to ask for flexibility elsewhere, particularly when it comes to flights. Of course, it always depends on which days of the week holidays like Christmas, New Year’s and Valentine’s Day fall, but as we know, midweek flights will usually add up in savings for the client so they can spend elsewhere. Really flexible? Traveling on the day of a holiday can usually result in lower fares. And as unfun as getting to the airport before dawn can be, the first flight of the day has become an all-important tool in being able to handle a delay or cancellation without missing an entire day of vacation — aka getting to the ship on time. A direct flight at an inconvenient time is more convenient than sleeping in but having to catch a connecting flight, resulting in more travel time and risking more hassle.
Suggest shaking it up.
If you have clients who are stuck in the same rut when it comes to all-inclusives, this might be the time to get them to switch it up. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with all-you-can-drink margaritas on a secluded beach in Mexico — and that might be exactly what the client is looking for, no questions asked. But fans of an all-inclusive resort in Mexico might be the perfect candidates to try a sister property in Central America. If you’re simply being asked to book a vacation from the everyday, this opens up the booking pool to alternatives that might be easier to land at the last minute. In turn, clients can discover chic small towns or entirely new destinations. Use your expertise to discern what else might be a match for the client’s traveling style. Organizing an entirely new vacation experience is a gamble if the client doesn’t like it, but it’s also a calculated risk that might reward you with their trust and future business. It's a wide world out there — even if you run a highly specialized operation, it always pays to have some variety in your back pocket.
Reserve everything you can, ASAP.
An inherent part of booking travel is obviously getting there (and back) and where to stay. But go beyond securing only those aspects of the last-minute winter getaway and keep the ball rolling on reservations. Having dinner booked at the hot restaurant in town or a time slot to experience a headlining attraction are the elements that round out a great trip and tend to be the most memorable for the client. If those things are already booked up or sold out by the time you are brought in, finding at least one additional reservation will help to bolster their time away. Reassuring clients that not only are they booked on a vacation but that they have X, Y, and Z to look forward to as well, will make them feel pampered and make you look like a superhuman travel advisor.
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