ALDI’s latest brand extension is ALDI Holidays, which launched in Australia this week.
Like ALDI Insurance, which debuted earlier this year, this is effectively a white label. ALDI’s logo is everywhere but the service is provided by Ignite Travel. (Fun supermarket fact: Ignite also works with Flybuys.)
What’s on offer? Essentially, package deals at discounted prices, typically aimed at couples or families. Like ALDI’s own in-store Special Buys, these are only available until they sell out. The launch batch is heavy on beach holidays, with Vanuatu, Fiji and Australia all featured.
That audience and bundled approach means I’m absolutely not the target market. Package deals which include flights, hotel rooms and other perks can be fiddly to compare and aren’t great for singles. They also often don’t score loyalty points.
But I checked out one deal and did find that it was a lot cheaper than what you could score yourself.
One of the launch offers is 5 nights at the Novotel Surfers Paradise in a king room with breakfast included from $449 a person.
If I booked this on my own for 5 nights from 31 January, ALDI Holidays would charge me $879 (there’s a hefty but not unexpected $430 single supplement).
$176 a night with breakfast included on the Gold Coast is a good deal. It’s certainly better than what I could get booking directly with Novotel.
The best deal today for the same dates with breakfast included was $1,041.20. That’s $162 more than the ALDI Holidays cost.
To be clear, I don’t want five nights in Surfers. But I’ll be keeping a casual eye on what ALDI Holidays surfaces.
Hungry for more? Check out why I didn’t buy ALDI’s last travel suitcase or why ALDI vinyl records really aren’t very good.
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