Are you getting the best deal on your holiday booking?

Are you in the middle of planning your summer holiday? You might already be passing on coffees and takeaways to put money aside for a trip to the Costa Brava or Budapest. But all those pounds you’re saving on venti lattes might still end up wasted if you’re not savvy about your holiday booking. When it comes to booking holidays online British people are missing out on saving millions of pounds each year.

When it comes to shopping for shoes, phone cases or make-up brushes we know to shop around online and where to find the best deals. We follow our favourite restaurants on Twitter and Facebook to not miss any of their dinner deals but when it comes to booking our holidays we seem to forget about the ways to save money online. People don’t seem to think they can use online codes when booking a flight, hotels, package holidays or even parking and insurance – only one third of internet shoppers use online codes when booking these holiday products. On a yearly basis this results in missed saving of £852m.

With a little research and the right vouchers you could save hundreds of pounds on your online bookings – the average saving per travel product with a voucher code is £72.16. Over 60% of online shoppers know to use voucher codes on bookings for hotels and package holidays but only 37% think to use vouchers to reduce the cost of airport parking. Taking into consideration that some airports charge up to £300 per week for airport parking, potentially more than the cost of the holiday itself, this comes as quite the shock.

There are some simple ways to save on your holidays. If you want a shot at some extra spending money this summer keep your eyes open for offers and promo codes on Facebook. it is always smart to pre-book your airport parking to avoid a nasty billing surprise on return. If you are not too fussed about when and where you go you could scoop up some fantastic deals so try and be open minded. And don’t forget to look for voucher codes wherever you can find them. That way you can keep sipping your venti lattes knowing you will soon be sipping Mai Tais on a sunny beach.

Sally Wijers