Eurostar annouce 6 month booking window (via Loco2)

[IKBrunel]

from https://loco2.com/blog/2013/12/exte...il&utm_term=0_1bdedfca20-1ab27abdab-425824217

Booking is now open for Eurostar tickets to to Paris, Brussels & Lille until June 2014

From Monday 9th December, Eurostar are extending their usual 120-day booking horizon by up to 6 months. This means it will be possible to book travel from the UK to the continent until Summer 2014, making it easier to find the cheapest Eurostar tickets.

The extension applies to all tickets from London, Ebbsfleet and Ashford to Paris, Brussels and Lille. Tickets are being released in two batches, the first one opens booking until 7th June 2014 , the next all the way to 31st August. Below is a summary of the important dates:

From 09 December 2013 booking will open for travel up to 07 June 2014

From 04 March 2014 booking will open for travel up to 31 August 2014

From 01 September 2014 reservations will revert back to the normal 120 day booking horizon.

not sure why they would do this then revert to the 120 day, maybe it's a trial thing & they don't want to commit yet. I'm also not sure on the implications for us midnight cheap ticket buyers, will we have to book 6 months in advance or will some cheap tickets be released later?
Seems sensible to have a longer window like airlines for people planning hols long in advance. I wonder if DB/Thalys/SNCF will follow suit?

 

[duncanp]

You can also book up to 6 months in advance on the Eurostar website.

I have just successfully booked a trip for the Bank Holiday weekend at the beginning of May next year.

I don't think a further tranche of cheap tickets will be released at a later date.

 

[30907]

I wonder if DB/Thalys/SNCF will follow suit?

I think SNCF tried a March start similar for the summer holiday period last year and may well repeat it - all they need is to decide the Grandes Lignes timetable. IIRC Eurostar uses the same booking engine.

The DB booking system is more complex because it issues fares for an A-B-C route (and with cheap fare quotas but optional reservations) rather than for specific trains A-B+B-C as SNCF etc do. That's not to say they couldn't change it (they can cope with Poland to Germany being out of step!).

 

[Squaddie]

not sure why they would do this then revert to the 120 day, maybe it's a trial thing & they don't want to commit yet.

According to yesterday's Independent, it's to compete with the airlines. Airline bookings open 11 months before the date of travel and it's a brave person who foregoes a cheap flight on the off-chance that they might be able to get a cheap Eurostar ticket several months down the line.