How can I save money on my summer travel this year?

With the summer holiday season approaching, many will be searching for flights and the best deals – whether booking as a family, couple, group or solo traveller.

There are several ways holidaymakers can save cash, but for those who need some guidance, two travel experts have shared their top tips on ways to save. Here’s what they said.

1. Does location matter?

According to Katy Maclure, head of community and content at Jack’s Flight Club, flight prices have increased due to the rise in oil prices, affecting the cost of travel to the USA and Asia in particular.

However, she says places in Europe are not as heavily impacted at the moment.

“We know that oil prices have gone up and flight prices have gone up, especially for international travel,” she says. “But what we’ve noticed is that Europe’s not being affected in the same way.

“So, from the UK, we’re still seeing amazing fares with Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air, and even Jet2, all across Europe to your traditional holiday destinations – Spain, the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Portugal and France.

“There have been good flights to Rhodes and Crete recently that we’ve seen, for under £100 return in fairly nice season, or there’s Thessaloniki in northern Greece, which is away from the tourist crowds but still has that charm.”

She says holidaymakers should avoid looking for the “obvious places”, where possible, particularly during peak summer season, as prices are often hiked during this time.

For alternative destinations, she suggests looking at Madeira, previously labelled the “Hawaii of Europe”; Slovenia; Albania; or “anywhere in the Balkans” – for example, Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia; or Zadar in Croatia.

2. Tips for cheaper flights

Maclure says travellers can always rely on budget airlines, such as Ryanair, to drop regular “flash sales”, so it is worth keeping an eye on these.

Plus, if holidaymakers are not set on a particular destination, she says travelling to places “closer to home” – within the UK, to Jersey or to Ireland, for example – could save some cash.

“If you know your local airport and who flies out of where, you can rely on Ryanair to drop a flash sale every week,” she says.

“If you’re willing to go to places that are slightly different, if you don’t need the beach, the heat, the traditional British holiday, then travelling to places like Ireland, can save you so much on flights.”

Maclure says budget airlines tend to offer their “lowest prices as close as six to three weeks before the flight”, so if travellers can be flexible on timings, this can be beneficial and cost-saving.

She says airlines, such as TUI, tend to drop their fares “last minute” to fill seats they have not sold, so this is worth noting, too.

3. Can I save money with baggage?

Maclure says sometimes travellers can be caught out when it comes to adding extras for flights, such as luggage.

She suggests adding extras in advance or spending more on luggage itself to avoid costs further down the line.

For example, she says travellers could buy Primark’s £25 suitcase with removable wheels, as it has been designed to fit under most airline seats and will save having to spend more money on baggage.

She says: “Make sure you know what you’re taking on, so you don’t get caught out.

“So, if you’re just going for a girls’ weekend, don’t pay for the luggage unless you really need it.

“Maximise your bag, focus on the bag, because it’s cheaper to pay £25 for the right bag than it is to pay for luggage.”

Plus, Maclure says travellers should try not to fall into the trap of booking “bundles”, as there are often unnecessary “fees and add-ons”.

“Sometimes a bundle will be the best way to get your carry-on bag, but sometimes it’s cheaper to add it separately afterwards,” she says.

“So you click through, you keep the light fare, and then you add the bag after, just the carry-on. You don’t always need to do the whole bundle.

“Don’t get caught out paying extra just because it’s what they want you to do.”

4. Are package holidays worth it? Or is it cheaper to plan and book yourself?

KAYAK’s UK travel expert Rachel Mumford says “flexibility is your key weapon when it comes to getting the cheapest deal”, particularly with flights.

She advises travelling during the ‘shoulder season’ – September and October or March and April – but explains that package deals during the peak summer months can be cheaper, particularly for families.

“If you have kids and you have to travel in the peak of July, when all the schools have just closed, and you want to go to a popular destination, then I’d say a package deal can often be a winner,” she says.

“If you’re a couple without kids, and you can travel in the shoulder season and you’re more flexible about where you go, you can often save money by spending a few hours searching and putting it all together yourself.

“I’d say whichever route you decide to go down, the key is to compare the total cost of the package deal, including checked bags, transfers etc., and the DIY deal, and then just compare the total cost of each.

“But also, it’s not just about price, right? It’s also about the convenience factor, and that has a different level of value depending on the type of traveller that you are.”

5. Can AI or other tools help?

Maclure says websites, such as Skyscanner, can be a handy tool for checking flight prices, but travellers should be wary of any additional fees.

“What we often find is that the prices on Skyscanner might go through an online travel agency, so a third party. It won’t always direct you straight to the airline,” she says.

“In that case, you have to be careful about all the T&Cs, because essentially what you’re doing is, you’re inserting an agent into your booking and that means that you’re beholden to their fees.”

However, for those who have their dates, airline and destination in mind, tracking the pricing via Skyscanner or Google Flights can be helpful, and travellers can even set alerts to receive price updates via email.

Mumford also suggests using AI tools to help get inspiration, as travellers can input their criteria, such as the desired temperature, whether they want beaches, and it can create a “shortlist of destinations”.

“I’d say, with AI, that is where it’s coming into its own, it’s helping travellers with that initial inspiration phase,” Mumford says.

6. Final thoughts

Maclure and Mumford both agree flexibility is key overall.

But one final thought from Mumford is to consider flying from “alternative airports”, as the price can be cheaper.

“The bigger city airports can come with a much heftier price tag,” she says.

“If you’re willing to get a 45-minute train to a neighbouring airport… or add an hour or two onto your journey and travel from a smaller airport, then they do tend to have lower air fares.”