The British summer time is famous for many things, those long sunny afternoons, picnics in the park, barbeques, floods and childcare burdens. It’s also becoming well known for the eye-watering costs of holidays.
But what are you paying for?
Holiday companies know all too well that anyone with children can really only venture abroad outside of term time. Accordingly, their prices soar along with the temperature.
This is bad news for people with children and it’s a nightmare for those without children too. Not only have the prices spiked by the end of the school term but airports, flights and many hotels are filled with children.
Basically, anyone who wants or has to travel abroad in late July or August can expect everything to be busier and will have to put up with mark-ups of as much as 70%, adding hundreds of pounds to holiday.
School’s out, prices are up.
The start of the school holidays will see approx 2 million people heading overseas on holiday on what is traditionally one of the busiest weekends in the year.
British favourites such as the Canary Islands, Portugal, the Spain, Greece and Bulgaria are bracing themselves for a rush of visitors. Popular long-haul destinations for the more adventurous travellers include Brazil, Dubai etc.
A study by Morgan Stanley looked at the cost for a fortnight’s half board family holiday during August and then compared the same trips during term time.
The average mark-up for families in the south of England was just over a quarter. It was around the same for those in the north-west and a fifth for Scots. The survey found those in the north-west were generally charged more for holidays than those in the south of England or Scotland.
The biggest mark-ups appear to be on holidays to Orlando in Florida, the home of Disney World. A family from the south of England taking a holiday in the sunshine state during the school break pay an average of £3,109, a mark-up of 71% or £1,292 on the figure charged during term time. A family from Manchester taking a similar holiday would pay £4,259, which is 45% or £1,499 higher than term time.
Summer rip-offs closer to home
But you don’t have to go abroad to feel the heat on holiday prices.
Morgan Stanley’s research found a similar pattern with holidays in this country, specifically in the Lake District (12% higher) and a seaside holiday camp (more than 50% higher).
Some tour operators say that many of the packages they sell outside the school holidays are sold at a loss and so they are just trying to even out their balance sheets.
Others claim that hotel owners bump their prices up first, forcing the operators to follow, rather like getting up earlier and earlier to get a towel on your sunbed. Hmmm…
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Fuel surcharges: yet another expense
And if all this wasn’t bad enough, foreign summer holidays are about to get even more expensive following fuel surcharge increases by British Airways, despite opposition from passenger groups. Other airlines are expected to follow with their own price rises.
BA’s surcharge is increasing to £43 one way for flights over nine hours, up from £38. The surcharge for long-haul flights under nine hours rises from £33 to £38 while short-haul flights remain at £8.
The extras are equivalent to 55% of the cost of some flights. Head to New York in July and your £276 return flight will be bumped up to £428 once taxes, booking charges and fuel surcharges are added. Virgin Atlantic has a surcharge of £34 for flights under nine hours and £38 for longer flights. Bmi charges £8 for short-haul flights and £30 for long-haul.
How to cut the cost of your holiday
Despite the gloomy outlook, it is still possible to ensure your money takes you further on holiday.
Here are my five top tips to bagging a holiday bargain:
1. Avoid peak season
It should be obvious by now, but if you are able to travel at a different time of year, you are likely to find automatic savings.
For instance, a trip to warmer climes in February can set you up for the rest of the year.
If term time is not an option then you should find family holidays are significantly cheaper in the last two weeks of the summer holidays at the end of August.
It will also pay off if you check the timing of school holidays in your destination country - many European countries have completely different term times to the UK, making hotels busier and more expensive.
2. Book early or last-minute
Planning ahead can save you money and guarantee you some dreams of sunshine to help you through the winter months. Book at least six months in advance and you should get the best deals.
Early birds also get greater choice of flight timings and the chance of free places for children. Negotiate with hotels and get confirmation of rates in writing to avoid paying more if the price goes up as peak season approaches.
At the opposite end of the scale is the more risky option of booking late. This can pay off if you have some flexibility about when you can travel and where you want to go.
Unsold airline seats and hotel rooms make for last-minute bargains but this may not appeal if you are potentially letting down your whole family or (quite understandably) don’t feel comfortable with ‘accommodation assigned on arrival’.
3. Explore all your travel options
Most people will head off on holiday on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday. But if you can leave midweek you could save money and dodge crowds.
Many airline websites provide a ‘cheapest flight’ search option to help. Flying from the cheapest airport is also something which many people don’t bother to explore.
Although regional airports may be more convenient they also attract the highest supplements for charter flights at peak times. The exceptions are flights with no-frills airlines which have a programme of regional fares.
Trains and ferries may also provide better value than flights. Booking ahead also pays off - the cheapest railway tickets go on sale 28 days or more in advance but are often available eight or nine weeks in advance of Christmas and Easter.
Expect to pay as much as three or four times more if you buy tickets less than a fortnight before departure.
4. Steer clear of travel agents
Avoid the travel agent altogether and get online to research, compare and book at a time to suit you.
There are also several excellent hotel and holiday review sites which can provide ideas and recommendations and reveal facts and tips about destination that you won’t find in a brochure.
You can then contact hotels direct and negotiate on price.
5. Even more travellers are waking up to the idea of seperate fight and place to stay, you can find an excellent array of villas, apartments and holiday cottages for those that like to holiday at home. Villas with private pools are particularly sort after and these properties offer good value for famillies and peace and quiet with privacy for relaxing couples. Companies such as www.villaway.co.uk are leading examples of this.
Whatever your choices this summer I hope this article gives you ideas on how to make your £ stretch further.