usvi-on-line
How far in advance do you book villa?
How far in advance do you book villa?
hello,
trying to plan a trip for June 2012....but with so many variables to consider, I cannot book now. (airfare, college schedules, if another family is going there will be 8 instead of 6)
I have been looking at villas for a long time, so I have some idea of ones I would like to stay at.
However, some of them are already booking for next summer. We will be on a budget....but since this is a trip we might not get to repeat...I will be picky on my villa selection.
SO: Is there typically still a pretty good selection of villas at the 2-3 month timeframe prior to a visit in June? (villas that will sleep 6-8 persons)
OR do I need to plan on making a decision earlier???
Thanks....
trying to plan a trip for June 2012....but with so many variables to consider, I cannot book now. (airfare, college schedules, if another family is going there will be 8 instead of 6)
I have been looking at villas for a long time, so I have some idea of ones I would like to stay at.
However, some of them are already booking for next summer. We will be on a budget....but since this is a trip we might not get to repeat...I will be picky on my villa selection.
SO: Is there typically still a pretty good selection of villas at the 2-3 month timeframe prior to a visit in June? (villas that will sleep 6-8 persons)
OR do I need to plan on making a decision earlier???
Thanks....
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snorkelqueen
- Posts: 432
- Joined: Tue May 29, 2007 12:33 pm
- Location: california
We always come to St John in July and I usually book our villa a year in advance. This year because of family issues I didn't start planning until March and my first choices were already booked. The good news.....the villa I was able to rent (Allesandra) was fantastic. But I think the earlier the better works best.
long response on issue of delayed booking of villa from the master. bride & I are last minute travelers since we fly standby/space available out of atlanta. we must be confident there are seats on flight before paying for a villa. in my 13 trips i have never booked longer than 20 days in advance, most times only a few days before arrival and the shortest is day before. lot of anxiety, requiring regular checking of flt loads and availability of acceptable villas and often not getting 1st choice. but you know it's still stj and the views have always been wonderful.
we have done 4 oct/nov trips, 4 dec, a jan, feb, & april trips & 2 july/aug. never looked at may or june so don't have any idea how occupancy runs but june has off-season rates for a reason, lighter bookings thus more villas not rented.
we have never stayed in a villa we wouldn't gladly stay in again and have always gotten a "last minute discount" and a few times under 6 day stays in "weekly rental only" villas. i'm not suggesting for anyone else, but it's become a challenge to me to pick time periods when we were likely to fly free and get a great discounted villa. also has allowed us to not go on one planned trip when fall weather was looking crappy.
20 to 30% off a nice villa though makes second or third choice a lot more attractive.
papabou
we have done 4 oct/nov trips, 4 dec, a jan, feb, & april trips & 2 july/aug. never looked at may or june so don't have any idea how occupancy runs but june has off-season rates for a reason, lighter bookings thus more villas not rented.
we have never stayed in a villa we wouldn't gladly stay in again and have always gotten a "last minute discount" and a few times under 6 day stays in "weekly rental only" villas. i'm not suggesting for anyone else, but it's become a challenge to me to pick time periods when we were likely to fly free and get a great discounted villa. also has allowed us to not go on one planned trip when fall weather was looking crappy.
20 to 30% off a nice villa though makes second or third choice a lot more attractive.
papabou
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Kentuckygirl
- Posts: 1903
- Joined: Sun Oct 08, 2006 10:17 am
- Location: Kentucky
Oh I wish I could do that!!!!papabou wrote:long response on issue of delayed booking of villa from the master. bride & I are last minute travelers since we fly standby/space available out of atlanta. we must be confident there are seats on flight before paying for a villa. in my 13 trips i have never booked longer than 20 days in advance, most times only a few days before arrival and the shortest is day before. lot of anxiety, requiring regular checking of flt loads and availability of acceptable villas and often not getting 1st choice. but you know it's still stj and the views have always been wonderful.
we have done 4 oct/nov trips, 4 dec, a jan, feb, & april trips & 2 july/aug. never looked at may or june so don't have any idea how occupancy runs but june has off-season rates for a reason, lighter bookings thus more villas not rented.
we have never stayed in a villa we wouldn't gladly stay in again and have always gotten a "last minute discount" and a few times under 6 day stays in "weekly rental only" villas. i'm not suggesting for anyone else, but it's become a challenge to me to pick time periods when we were likely to fly free and get a great discounted villa. also has allowed us to not go on one planned trip when fall weather was looking crappy.
20 to 30% off a nice villa though makes second or third choice a lot more attractive.
papabou
[/url]thanks for the replies...
I looked at using buddy passes for ATL to STT, but was afraid to risk it for this many people..last time I checked the standby pass was over 250,
even considered buying half the airline tickets..but then was afraid someone would get left behind for several days...and with the cost of the villa didn't want to chance it...
I haven't had good luck with spontaneous trips in the past...although last summer we did use buddy passes to Europe, and made every flight...but I have been stranded in LA on buddy passes.
but getting a good discount would be great....
I looked at using buddy passes for ATL to STT, but was afraid to risk it for this many people..last time I checked the standby pass was over 250,
even considered buying half the airline tickets..but then was afraid someone would get left behind for several days...and with the cost of the villa didn't want to chance it...
I haven't had good luck with spontaneous trips in the past...although last summer we did use buddy passes to Europe, and made every flight...but I have been stranded in LA on buddy passes.
but getting a good discount would be great....
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snorkelqueen
- Posts: 432
- Joined: Tue May 29, 2007 12:33 pm
- Location: california
cbama,
my comments on pass travel was to explain why we always did last minute villa booking, don't need a villa if can't get to stt. i was not promoting buddy pass travel because loads to good destinations are very tight. when we have fixed travel dates or are traveling with kids/grandkids, we usually buy plane tickets.
my point is in off season, i have always been able to book a decent villa at a discount at last minute and most are discounted at least 30 days out. thus you might buy plane tickets when you can get reasonable fare (is there any such thing these days?) then start a villa list and monitor availability until can get a discount.
BUT, if you positively and absolutely want to know when you will fly and where you will stay, book it as soon as you know when! if you are nonstopping out of atl, you will probably fly on the ticket date, but from some of posts i've read on this board, flt schedules can change radically from other departure cities. you can then spend your spare time worrying about other things like the weather, what you will do on island and is the economy about to tank.
peace,
papabou
my comments on pass travel was to explain why we always did last minute villa booking, don't need a villa if can't get to stt. i was not promoting buddy pass travel because loads to good destinations are very tight. when we have fixed travel dates or are traveling with kids/grandkids, we usually buy plane tickets.
my point is in off season, i have always been able to book a decent villa at a discount at last minute and most are discounted at least 30 days out. thus you might buy plane tickets when you can get reasonable fare (is there any such thing these days?) then start a villa list and monitor availability until can get a discount.
BUT, if you positively and absolutely want to know when you will fly and where you will stay, book it as soon as you know when! if you are nonstopping out of atl, you will probably fly on the ticket date, but from some of posts i've read on this board, flt schedules can change radically from other departure cities. you can then spend your spare time worrying about other things like the weather, what you will do on island and is the economy about to tank.
peace,
papabou
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Kentuckygirl
- Posts: 1903
- Joined: Sun Oct 08, 2006 10:17 am
- Location: Kentucky
Papabou,
Bored being retired, hahaha! I have all kinds of plans in my head for post retirement! I'm hoping we'll be spending months at a time in the islands!
CBama,
You mentioned buying half the tickets. That's basically what I have done for our spring trip. I have 2 (used miles), need 3 more. It does make me a little nervous. I'm sure I'll be able to get tickets, but there's no telling what I'll have to spend for the specific dates I need. I don't know much about buddy passes, so no help there.
Bored being retired, hahaha! I have all kinds of plans in my head for post retirement! I'm hoping we'll be spending months at a time in the islands!
CBama,
You mentioned buying half the tickets. That's basically what I have done for our spring trip. I have 2 (used miles), need 3 more. It does make me a little nervous. I'm sure I'll be able to get tickets, but there's no telling what I'll have to spend for the specific dates I need. I don't know much about buddy passes, so no help there.
[/url]I know it is easier to fly stand by when there are just two people...so for our family vacation, think I will just go ahead with buying all tickets...
papabou: you did make me feel better about waiting to rent the villa though...I am just a plan ahead type person...impatient in other words! and when I saw the villas I had been researching start to book for next summer, I started getting worried...
papabou: you did make me feel better about waiting to rent the villa though...I am just a plan ahead type person...impatient in other words! and when I saw the villas I had been researching start to book for next summer, I started getting worried...
cbama,
booking villa early does 2 things. first, better selection. second, rate will be undiscounted rack rate. all villas are not equal and best values go 1st. yet a discount helps cover a few warts on also rans. the issue is what is more important when the goal is to enjoy an island paradise, not an accommodation. though i'm the 1st to admit the villa has to have the view and bedroom ac, the rest is a function of value of money.
papabou
booking villa early does 2 things. first, better selection. second, rate will be undiscounted rack rate. all villas are not equal and best values go 1st. yet a discount helps cover a few warts on also rans. the issue is what is more important when the goal is to enjoy an island paradise, not an accommodation. though i'm the 1st to admit the villa has to have the view and bedroom ac, the rest is a function of value of money.
papabou
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Teresa_Rae
- Posts: 2053
- Joined: Mon Oct 09, 2006 5:44 pm
- Location: Downstate IL
We usually book about 6 months in advance. The farthest out we've ever booked was about 8 months, the least was about 2 months.
If you aren't too particular about wanting a specific villa, then I don't think there is any harm in waiting, especially for a trip in the off season.
This past trip in August, our flights dropped in price a couple months before so we ended up changing our return flight to say a couple days longer.
If you aren't too particular about wanting a specific villa, then I don't think there is any harm in waiting, especially for a trip in the off season.
This past trip in August, our flights dropped in price a couple months before so we ended up changing our return flight to say a couple days longer.
Let us live so that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.
- Mark Twain
- Mark Twain