TRAVEL TRUTHS
YOUR BIG VACAY QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Desperate to book a holiday but feeling nervous about how to get the best deal? We spoke to travel expert Nicky Kelvin, head of The Points Guy UK, to answer the big questions you need to know before you book.
1 HOW DO WE GET THE CHEAPEST FLIGHTS?
“Google Flights is an excellent tool that can help you find some amazing deals. It also allows you to search a wide range of dates and multiple destinations at the same time. Low-cost airlines will generally sell their cheapest seats first, so getting in early will secure you the best deals. Other airlines’ prices can fluctuate greatly throughout the year and it’s always good to set alerts on Google Flights and wait for big sales, which come around every few months. If you know where you want to travel to, you might want to check different departure airports, especially starting your trip in mainland Europe from places like Amsterdam, Oslo or Copenhagen, where long -haul business-class flights for example can be astonishingly cheaper, even taking into account the costs of reaching that airport to start your flight.”
2 SHOULD WE JUST BOOK ALL INCLUSIVE WITH A TOUR OPERATOR INSTEAD OF DOING A DIY HOLIDAY?
“You will find far more flexibility by booking each element of your holiday separately. However, with the hangover of uncertainty due to COVID, it can be reassuring to have your entire booking with one provider. You should always choose an ABTA or Atolprotected operator for package TRAVEL holidays, which gives the added comfort of knowing if the company goes bust, your money is safe.”
3 IS IT ADVISABLE TO GET TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR EVERY TRIP, NO MATTER HOW SMALL?
“We say, ‘If you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford travel’. While you will rarely have to use your travel insurance, if something unexpectedly goes wrong, you will be very grateful you have it. The pandemic has highlighted the impact of lastminute cancellations or changes to trips as well as unexpected medical bills on our finances, and I would never travel without it, no matter how big or small the trip. Single-trip policies start from a few pounds, so there’s no excuse!”
4 HOLIDAYS ARE SO EXPENSIVE THIS YEAR. SHOULD WE HOLD OFF UNTIL 2023?
“Bookings are set to hit prepandemic levels as people flock to the sunshine after nearly two years of uncertainty. As demand increases, we expect costs to remain high, if not increase . But as consumer confidence grows, routes expand, and companies compete for attention, we may see some incredibly enticing deals – especially during sales.”
For more information, go to Thepointsguy.com