Here at BRT, we’ve planned over 9,000 student travel tours in our 40 years (and counting!) of working with performance groups. And we’ve noticed that the most successful traveling educators and programs have one thing in common:
They’re early-birds.
When it comes to making your group’s travel dreams a reality, planning early is truly your superpower. Want to know why? We’re so glad you asked! Let’s dive in.
#1 – Booking Early Beats Inflation
We’ve talked quite a bit about inflation in recent years, because it’s had such an effect on the cost of travel. But more than that, higher prices across every aspect of life have affected your students and their families, too.
Booking early, in the sweet spot of 12-18 months ahead of your travel date, locks in today’s travel prices and helps protect your group against higher prices in the future.
#2 – You’ll Enjoy the Best Availability
Hotels. Motorcoaches. Flights. Performance venues. Clinicians. Attractions. What do they all have in common? The best availability gets snapped up fast.
In today’s vibrant student travel industry, there’s often not enough supply to meet the demand. This is a challenge that’s best tackled by booking as early as possible.
We do our absolute best to ensure that all our groups get their first picks across the board, but the closer we get to the travel date, the more difficult this becomes. And if your group is dreaming of performing in a celebrated concert hall or a major marching band event, it’s critical to secure those reservations early.
The combination of early booking and our solid vendor relationships means the best shot at the best reservations.
#3 – Families Have More Time to Plan
It’s our goal to make paying for travel as simple as possible. Our online payment system is designed to streamline the process for families so they can easily pay for their students’ travel experiences.
And our Trip Donations feature allows friends and family to donate to a student’s account with a few safe and secure clicks, which makes travel possible for more students – while reducing the fundraising burden for all. Students who use this free feature have received donations averaging over $350 to date!
Booking early gives families longer to save and pay for their students’ trips, and more time to share the opportunity with friends and family who may want to donate.
#4 – Fundraising Is Less of a Hassle
Families aren’t the only ones who’ll have more time to plan – you will too! We’ve worked with many educators who roll out next year’s trip before the end of the current school year.
Booking early gives you, your boosters and your students more time to fundraise – meaning it becomes less of an urgent chore, and more of a team-building and culture-enriching experience. It also takes some of the load off your shoulders as you start the new school year.
#5 – Your Trip Is Less Likely to Cancel
All the above roads lead to this. When your trip is booked at the best prices, and more students can travel, your trip is simply less likely to have to cancel.
In fact, our internal data shows that trips booked less than 13 months out are 59% more likely to cancel than trips booked more than 13 months out. That’s why many of our experienced educators start the process earlier and earlier.
Booking early is the key to bringing your performance travel dreams to life. We’re ready to dream with you and map out a plan that gives your group the most time to plan. Reach out today and let’s get started!