The current economic climate is turning us into a cost-conscious society. We are all looking to trim the cost of everything: the supermarket bills, utilities bills and, of course, this years summer holiday.
There are several ways to save money when booking your holiday. If you are planning to fly with a budget airline this year, one way to cut costs is to familiarise yourself with your airlines added extras, or ancillary charges. Many budget airlines focus on low-cost tickets to attract customers and then make a large proportion of their money by offering optional, added extras, such as checked-in baggage, airport check-in and onboard food and drink. If you are aware of where they make their money, a bit of forward planning should help you to avoid most of these charges.
Heres a list of dos and donts that will help:
Dont travel with checked in luggage
If your airline is charging you to take checked-in baggage, consider travelling with hand luggage only. A significant amount of money can be saved by a family of four if you can survive with hand luggage only.
If you do need to carry hold luggage, pay for it online before checking in as the fees charged online are generally less than at the airport.
Dont exceed your permitted weight allowance
If you do need to travel with more than just hand luggage, make sure you know your weight entitlement and stick to it. Excess luggage charges are expensive and can add loads to the cost of your holiday. Make sure you have left a sufficient amount of weight allowance to bring back extras that you buy on holiday.
Dont buy your currency at the airport
Purchasing currency at the airport has to be the most expensive way of buying foreign currency. If you dont like the rates at the airport what are you going to do, youve nowhere else to go. Prior to travelling, shop around online or on the high street for currency deals, but dont assume that commission-free is the cheapest option. Compare how much you will get for your money, or check how much it will cost to buy the amount of foreign currency you require. This will give you a genuine comparison on which to make your decision. Often, travel agents offer better deals online than in their high street shops.
Dont arrive at the airport too early
Obviously, you need to allow sufficient time to get through airport security, but by arriving too early you risk killing time in the airport shops and may spend money on items you dont really want or need.
Do check-in online
Many budget airlines charge for airport check-in, so check-in online before you leave home and print your own tickets. Try to check-in online as soon as it is possible to do so. If you havent pre-booked your seats, you may stand more of a chance of being allocated seats together the earlier you check in.
Do book your airport parking in advance
Up to a whopping 60 percent can be saved by booking your airport parking online, in advance. Never just turn up at the gate. During busy holiday periods, you may find the price of airport parking increases the nearer you get to your travel date, so book your parking as soon as possible.
Do eat before you fly
If youre flying with a budget airline, consider eating prior to flying, or purchase food and drink after security to take on the plane. But make sure it will fit in your hand baggage, or you may find yourself charged for extra baggage. The cost of feeding a family of four on a budget airline can significantly increase your travel costs. Dont forget about this on your return journey too.
Do purchase travel insurance
While the temptation can be to trim your holiday costs as much as possible, travel insurance is one expense you simply cant afford to do with out. Travel insurance can cover airline failure, lost or stolen valuables and emergency medical treatment.
Travelling without travel insurance is a false economy, is something goes wrong on holiday it could cost you significantly more money than an insurance policy. Its not worth the financial risk, so make sure youre covered.
