Luxury holiday – how to find the best deals

[Cranzle]

How do you all start your research into pricing up your luxury holidays?

Is there a particular methodology anyone uses?

It’s a broad question, but just wondering whether anyone can share any gems?

[masaccio]

Ummm yeah pretty broad. I often start with itineraries on Audley Travel’s website or any other luxury tour operator

For hotels I use Kayak for hotel comparison search followed by a check on the hotel’s own website and the BA website (normal and Avios Hotels) to see if BA have the same rate. If they do, I always book through BA for extra Avios. If not and hotels.com has the lowest rate, I book through them after indirecting through BA (again for extra Avios). Occasionally others if they have a stand out rate.

Rinse and repeat throughout the year to see if you can cancel and rebook at a lower rate.

Don’t overlook BA Holidays as a package; they often come out pretty well and there is plenty of upside with late payment and extra Avios

[Rob]

Secret Escapes has a decent reputation for good hotel offers, but booking flights separately can negate that because you lose the discount that booking flight + hotel together often brings.

For branded hotels, buying points can often work surprisingly well. My next long haul is Park Hyatt New York where I save about 60% because I bought Hyatt points instead of using cash.

Try not to compromise, I’d say. We will often pay cash, at full rate, for the ‘right’ hotel rather than use points for something else, because we don’t get away often as a family and, more importantly, my kids are growing up and proper ‘family’ holidays won’t happen much after about 2026. I try to make the most of the one we will have.

[Hbommie]

I book luxury holidays as flight and hotels independently, research an area I want to stay and the hotels using Flyertalk Luxury hotel section, Amex FHR, and Youtube as a start. Then its off to the hotel site to get a feel for their best rates and then onto Virtuoso agents to see what they can offer. Mostly redemptions on flights with a paid flight on occasion.