cheap holidays in Sharm El Sheikh

5:21pm Thursday 18th February 2010 in

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How to Get Cheap Summer Holidays

At a time when there still appears to be no end to the recession, and money is tighter than ever, it seems thoughts of summer holidays, weekends with the boys or cheap holidays in Sharm El Sheikh may have to be put on hold. However, travel agents are just as keen to make the bookings as we are to get away on holiday and now could be just the right time to persuade them to start giving us some discounts.

If you want to book a family holiday then ask about any free child places that may be available, travel agents usually know the best place to start looking for these.

Have a look for some ideas on the internet first, print off a couple of pages with holidays you are interested in and take them in to your travel agent. Online prices are usually better than shops can quote as their overheads are less, however travel agents desperate for the booking may be persuaded to price match.

In-flight meals may be included in the cost of your holiday, if they are not, why not suggest that the agent adds them on and then discounts the total cost of your holiday by the same amount, in effect getting them free, they probably will agree if it secures the sale.

You'll find some airlines only have a 15kg luggage allowance, but they give you the option to upgrade this by 5kg at a cost of anything between &pound10 and &pound20 per passenger, why not do the same as with meals and take the extra allowance but ask for it to be discounted. If the travel agent wants the booking badly enough, it is these small gestures that are likely to get them it.

Even fuel charges and flight supplements are worth talking about; while they cannot be removed from any booking the travel agent may possibly agree to some discount in order to slightly offset the cost.

A golden rule is of course, to always ask nicely, don't just expect to receive discount or kick up a fuss if they refuse it, after all, they have targets to hit and profits to make. Getting annoyed and frustrated if they don't offer discount will definitely get you nowhere, so remain calm and let them know you will be popping to the travel agent down the road to check their prices, they may very well change their mind if they think they are going to lose your business.

So if you are looking for a quick weekend away, luxury break to the Dominican Republic or cheap holidays in Sharm el Sheikh, it's worth asking for a little discount if it helps you get the cheap summer holidays you are looking for. It's worth remembering, 'You don't get if you don't ask...'