Why I've booked and pre-paid most of my holiday hotels
By Boingboing
@boiboing (13153)
Northampton, England
June 27, 2016 9:35am CST
It can't have escaped your attention that my country - the United Kingdom - has gone crazy and committed economic suicide and decided to leave the European Union. The banks and markets have reacted as predicted - wiping gazillions of pound/dollars/euros/yen or whatever currency you choose of the value of the stock market and sending the value of the pound on the currency markets into a nose dive.
Ironically at around midnight on the polling day when the markets were betting on a 'remain' vote, I had said to my husband "I'd better sit up for a few hours and book the rest of our holiday hotels whilst the rates are so good". I didn't and the next day the pound tanked.
We're off to India - as we do most years - and the rate has fallen from a shade over 100 rupees last Thursday night to under 90 today. It could get better but it could also get worse. So today I booked the accommodation for the second week of our trip and now I know that the costs can't get worse - but if they got better, I could cancel and rebook.
Sadly for most of the first week I couldn't pre-pay (though I have pre-booked) so I'll just have to take the hit. But I'm very glad I paid for all the flights way back in January.
20 people like this
17 responses
@koopharper (7477)
• Canada
27 Jun 16
I would have paid everything now myself. The instability now could really come back and bite hard.
1 person likes this
@koopharper (7477)
• Canada
27 Jun 16
@boiboing Hope you don't end up with any issues there. I like to have everything all taken care of before leaving.
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
27 Jun 16
@koopharper It's a hotel in Darjeeling where we've stayed 3 times already and the owners - a lovely Tibetan emigree couple - know us well. I don't expect any issues.
1 person likes this
@CRK109 (14558)
• United States
27 Jun 16
As an American who really had no idea what most of this was about (I'm sorry), it's interesting to see what changed you're all going through now and what you will continue to have to change in the future. I hope this inevitably is a good change for your country. And once you get to India, I hope you have a wonderful time! What do you do while you're there?
1 person likes this
@shivamani10 (11038)
• Hyderabad, India
27 Jun 16
A good decision. you are lucky.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
27 Jun 16
Sounds like a smart thing to do. Have a great time in India!
1 person likes this
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
28 Jun 16
Indeed , here if you book on flights many months before the date of the flight , they are way cheaper .
I am excited for your travel to India because i know you will be posting about it here . 
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
29 Jun 16
deff a good idea,. as you say, you can always cancel and rebook!
@Dragonairy1 (1722)
• Newcastle Upon Tyne, England
27 Jun 16
We're booked to go to Kos in September, but thankfully it's all paid for and we got our euros last year when they were just under 1.4, I was shocked by the result though.
@Dragonairy1 (1722)
• Newcastle Upon Tyne, England
27 Jun 16
@boiboing that's what made us buy them when the price went up so high, my mum and dad are driving to France in august to see my brother and I suspect like you not all of their hotels could be prepaid.
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
29 Jun 16
Oops well it appears that rates are going back up. This usually happens around UK and US elections the uncertainty causes money falls but soon recovers. Same with the stock market although much was wiped off it is back on the rise again! Panic galore!
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
29 Jun 16
@boiboing When are you off ? Hopefully it will creep back up by time you go. I will PM where I get my currnecy from I think they do postal delivery. They are usually better rates than the banks etc.
@BACONSTRIPSXXX (14351)
• West Haven, Connecticut
27 Jun 16
I usually buy my flights 6 months ahead for better pricing etc
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
27 Jun 16
Mine were 9 months ahead this time - the problem is that you can almost guarantee that the flight times will get changed between booking and flying.
@HebrewGreekStudies (1646)
• Canada
28 Jun 16
I think given the course of events, it is most likely the prudent thing to do:/
@JudyEv (325818)
• Rockingham, Australia
28 Jun 16
It will be interesting to see where the pound lands when the turbulence settles.
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
27 Jun 16
what a bad case of events. seems we have no control over what happens in our countries any more. 
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
27 Jun 16
good move to book your vacations before the crash - hope the various holidays go well
