Prices soar in the great getaway

THOUSANDS of sun-starved Britons have triggered huge price rises in the rush to book holidays to “green list” countries.

After Transport Secretary Grant Shapps made his announcement yesterday, demand for destinations including Iceland, Israel and Gibraltar increased, and it had been climbing through the week.

The Government’s choices are expected to cause an explosion of bookings over the coming days.

The cost of some airline tickets has already surged, with travel to Portugal’s resorts more than doubling in price in recent days.

Booking.com’s chief executive Glenn Fogel said prices for international travel are set to rise this year because there are fewer aeroplanes in service.

He added: “There’s so much pent-up demand. Everybody wants to go travelling, but we all want to do it safely.”

A number of holiday packages cost more from May 17 when departing from the UK when compared to the week before.

A seven-night stay in The Algarve from London’s Stansted Airport, from the day after travel restrictions lift, costs up to £50 more per person than on May 11.

Despite the extra charges, Tui’s managing director for the UK and Ireland, Andrew Flintham, believes it will be “a long time” before travel companies can consider boosting profit margins.

Mr Flintham said: “Our prices are very, very stable.They’re pretty much like for like, flat, year over year.

“We want to get people away on holiday, having a great time, because we think they genuinely all deserve it.”

Luis Gallego, chief executive of British Airways’ parent company IAG, urged the Government to “be a bit ambitious in getting global travel back on track”.

He wants people who have been vaccinated or tested to be allowed to fly “without restrictions” between the UK and the US.