Booking cheap holidays
The Internet has revolutionised the way we book holidays, making it easier to find bargains and research destinations.
But finding the best price and your dream holiday can be daunting. Search on Google for 'cheap holidays' and more than 4 million results await you.
So how can you slim down your search and get the best deal? Here are some tips.
Those advertised air fares
Some of those too-good-to-be-true airfares you see advertised are just that. Many airlines only offer bargain-basement fares on some of their seats. Once they sell out, the prices start to rise.
To snap up the crazy prices you often need to book at the drop of a hat, when the tickets are released by the airline. It's worth signing up to airlines' email newsletters - these tend to be the first places the cheapest fares are advertised.
Remember that many airlines will offer you a discount on ticket prices if you book online instead of the phone. You may also get some last-minute bargains as airlines strive to fill empty seats before the flight but don’t rely on this, especially if you plan to fly on a popular route.
Get it cheap but face restrictions
To get the cheapest prices, you may have to fly late at night/early in the morning and on certain days of the week. For example, weekend flights are likely to be more expensive than, say, flights on Tuesdays.
Take into account spending on getting to the airport. Add the cost of getting there and back again, or airport parking, to the fare to work out whether your cheapest option is going to cost you more overall than the next best price.
Don't ignore the taxes
Some airlines will initially quote fares without charges for paying by certain cards and other extras. That means that a low, low fare may prove more expensive in the end than one quoted by an airline that includes all the costs at the outset.
Paying the price if things go wrong
New EU rules have standardised some of the compensation customers can claim if things go wrong with a flight but there are still variations and it’s worth checking these out. Don’t forget to look at how much it will cost you if you want to alter your booking.
Avoid false economy
Economy, particularly on long-haul flights, can sometimes be a false economy; the cheapest fares may be on airlines not known for their standards of comfort or service.
Child discounts
Some airlines offer special child rates, others don't. So always add up the total cost for the whole party before booking.
Use a fare comparison site
It can be a real pain searching through dozens of companies' sites looking for the best flight deal. However, several websites take the pain away by doing the search for you.
Travel Jungle and Kayak, for example, search low-cost and traditional airlines for the journey you want to make. Opodo searches a huge number of traditional airlines but tends to avoid the low-cost operators. Other companies, such as Expedia and Travelocity, also search a broad range of mainly traditional carriers.
Finding a hotel
Again, the Internet has made booking hotels abroad a relatively painless task. Expedia, Travelocity and Opodo all have large databases of hotels with pictures and descriptions - and they often claim they can sell you a flight and hotel package with great savings. Low-cost airlines such as Ryanair and EasyJet have links to hotel booking sites and claim they can deliver great deals too.
Use sites such as Trip Advisor to look at customer reviews of hotels to ensure your chosen accommodation is going to meet your needs.
Package holidays
It's not always true that booking at the last minute will save you a fortune. Indeed, many package operators will offer you big discounts if you book early and some offer you additional discounts if you book online.
However, companies would much rather fill a seat on a chartered airline and a room in a hotel they've already booked than leave them empty. All holiday companies have sections on their websites listing last-minute deals and there are dozens more companies out there on the Internet that offer last-minute deals from a range of operators, such as Holiday Discount Centre, Expedia, Lastminute and eBookers.
Be warned that many of these deals go quickly and you may find that the holiday you've spotted is not available by the time you go to book. Another catch is that many deals come with accommodation allocated on arrival.
Shop around for insurance
Most holiday sites will offer you travel insurance - and while you should never travel without it, it's important to shop around. Costs vary widely and the deal offered by a travel agent may prove costly compared to others. You need to be sure too that the policy you're being sold is suitable for you so always check the terms of cover before buying.
Bonding
To protect yourself, buy tickets only from a company covered by an Air Travel Organiser's Licence (ATOL). An ATOL licence is a legal requirement for all agents selling discounted tickets and means your money is safe if the agent goes out of business before you get your ticket.
How to avoid the pitfalls
Generally, most people find booking a flight or holiday online fairly painless. Some of the more common problems include getting inaccurate airfare price quotes, prices that increase during a booking, pursuing foreign websites for compensation, charging the incorrect amount and fake websites.
You can take steps to avoid them, including:
- Only give credit and debit card details on a secure website.
- Orders should be acknowledged and confirmed by email - always keep a copy for your records.
- When booking a package holiday, ensure the website has an ABTA or ATOL bond - this gives protection if the company goes bust.
- It can be difficult to get your complaint dealt with when buying from abroad. If you have a complaint about goods or services bought in another EU member state, your local Citizens Advice Bureau can help.
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