Last-Minute.gone? E-travel sees signs of shift on early bookings

A new survey by top UK travel portal Cheapflights.co.uk, in conjunction with travel partner ABTA, has identified an increase in early holiday bookings on the web. Viewers were asked when they planned to book their holidays this year. 26 per cent of people surveyed on-line confirmed that they would be booking their 2002 summer holiday earlier than usual, only 17.4 per cent of people advised they would book their holiday later than in previous years.

Says David Soskin, chief executive officer, Cheapflights.co.uk: "The internet has long been aligned with last-minute travel but these results show a maturing of travel on the web and the use of the internet as a primary source of travel information and deals."

"As the UK's top travel portal, Cheapflights.co.uk has long worked with the travel industry to ensure that both large and small companies are able to access potential customers online."

* Source : Cheapflights.co.uk survey of 7,197 site users completed February 2002.

www.cheapflights.co.uk, which was founded in 1996, is the most comprehensive online resource for researching cheap airfares. Its many destination pages also enable independent travellers to research and prepare every aspect of their trip.