Holiday Double booking, prudent or selfish?

[Beardy]

It would seem that this summers must do behaviour is to book a domestic holiday at the same time as your exotic location as backup should you be unable to travel overseas due to Covid. People seem to be proud of themselves in taking advantage of desperate providers, both foreign and domestic, who are offering low deposit and late no loss cancellation policies.

I’m quite happy for them to do this because it means that if we do decide to go on holiday this year we’ll have lots of late availability at good prices and quite resorts as well. But it does seem inordinately selfish behaviour by those that are booking holidays with the intention of cancelling as late as possible.

[ian]

I have to wonder how we got to a place where we have to go on holiday, no matter what, and everything else can go fuck itself.

[Notsototalnewbie]

I think it's a horrible thing to do.

Mind you I also think it's horrible to book a table in a pub/restaurant and not turn up, and apparently that's very common too.

[nuttycyclist]

If we book anywhere, the "pay on arrival and last minute no loss cancellation" is criteria we always have and ensure we book with places that offer it.  This is because occasionally plans change for reasons outside our control (e.g. Covid) and it's easier for us than having to try to reclaim refunds. 

Having said that we only book places with 100% intention of going, and a 99.9% attendance record. 

I find the whole attitude of booking somewhere with the knowledge you cannot make use of that booking as it conflicts with another booking and you intend to cancel one of them is despicable, rude, and selfish.  It lets down the owners of the establishment who need the income, especially after having been closed for so long, and also prevents other people who want a break from being able to book one due to lack of availability.

[Canardly]

I agree that is wrong but would point out that some hotels are also notorious for double booking rooms.

[ian]

To be fair though, hotels know they have a measurable fail rate on bookings, so I don't blame them for a reasonable level of double-booking. The payback is that you generally have flexibility on cancellation.

Booking entire holidays twice, knowing you'll cancel one, is just being a cunt. I'm in a state of existential despair at all these people who must go on holiday abroad right now. Is their life so awful, that's it, all they can do is despair that they're not sitting on a Spanish beach and eating chips and getting sunburned.

[Regulator]

I wouldn't double book like this... plus we're not travelling abroad this year (I've made it clear I'm not happy spending time sitting in an airport or on a plane).

I would look for flexible cancellation terms. 

[Polar Bear]

Don't forget: selfish greed has been endorsed by the government.  The indoctrinated public will worshipfully and unthinkingly obey.

[arabella]

I find the whole attitude of booking somewhere with the knowledge you cannot make use of that booking as it conflicts with another booking and you intend to cancel one of them is despicable, rude, and selfish.  It lets down the owners of the establishment who need the income, especially after having been closed for so long, and also prevents other people who want a break from being able to book one due to lack of availability.

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[Polar Bear]

It's going to be another tough year as people cancel at the last minute leaving empty and/or last minute bargain price accommodation.

Our plans are to book in Britain and to try and avoid the school holiday periods.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

Don't forget: selfish greed has been endorsed by the government.  The indoctrinated public will worshipfully and unthinkingly obey.

The BBC was interviewing people who did that sort of thing as if it was perfectly reasonable.

We have cancelled our holidays this year, both of which were carried over from last year  - we can re-book for next year.  Mrs A is doing a coach trip to Cornwall with daughter in the autumn and we might do more trips of that sort in the autumn/early winter.  Double booking is a no-no.

[hatler]

Wot you lot all said. "...despicable, rude, and selfish" sums it up perfectly for me.

We booked a place in France for Mrs hatler's extended family (about 20 of us) back in about October, but we all agreed by the beginning of February that things were unpredictable enough that it would be fairer to the owner that we cancel then which would give her a reasonable chance of finding someone in France who would be able to take up the slot.

The poor owner has been wiped out by the pandemic. She sank all her savings into renovating the place and got it completed just before things kicked off. Last we heard from her is that she is having to sell it.

[davelodwig]

I've been scouting around for a self catering place somewhere close to home so we can have a tentative first holiday with the baby when it arrives. It's a bloody nightmare, everywhere is fully booked, not a sausage really. 

I suspect though if these idiots do get to go abroad I'll be able to pick something up a bit last minute, as UK vendors scramble to rescue their bookings.