Brits warned 'never fly' on three dates with limited choices and high costs

Daily Mirror

26-04-2025

Holidaymakers are facing three specific dates in July where they should 'never fly' due to skyrocketing costs and 'limited choices', according to travel experts
Brits looking to jet off this summer have been hit with a stark warning from travel experts - steer clear of the skies on three dates in July if you want to avoid sky-high prices and airport chaos. Expedia, the travel giant, has identified these dates as the priciest for flights, coinciding with the beginning of the school summer holidays - a time when parents are scrambling to get away during the "short window" they have.
Jamie Fraser, the travel expert from Wild Packs American Summer Camp, has highlighted that airlines are well aware of the holiday frenzy and "tend to bump up prices" to take advantage of the peak season.
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This comes at a time when two-thirds (66 per cent) of Brits are already feeling the pinch with the cost of overseas jaunts. Flight costs have rocketed by 4.2 per cent (or £50 per person), making July 22, 23, or 29 the most expensive days to fly out, as demand "takes off", Jamie says.
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He elaborated: "July marks the start of the school summer holidays, which is when demand for flights takes off. Parents with school-aged children are mostly limited to this short window, which makes it one of the busiest times to travel.
"Airlines know this and tend to bump up prices during these peak dates."
Jamie warned: "This not only hits your wallet, but can make the travel experience more stressful. With so many people flying at once, terminals are at max capacity, and you're more likely to face long queues at each stage of the airport, causing more delays.
"With the school summer holidays, you're likely faced with limited choices when it comes to flight times, baggage options, and where you sit. It's much harder to find convenient flight times, especially if you've booked late."
Jamie also shared four tips to help you save cash when you're flying in July, the first of which is setting up flight alerts using sites like Skyscanner or Google Flights. These sites will send you a notification when the price drops, reports the Express.
Secondly, he suggested flying on a Saturday, highlighting how Friday and Sunday are often the most expensive days to fly, with Tuesday usually being the cheapest.
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If you're planning a weekend trip, flying on Saturday and coming home on Monday means you will miss one work day. However, you will probably pay "much less" when compared to a Friday-to-Sunday journey.
Jamie also said it's worth checking out other school holidays, saying: "Even if you're tied to school holidays, it's worth looking at when schools are off in other parts of the country.
"For instance, London schools might break up at a different time to those in the Midlands or the North, which could mean cheaper flights from a London airport if their term hasn't finished yet."
Finally, he recommended comparing the prices of smaller airports, explaining that the larger hubs, such as Heathrow, Gatwick, and Manchester, often have the most significant price rises during peak times.