'I'm a travel expert - don't make expensive holiday mistake with four simple tips'
A travel expert has warned British holidaymakers should avoid making a very expensive mistake when planning their holidays this summer.
Jamie Fraser of Wild Packs American Summer Camp has pinpointed the reason behind extortionate prices for flights. His advice comes as travel company Expedia highlights the three dates families should avoid taking to the skies due to costs.
All three dates land in July, perhaps unsurprisingly, given they fall at the start of the school summer holidays. Jamie says airlines are clued the fact parents are confined to a "short holiday window" and "tend to bump up their prices" accordingly during peak times.
This is despite the fact that two-thirds (66 per cent) of Brits already struggle with the cost of holidaying abroad. Moreover, there's been a 4.2 per cent increase (or £50 per person) in prices.
The three dates to avoid are July 22, 23, as it proves to be a time when demand skyrockets, according to Jamie. He explained: "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.
"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, reports Belfast Live. The first of these is setting up flight alerts using sites like Skyscanner or Google Flights. These sites will send you a notification when the price drops.
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. 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.
He said: "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 to the larger hubs. Airports such as Heathrow, Gatwick, and Manchester often have the most significant price rises during peak times.
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