How to avoid a flight fright in booking a break - Martyn James

Spring seems a long way off right now, doesn’t it? That’s why February is one of the peak months for booking holidays, as we allow ourselves to dream of a break in the sun. But be prepared. Prices for holidays have increased significantly in the last year – and it’s becoming increasingly hard to bag a bargain with your flights.

So if you’re thinking of booking a trip abroad, check out my guide on what to watch out for – and how to avoid sneaky airline charges.

The curse of the add-on costs

You may have bagged a 'bargain' flight but it could mean a connection you'll be hard pressed to catch (Picture: Adobe AI)

Once upon a time it was relatively simple to use a holiday firm or comparison site to find a bargain with an airline. But those days are long gone. That’s because the low-cost airlines advertise artificially low prices to get your attention, but neglect to mention that costs can double, or even triple, when you add on basic “extras” – charges for things you need that used to be free.

These add-on charges increase depending on demand and as the time of departure draws closer, making it hard to say definitively what you’ll pay at the checkout. However, on average, you’re potentially looking at:

• £40-£50 to take a 23kg hold bag one way.
• £30-£50 for an overhead cabin bag.
• £6-£25 for the most basic seat reservations.

That’s up to £125 each way or £250 for a return. The price to take overhead cabin bags has increased dramatically on some airlines in the last year, which means it may be more cost effective to share a hold suitcase with a partner or friend. Watch out for militant checks of “under seat” bags, too. So if you’re looking at a low-cost airline flight, be prepared to add on £70-£100 each way if you really want to compare flight costs with the regular airlines.

Speaking of which, airlines which might seem more expensive at first often offer bag and seat charges into a “bundled” price, making it much easier to know what you’ll be paying.

Top tips when booking flights

Surge pricing is the industry term for prices increasing “on demand” though no one really knows how this works in practice. This means prices can go up even if people are only browsing, not buying. It’s hard to beat the algorithms, but I’d try booking flights later at night and outside of “peak” booking hours (in the morning, over lunch, early evening).

Flights booked after 5pm are often delayed. Some airlines use their planes for numerous flights with short turnaround times. This means there’s a much greater chance something will go wrong. Late flights can end up costing you more too, as you stand a great chance of missing public transport on arrival.

Comparison sites don’t feature all airlines. Cheaper deals may be found on the airline’s website or through a travel agent too. Always search for direct flights. Lots of flight comparison sites list cheap options that actually involve huge detours and changing planes.

Check every last detail before confirming the booking. Some airlines charge you even if you’ve made legitimate mistakes. Others will hit you with charges for printing off boarding passes and errors with your details. You may also find you can’t cancel things like extra bags or insurance you’ve ordered by mistake.

To get an extra layer of protection, buy direct from the hotel or airline and pay on a credit card. If something goes wrong you could make a claim under the Consumer Credit Act from your card provider for the full cost of the flights – even if you only paid the deposit on the credit card. A good travel agent can also help you get your cash back if you book through them.

Booking a packaged holiday gives you the protection of the Packaged Travel Regulations. This means if something goes wrong with some or all of the holiday you should get a refund. Keep an eye out for ATOL or ABTA membership too.

Martyn James is a leading consumer rights campaigner, TV and radio broadcaster and journalist. For more of his articles, click on this link.