PEOPLE have been flocking to Bolton's travel agents in a last minute bid to get away for the Millennium.

Trade is up by as much as 100 per cent on the same period last year as travel companies drop their prices for last-minute bookings.

With a fortnight in Florida costing a little as £119 in some travel agents, people are shelving fears of a Millennium bug air catastrophe and are snapping up top deals in time for the New Year.

And they are not just jetting off to Majorca and Tenerife, the usual haunts for British travellers.

Some of Bolton's adventurous folk are trying the Middle East and Florida.

And, as if the cold weather of England wasn't bad enough, some will be taking to the slopes for a Millennium ski.

Barry Harphern, manager of Astley Bridge Travel Agency, based in Asda, said: "Trade has been booming and that's mainly because the prices have plummeted.

"I don't think the Millennium bug has put many people people off at all and in fact I think all the talk of planes falling out of the sky is just plain daft."

Prices began to tumble two weeks ago after travel operators overestimated demand for flights.

Julie Ashcroft, senior consultant with St Andrews Travel, on Exchange Street, said: "We have hardly got any holidays left. It's pretty much booked up. Some people have been mentioning the Bug to us but I think operators will have back up plans at the ready to cover any possibilities."

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