Having spent most of the past 2 days searching for flights to Kilimanjaro for a Christmas and New Years Eve climb, I have come to the conclusion that early booking is definitely the best way to go!

Generally, a flight from northern Europe to Kilimanjaro International Airport will cost you in the region of £700 return, but leave it until last-minute (and now really is last-minute if you are planning on visiting Tanzania over the festive period!), and you can expect to pay up to double the price, and spend lengthy stopovers along the way.

The same goes for Christmas flights across Europe, just three weeks ago a trip from London to Munich would have cost you less than £100 return with a certain budget airline, but if you want to book that same flight today, you can expect to pay at least £80 extra, and that doesn’t include any checked luggage.

Years ago, booking your holidays and flights at the very last-minute was a great way to save money, but today, the earlier you book, the more you are likely to save, and if you are hanging on to get a Christmas flight bargain, well… you could end up paying more than you budgeted for.

The huge demand for flights over the Christmas and New Year period pushes the prices up and availability down, so if you want to get home to a loved one this festive season, or intend to head off in search of some winter sunshine, book your flights…quick!