Cut-rate millennium

Originally it was going to be the new year's eve party of the millennium: pubs open for 36 hours of partying in the UK; restaurants booked out years in advance; flights to the most exotic places and myriad hotel packages. But the celebrations came with a cruel tag attached - a dash-for-cash by the promoters. Now the retreat has begun. A survey by The Publican, the trade magazine, found almost 20% of pubs would not be opening at all on new year's eve and another 30% would ignore the special 36-hour licences on offer from the government and shut at 2am. Another trade magazine, the Caterer and Hotelkeeper, reported hotels across the UK having to slash their prices to attract customers.

Even in Scotland where an exclusive Edinburgh hotel, which two years ago announced an £8,500 three-night millennium hogmanay package, has slashed its price by £3,000. The airlines have been forced to follow suit. Qantas, which was charging an exorbitant £1,700 return to Australia in December introduced a 25% reduction last month to attract customers. And holiday tour operators joined in at the weekend when Thomson Travel, Britain's biggest package company, slashed £200 off its special millennium deals because of low demand.

Who wins? The customers, of course, who have resisted the latest example of our rip-off society. By refusing to pay the initial price hikes, consumers have moderated the quite extortionate increases. It was a brave move, given the lack of alternative attractions. There is virtually nothing on on new year's day - no sport (no football, rugby or racing); almost no theatre; little chance of high street sales, with almost all large shops and DIY stores closed; and very few tourist attractions open - Alton Towers and Legoland will be closed and only six out of 300 historic houses open. If you are thinking of using a cab, rather than your own car, think again: London cabs want a £25 millennium night starting charge.