There is no better time to go on holiday. We have all worked our way through the recession and are now comfortably (ish) on the other side. We deserve the vacation we have held out for! What better way to treat yourself than to a luxury holiday where you can sooth away all the stress and strain of the past few years has thrown 
your way? The best part it is, with so many like-minded people now searching for luxury holidays, prices are very competitive. In fact, if you follow some of the tips below, you may be able to find a luxury holiday where you can enjoy exclusive holiday perks for the price you’d routinely pay for an ordinary summer vacation. Perfect. Acquaint yourselves with the points below and then start counting down the days!
Calendar Yoga
Ok, this is just a flamboyant way of encouraging you to be flexible on dates. As with all holidays, luxury holidays are most expensive in peak holiday seasons. Try to avoid any summer or public holidays. Instead opt for pre or post holiday months. September or October are particularly good months for finding bargain luxury gems! Not only will you save a fortune but you’ll also get to experience lavish locations without them being too overcrowded with tourists. Bonus!
Flights
If you’ve booked a luxury holiday in the Caribbean, the last thing you want is to spend the 9 hour journey, squashed into the side of an aeroplane window and feeling tortured by the sound of screaming children. Travelling in comfort can enhance that luxury experience from start to finish and if you’re wise enough to lend time to searching, you’ll find yourself turning left and making your way to business or premium class without any impact upon your budget. The best way you can save is by booking your flights early. Most airlines offer their flights up to 300 days in advance and these early offers can be exceptional value for money. Another way to save money on luxury flights is to stay in constant contact with the airline. Airlines never want an empty seat and so make sure you stay connected through their Twitter, Facebook or email feeds as this is the first place they’re likely to promote any seat offers. Alternatively, if in the excitement of organising your dream holiday you failed to follow the tips above, you may be able to find great last minute offers by picking up that endangered device we now call a telephone and speaking to a flight consolidation company. Alternatively, if you’re already a frequent traveller, cash in those air miles and speak directly to your loyalty scheme provider for their best up to date air mile offers.
Accommodation
Whether you’re looking for boutique hotels in Turkey or penthouse suites in New York, you can almost always haggle with the tour operator or property owner to get the best price possible. If you’re confident enough, try asking for an upgrade at a luxury hotel. Believe it or not, it actually does work, particularly in holiday off-seasons. Ask to speak to the general manager and politely enquire as to whether an upgrade would be possible. Act friendly and inquisitive rather than insistent and desperate. Offer them something in return such as a glowing hotel review or positive video featuring their hotel or villa that you’ll post online. Try and think of good reasons as to why you in particular should receive the upgrade. For example it might be a surprise for your partner’s birthday or a vacation to celebrate your anniversary. Play nice and you could find yourself in a lavish honeymoon suite having only paying for a standard room! Another great way to find great offers on luxury accommodation is by searching for a hotel’s “soft opening” period. This is the period where a hotel will offer recently refurbished rooms for discount prices. Sometimes these won’t be advertised online so it might be best to speak with the hotel directly.
Car Hire
Travelling around by public transport is never a great idea if you want to make the most of luxury holidays. Therefore finding a good hire car can be key in making the most of your time. Though as most of you will know this can be quite expensive. Though if you plan on doing a lot of travelling, then you don’t want to jump out of that queen size bed in the morning and hop into a stuttering Fiesta. You want a spacious and reliable vehicle that’s going to effortlessly get you from A to B whilst you can blare out your favourite Queen track. The best way to save on car hire is by remaining in close contact with an existing car hire service and getting friendly with the staff. This way you’re more likely to be able to schmooze your way from a modest hatchback to a drop-top sports beast. Visiting car hire companies on a Sunday night or Monday morning may also see you in good shape to seek an upgrade as this is the time when most cars are returned, meaning your car might not be ready just yet and you can drive away in something a little more exciting.
Scott Cole is a travel writer with an interest in Corfu villas and whose aim is to go on as many luxury holidays as possible in his lifetime!