Travel: Simon Calder discusses Covid test pricing
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Although with the current international travel restrictions going on holiday this summer might be more difficult than usual, for those who still choose to travel abroad these hacks will come in handy in order to save a few pennies.
Use comparison sites
It might be obvious that in order to get the cheapest price you have to compare it with others beforehand. But which platform is offering the best deals at the moment?
Nicky Kelvin, travel expert and Head of travel website The Points Guy UK, explained that his favourite and one of the most powerful tools especially for air travel is Google Flights.
“Much like Google itself, Google Flights offers an unparalleled aggregation of data and options which we can use to save time and money during the trip planning process.”
However, travel expert warned that it is important to be fast: “Deals across the travel world pop up each and every day — and disappear just as fast.”
Setting a price alert is a very useful trick, as it will let you know straight away when the price of the holiday you’re looking for has gone down. “A number of sites, like Google Flights and Skyscanner, allow you to track price alerts and can allow you to avoid peak travel times (and therefore higher costs).”
Nicky Kelvin explained that his secret hack when booking holidays is including multiple airports in a given city. “When you initially search, you can select a city instead of a specific airport, which will then include all applicable airports in the metropolitan area – allowing you to select the cheapest option.”
Be flexible
“It’s important to note that the more flexible you can be on dates and destination, the better chance you have of jumping on a killer deal,” said the travel guru.
He explained that being inflexible is one of the mistakes people make when booking a holiday online.
“You can make big savings by adjusting your travel dates and even the airport you fly into, so be sure to have some leeway when planning trips.”
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Don’t forget the Covid cover
According to travel application App In The Air, the biggest mistake people make in times of Covid is not to research the flexibility that your airline, hotel or tour operator might be offering.
Passengers should make sure that if their destination is recategorised in the UK’s Covid traffic light system, they will be protected and able to rebook or claim for a refund.
“A good deal is not a good deal if you end up with a holiday that you can’t take,” said App In The Air.
Although a lot of companies are offering free Covid-protection guarantees, flexibility with their terms and low booking deposits, the travel application recommends using a search tool that allows you to filter your selection by “Covid cover”.
Know when is the best time to book a flight
Recent data from Skyscanner shows that travellers who bought their tickets on a Wednesday paid on average 4 percent more than those who booked on a Sunday.
On a £500 flight, that’s £25.
The study also found that the cheapest fares for departures are Tuesday or Wednesday and that the cheapest day to depart from the UK is typically a Friday.
Flying out on a Friday instead of a Sunday saw an average saving of 21 percent.
Don’t forget about hotels loyalty schemes
Some people aren’t aware that most hotels have loyalty programmes, which are a great way to save money.
Nicky Kelvin explained: “Every time you stay in a chain hotel, you could be earning chunks of points, which can be used toward future hotel stays.
“Loyalty may not always influence your booking decisions, but it’s worth earning the points that are yours for the taking.
“I also recommend utilising loyalty and points schemes to your advantage as you can even earn money towards your flights through something as simple as supermarket shopping,” explained the travel expert.
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