Should I wait until nearer my travel date for a bargain?

Simon Calder answers your questions on late deals, the joys of Crete and the costly matter of changing your airline tickets

People enjoy the sunset over Canggu beach, north of Kuta and Seminyak, in Bali (Getty)

Q We are hoping to go to Bali for Christmas and new year. We already have a great deal at a hotel as we took a gamble and booked while Bali was still in lockdown. However, trying to find a reasonable flight is proving tricky. The fares direct from airlines are way too high – Google Flights, Skyscanner and Momondo keep presenting what look like decent options, typically hundreds of pounds lower, but I am constantly clicking through to find these flights don’t exist.

Is it better to just bite the bullet and go direct to an airline website or should I just persevere and hope that one of the cheaper fares is actually available? As an alternative, do companion fares for business class ever crop up over this period?

Lenny G