NORWICH – – October 27, 2026 -- Guests who choose Flexible Cancellation on cottages.com and Novasol book about 30 days further in advance, on average, than guests on standard terms, according to Awaze, Europe's largest holiday rentals group.

Pikl partnership enables direct refunds to guests

The Flexible Cancellation product runs through Awaze's partnership with insurance-backed provider Pikl. Awaze says it gives guests the confidence to secure a preferred property earlier and gives property owners better visibility of future bookings.

Pikl works with Awaze to assess the actual risk behind each cancellation. That allows refunds to go directly to guests, with no third-party claims process.

OTAs gain UK volume share as booking windows split

KeyData's UK Summer Index, published in August 2026, found that third-party online travel agencies (OTAs) continue to win volume share. The two largest platforms each now account for close to a fifth of all UK short-term rental reservations. The booking window is splitting between guests who book well ahead and those who wait until the last minute.

Awaze argues that guests without a way to recover their money if plans change have less reason to commit early. They may keep searching elsewhere closer to their trip. Flexible Cancellation is designed to close that gap and keep early bookings direct with Awaze.

Executives frame flexibility as a driver of earlier commitment

Mike Wheeler, Commercial Trading Director of Awaze, said flexibility matters to holidaymakers, particularly when they book further ahead.

Louise Birritteri, founder and CEO of Pikl, said flights and hotels removed the trade-off between booking early and keeping the option to change plans years ago, and self-catering is only now catching up. "Guests commit sooner and plan further out," she said.

Awaze and Pikl are already working on further developments to add value and confidence at the point of booking.