Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
28 April 2015 08:43
Some passengers waste cash before getting on a plane, experts suggest
Sun-seeking Britons are throwing away hundreds of pounds before they have even boarded a plane, research reveals.
Foreign exchange expert FAIRFX has found that holidaymakers can unnecessarily part with £773 by making a number of silly mistakes, from overshooting baggage allowances, to last-minute currency dashes.
The cost of trips abroad can consequently spiral out of control, leaving travellers with less spending money.
'Wasteful Britons'
Travellers have been known to invalidate insurance policies by omitting a medical condition or a previous claim on their application, in the hope of saving a bit of cash to spend once they reach their destination.
But doing so means they are effectively wasting money, as the policy becomes invalid and therefore worthless. It can actually work out more expensive than not paying for insurance at all in the first place.
The fact that travel insurance is needed to cover against any potential mishaps makes this mistake even more costly.
Expensive errors
Checking in a bag that exceeds the baggage allowance is another expensive error that travellers make, as they have to pay extra, plus sloppy form-filling when booking a trip, such as spelling a name incorrectly, can also result in an unnecessary bill.
Then there is the 'cash dash'.
Ignoring the need for holiday cash until the last minute can be a massive blow to spending money, as exchange rates at airports can be worse.
Booking a getaway that coincides with a major event also leaves holidaymakers out of pocket.
'Rush to the crush', as FAIRFX calls it, can seriously ramp up the cost of flights and accommodation.
For instance, a bad time to visit Cannes is when the Cannes Film Festival is on.
The annual event sees thousands of people descend on the south of France for the best part of two weeks, making everything that bit more expensive.
27 September 2016
Monarch Airlines says its flights are operating as normal amid fears the firm is in financial trouble.
[more...]
24 September 2016
Slim people who look physically healthy may still be at increased chance of being diagnosed with bowel cancer if they have raised insulin levels, according new research.
23 September 2016
Theresa May is being urged to give the go-ahead for flights to resume between the UK and Sharm el-Sheikh by the head of the cross-party parliamentary group on Egypt.
22 September 2016
Budget airline Jet2.com is to open its first base in the south of England at Stansted.
21 September 2016
Smoking rates have dropped to the lowest level on record in England, new figures show, suggesting messages about the health effects of cigarettes are hitting home.
20 September 2016
Concerns have been raised over flight disruptions caused by heavy drinking among passengers.
17 September 2016
British Airways' decision to launch direct flights from London to Tehran earlier this month positions Iran as one of the hottest destinations to visit in 2017, according to experts.
16 September 2016
More than 100 flights have been cancelled as French air traffic controllers go on strike again.
15 September 2016
Two thirds of MPs would support an expansion at Heathrow.
14 September 2016
TripAdvisor is launching a new homepage, making the booking of holiday activities and tours even easier.
13 September 2016
Travellers are to be charged to use fast lanes to get through passport checks in an attempt to cut queues.
09 September 2016
People travelling to regions affected by the Zika virus outbreak should practise safe sex for at least half a year upon their return, health leaders say.