ao link

 

Agent outlook

 

Operators have their hands tied and are sympathetic. Premier Holidays, in common with many others, can only offer rates until the end of 2025.

 

“For some destinations, we do offer guaranteed air fares out-of-date range and therefore guaranteed pricing,” says Mark Godfrey, Premier’s commercial director. “For other destinations, we do not, but charging supplements after bookings are made is a last resort.”

 

So how do agents get around it? Selecting a tour operator with its own airline may provide a longer lead-in time. Tui, for example, now offers packages bookable until Easter 2026.

 

However, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic’s tour operations are direct-sell, so agents will have to use the regular inventory to match these.

pic step
Tui is one carrier offering slightly longer lead-in times, albeit tied to their product (Credit: iStock)

Virgin Atlantic says: “We work closely with our travel agency partners, and booking windows can vary depending on the route. However, generally, our booking window is 331 days.”

 

There are a few exceptions among airlines. Norse Atlantic Airways, a relative newcomer, is not tied to old technology and allows bookings 13 months in advance, while Air France is up to 364 days ahead.

 

These aside, agents will mostly just have to grin and bear it.

 

One positive is the GDS legacy means there’s no confusion regarding which year your clients are travelling in, so at least their dream holiday won’t become your nightmare when they arrive at the airport.

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Gary Noakes

Gary Noakes

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