Summer 2022 is shaping up to be a bumper season for the travel industry. After two years of COVID-related disruptions, people are chomping at the bit to go on holiday again. As travel restrictions and entry rules are eased around the globe, bookings are soaring.
But it would be wrong to assume that all our worries and cares around travel have disappeared. COVID is still a thing, there are still risks in mingling with crowds of fellow tourists at busy airports and packed resorts, and there are still rules to follow depending on what country you travel to.
On top of that, we’re all facing the kind of squeeze on our household budgets that makes many people think twice about whether they can afford a holiday. The sad truth is that, amidst soaring energy bills and high inflation on food, many hard-pressed families will have to choose paying the bills over taking a holiday this year. Try these Inflation Busters tips to help with your budget.
For many people, a holiday is the most costly luxury they indulge in. Christmas aside, it might be the only time all year we really let our hair down and splash the cash purely on enjoying ourselves. Especially after two years where so many holiday plans have had to be shelved, few would argue it isn’t worth it. But still you have to ask yourself, can you afford it?
With a little planning and creative thinking, the answer is, yes you can. There are all sorts of thrifty tricks and cost-cutting hacks that can bring the cost of a holiday right down to something more manageable.
Approaching holiday planning with a cost-cutting mindset can also be highly rewarding in its own right. Just think of the warm glow of satisfaction you’ll get when your plan comes together and comfortably within your budget.
Here are some of the best money-saving tips for planning your summer getaway this year.
Timing is everything
There’s a huge ongoing debate in travel about whether package holidays or DIY online bookings are the most cost effective. The truth is that both can be equally budget-friendly. With packages, there’s always the chance of picking up a fantastic early bird or last minute deal. The best bargains are found when you don’t mind very much when or where you travel. And you get the added benefit of having much of the hard work in planning your trip done for you.
But what you get when you book everything yourself online is control. That means you can look out for the best prices for flights and accommodation separately. Not only that, you can also choose when you book and travel to save even more money.
Research shows that prices change depending on the day of the week you choose to travel on, and even the day you book. For travel abroad, the cost of flying on a Friday works out at an average of 15% cheaper than the most expensive days of the week. And you can save 10% by booking on a Sunday.
Similarly, the time of year you travel makes a difference, too. We all know the summer high season is the most expensive time to travel. But if you are not restricted by school holidays, you can save up to 40% by going away when the schools are back in September.
While lots of people swear by last minute bargains, when it comes to DIY bookings, the stats show that flights are cheapest when booked at least nine weeks in advance. Forward planning also works best for finding the best available prices on COVID tests and for getting the cheapest deals on train tickets or airport parking.
Of course, if you want to find the best deals on flights and accommodation, having the right tools at hand helps. A neat tip nowadays is to compare prices across a number of comparison and aggregator sites, because they all try to offer something a little different.
For flights, while Skyscanner remains hard to beat for simplicity and range of destinations, an alternative like Kayak lets you easily compare prices for checking in baggage versus just taking hand luggage. Momondo, on the other hand, not only shows price differences across a range of days for your destination, it will compare prices across nearby airports.
Prepare for the unexpected
Before the pandemic you would have counted yourself unlucky to have your holiday cancelled. But COVID has made last minute disruption commonplace. If you have to take a COVID test to travel to your chosen destination, you should be prepared for the risk of a positive result scuppering your plans.
And as we’ve seen with the long delays at airports and flight cancellations over Easter, you can’t assume that travel will be a breeze even if you don’t have to take a test. Most countries still require visitors to provide proof of vaccination status and fill in health declaration forms. The extra admin involved, coupled with staffing pressures at airlines and airports, is what triggered the chaotic scenes over Easter.
The big risk of any kind of cancellation or delay is that you either end up losing the money you have spent on your holiday or are faced with the choice of paying extra to rearrange flights or accommodation. When you’re planning your holiday on a budget, these are not risks you can afford to take lightly.
Don’t assume that you will automatically be entitled to a refund or a rebooking if your flight is cancelled or delays mean you miss it. Airlines are not required by law to offer a refund if you miss your flight because of delays on road or rail, for example. And even if you do get a refund from your airline, you might not be so lucky with your accommodation provider.
Even though it is an extra cost, taking out travel insurance is the best way to cover yourself financially for delays and disruption. It’s also the only way you can be sure of getting your money back if you have to cancel a holiday at the last minute because of a positive COVID test.
