With the current economic situation leaving the average family struggling in terms of disposable income, it seems that foreign holidays are a luxury few can afford. However, by shopping around and picking up handy tips, a week’s break to various European destinations may not be as out of reach as we believe.
Research published this week by consumer champions Which? has revealed that jetting off at the weekend can leave consumers out of pocket. Departing from UK commercial property airports mid-week can do more than help avoid the weekend rush – it can also save you a significant amount on your air fare.
According to Which?, Tuesday is the best day to fly out for a holiday, while Sundays tend to put a bit more of a dent in consumers’ bank accounts. The consumer group analysed more than 1,100 September flights, based upon one person travelling with one piece of checked in luggage, heading to popular destinations such as Barcelona, Dublin and Alicante.
In fact, all three of the UK’s biggest airlines – EasyJet, British Airways and Ryanair – all offered their best deals on Tuesdays, it was revealed in the study. By choosing to travel during the week rather than over the weekend, families could save up to hundreds of pounds on any of these commercial carriers.
For example, a family of four flying from London Gatwick to Alicante on a Friday would pay £28 more per person than if they had chosen to fly out three days earlier. This amounts to £112, or a 35 per cent price increase, altogether.
Additionally, many travellers in the recession have assumed that flying overnight is the best way of saving on the cost of the airfare – yet Which? claims that this is not necessarily true, depending on which airline consumers choose to fly with. Although British Airways’ cheapest flights were those leaving before 7.30am, EasyJet defied expectations by pushing up the prices on tickets for flights leaving between 5.45am and 11am.
Richard Lloyd, executive director of Which?, points out that shopping for flights is much like searching out any bargain – in order to get the best deals, consumers should compare the prices of different airlines and dedicate some time to finding a bargain.
He says; “With household budgets squeezed, holidaymakers will want to make sure they are getting a good deal on their flights.
“We found that people can save a significant sum of money if they shop around and can be flexible, changing the day or time they choose to travel.”
However, it seems that bargain flights may be a thing of the past, thanks to a rise in air passenger duty which took effect in April of this year. While high taxes when travelling by air have been something of a running joke for several years now, the recent steep climb in duties passengers must pay have prompted over 100,000 holidaymakers to contact their local MPs with complaints. The tax hike has added an average of £92 to the cost of a family trip to European resorts – a price which, for many families, means they will take a staycation rather than a vacation this summer.
Do you shop around to find a bargain when searching for flights from a commercial property airport in the UK?
