How to spot a real late holiday deal
A cheap headline price is not always a deal. Check the total cost, board basis, bags, transfers and 'was' prices before you book.
Updated Saturday 17 October 2026
Every travel site says it has a deal. Some are real. Some are a normal price with a red label. Here is how to tell the difference in a few minutes.
1. Work out the total price for your whole group
Headline prices are often per person, based on two or more sharing. A family of four needs the total for four, including any child prices.
Write down one number: the full cost for everyone, door to door. Compare that number, not the headline.
Watch for single supplements, child age limits and room types. A “from” price usually means the cheapest room on the cheapest date.
2. Add the extras the headline leaves out
Under EU rules, airlines must show the final price with taxes, airport charges and other charges set out. That does not cover optional extras you add later.
On budget airlines, the main extras are:
- Bags. Cabin bag and hold bag rules differ by airline and fare. Check the airline’s own site for current allowances and fees before you book.
- Seats. Families who want to sit together may need to pay, depending on the airline.
- Airport transfers. A taxi from the airport can cost more than you expect, especially at night.
- Parking at home. A week at an Irish airport adds up.
- Resort fees and tourist taxes. Some destinations charge a nightly tax, paid at the hotel.
A flight that looks cheap can end up dearer once two hold bags and four seats are added.
3. Check the board basis
Board basis is what meals are included. It changes the real cost a lot.
- Room only (RO): no meals.
- Bed and breakfast (BB): breakfast only.
- Half board (HB): breakfast and dinner.
- Full board (FB): three meals.
- All inclusive (AI): meals and usually some drinks. Read what is included, as drinks, snacks and times vary by hotel.
Compare like with like. A room-only deal is not cheaper than half board if you will spend more eating out.
For families, all inclusive can make the budget easier to control. For couples in a town full of restaurants, room only or bed and breakfast is often better value.
4. Check the same hotel somewhere else
This takes two minutes and is the best test of a deal.
Find the exact hotel name, room type and board basis. Then search the same dates on another site. Compare the hotel on Booking.com with a flight and hotel package on Trip.com, for example. latedeals.ie links to both for this reason.
Then price the flight on its own, on Kiwi.com or the airline’s site. Add the two together. Sometimes booking separately is cheaper. Sometimes the package wins.
Remember what you give up by booking separately. A package comes with stronger legal protection. Read our guide to your rights on a package holiday before you decide.
5. Be careful with “was” prices
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) says it is against the law for shops to give a false or misleading previous price. For goods on sale, the “was” price should be the lowest price in the 30 days before the sale.
Travel prices work differently. Hotels and airlines use dynamic pricing, which means prices change with demand. The CCPC notes that dynamic pricing is generally not prohibited.
So a “was” and “now” label on a holiday tells you very little on its own. The “was” price may have been charged for only a short time, or at the busiest point of the year. Ignore it. Compare today’s total price against other sites instead.
6. Know when a late deal is likely
A late deal usually means booking within about eight weeks of departure. Prices can drop when a hotel or flight has empty seats or rooms to fill. They can also rise sharply as departure gets close and seats sell out.
There is no fixed rule. Some patterns tend to hold:
- School holidays: prices often rise rather than fall late, because demand is high. See our school holiday guide.
- Quieter weeks: outside school holidays, more late bargains tend to appear.
- Flexible travellers win: if you can move by a day or two, or use a different airport, you see more options.
If a price looks good and your dates are fixed, do not wait too long hoping it falls further.
7. Check the details that cost you time
A cheap deal can hide things that make the holiday harder.
- Flight times. A 6am departure may mean a hotel the night before. A late arrival can mean losing the first day.
- Hotel location. “Near the beach” can mean a long walk or a steep hill. Check the map.
- Transfer time. Check how far the resort is from the airport, especially with tired children.
- Reviews. Read recent reviews, not just the score.
Quick deal checklist
- Total price for everyone, including bags, seats and transfers
- Board basis compared like with like
- Same hotel priced on at least one other site
- Flight priced on its own
- “Was” prices ignored
- Package or separate booking: you know which one you are buying