How far in advance do you plan a "Big" trip?

[dive_lover88]

average was 6mths...

 

[don Francisco]

I plan in stages, blocking out the time & getting air tickets first, 4-8 months in advance while trying to time the lowest price. Lodging & selection of dive op is next. Packing is last, which I never start until the night before. (my equipment is always kept in good-to-go condition)

On the flip side, we've gone to Cozumel on a whim, booking tickets off a Wednesday Special & flying Friday.

 

[under water]

I started working on our Indonesia trip in January 2007 ... 14 months before the trip. Had the trip all planned out by April 2007. Booked the airfare in September ... then "tweaked" the itinerary to accommodate the air schedule.

Probably put almost as many hours into the planning as we did into the trip ... and our trip was 23 days ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Bob,
Just curious.. Which did you enjoy more..
The planning + the memories or the trip?

 

[dvrliz1]

Hey, being on the "other side", thought my 2cents would beintresting.

Like most have said, depends on the trip. These are my observations:

Some people book a year in advance, especially when they return to the same place and want the same unit.

We've gotten bookings that have been literally, I'm in San Juan on my way to Bonaire, got any rooms?

Most group bookings book 9-12 months out or more.

I would have to say the average that we see on small groups 2-6 people is 3-6 months average and on larger groups 10+ definitely 8-14 months out.

I guess, like they say it all depends on where you are going and how many people are going!

 

[Cajuncru Diver]

To me is a trip that takes more effort planning than a trip that I make frequently.


Google defines it as follows:
Big =
"large: above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent; "a large city"; "set out for the big city"; "a large sum"; "a big (or ...
significant; "graduation was a big day in his life"
conspicuous in position or importance; "a big figure in the movement"; "big man on campus"; "he's very large in financial circles"; "a prominent citizen"
bad: very intense; "a bad headache"; "in a big rage"; "had a big (or bad) shock"; "a bad earthquake"; "a bad storm"
loud and firm; "a big voice"; "big bold piano sounds"
big(a): prodigious; "big spender"; "big eater"; "heavy investor"
adult: (of animals) fully developed; "an adult animal"; "a grown woman"
marked by intense physical force; "a big wind"
feeling self-importance; "too big for his britches"; "had a swelled head"; "he was swelled with pride"
boastful: exhibiting self-importance; "big talk"
extremely well; "his performance went over big"
boastfully: in a boastful manner; "he talked big all evening"
generous and understanding and tolerant; "a heart big enough to hold no grudges"; "that's very big of you to be so forgiving"; "a large and generous spirit"; "a large heart"; "magnanimous toward his enemies"
on a grand scale; "think big"
given or giving freely; "was a big tipper"; "the bounteous goodness of God"; "bountiful compliments"; "a freehanded host"; "a handsome allowance"; "Saturday's child is loving and giving"; "a liberal backer of the arts"; "a munificent gift"; "her fond and openhanded grandfather"
big(p): in an advanced stage of pregnancy; "was big with child"; "was great with child"
in a major way; "the play failed big at the box office"

With that definition I would say that we planned over a year our trip to Australia but had to wait until the airline opened up for booking to confirm everything else, week long trips to Key Largo, Roatan, etc, anywhere from a week out to 2-3 months.

 

[caymaniac]

I voted 6-12 months. On this last Hawaii trip I started in Sep. for the trip in April. When I made reservations for the 2 liveabaord trips (Australia, Papau New Guinea) we've done, it was about a year in advance. It takes time to find the better airfares on the airlines that are going to your destination. And as well there may be other flights involved that take you to out islands, whether it's the liveaboard or a landbased.

 

[vladimir]

On my first trip to Tioman Island in Malaysia I showed up with no reservations. Usually not a problem if you're willing to stay in a shack, which I was. Unfortunately, I showed up on Aid Il Fitri or Hari Raya Haji, I don't remember which, and every shack was occupied, as was the lone resort, the Berjaya. I walked up and down that road on the northwest coast where all the shacks are (were?), with 50 pounds of dive gear on my back, sweating my butt off. I sat down in a restaurant and shooed flies off my food feeling increasingly desperate. The waiter offered to put me up at his house, which was either an incredibly generous gesture or a flagrant sexual come-on, I'm still not sure. I declined however, because I don't roll that way, and I did another tour of the shacks, this time asking for one night's accommodation instead of 4 and finding a shack at ABC (no fan, no mosquito net), if I remember correctly. I managed to get accommodation for the next three nights at Nazri's, I think, and it was a nice trip. But I wish I'd booked in advance.

 

[tedtim]

We typically start looking at the next trip upon return from the current trip. I can't say that it is planning in detail at that point. Six to eleven months is what we typically need to ensure that we can sort out schedules and other conflicts. We will book the accommodations well in advance with a deposit to secure the space then work with our very skilled travel agent to beat down the price of the airline ticket.

We have done other trips on very short notice, only a few weeks or so.

 

[Sas]

For a big trip - usually a year. Just booked a trip to PNG in June 09 though, so that is probably a record

For other, say weekend to a week long local or interstate, trips usually 1-3 months. So yea I like to be prepared! My partner likes to organise international trips a couple of days before leaving though

 

[DiverBeth]

Like many it depends on the trip. When I did the Coral Sea last year I booked the trip well over a year in advance. But because I was also going to tour around Australia that was a big part of the reason I booked so far out.

When I'm just going for diving I average about 6 months out. That usually works well for air fares and everything else.