This is the weekend for...Booking a last-minute holiday

David Cameron may be urging the British to celebrate their ancient heritage at the expense of outmoded ideas such as "Cool Britannia", but despite the threat of strikes looming for six BAA-operated airports (Heathrow, Stansted, Southampton, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen), this weekend is the perfect time to book an escape before Britannia cools down for good this winter.

The tourism industry has suffered a torrid year and late deals for package holidays reflect an urgent need to fill spare capacity. Thomson (www.thomson.co.uk) is offering a 14-night self-catering stay at its Colon II apartments in Tenerife for just £349 per person (based on two sharing), including flights, which works out at just £25 per person per day. The flight leaves on 27 August from Manchester Airport (which, happily, is not operated by BAA).