HOLIDAY costs are going up, but a lot of people are paying much more than they need to be, especially at airports.
Whether it’s on their luggage, their currency or even their boarding passes, holidaymakers end up paying for things they really don’t need to every day.
In fact, recent data shows that 34 per cent of people get hit with airport charges that they could avoid by planning their visits a little better.
That’s why savings expert Lucinda O’Brien from Money.co.uk has put together some quick and easy travel tips to help passengers be money savvy when travelling abroad.
Print or download your boarding pass
It’s such a simple thing, but printing or downloading your boarding pass could save you as much as £20, depending on who you’re flying with.
Lucinda said: “If you forget to bring your boarding card, your airline could make you pay for the privilege of printing it for you.
“Ryanair charges a £20 boarding pass reissue fee if you arrive at the airport without your printed boarding pass.”
Weigh your luggage before you leave home
The is one of the most common ways in which people get stung at the airport – when they really don’t need to and could cost you as much as £70.
Lucinda explained: “You could also get charged if your luggage exceeds the allowance.
“Weighing your baggage before you leave the house will give you the time to take some bits out or add some stuff to your hand luggage so your case stays under the weight limit.
“If your hold luggage is over and you haven’t paid for extra, you might be charged. For example, Jet2 charges £12 per extra kilogram.
“But some airlines could refuse to carry oversized hand luggage.
“Ryanair refuses any luggage in the cabin that’s over the allotted weight. In some cases, they charge a fee of £69.99 to store it in the hold.
“If you simply can’t be without your favourite jumper or jacket, you could try wearing it rather than packing it, to limit the amount of baggage you’re checking in and keep the weight at bay.”
Get your travel money before arriving at the airport
The airport is one of the worst places to get your holiday money due to its unfavourable exchange rates.
You should always get this before you travel.
Lucinda said: “While the convenience of exchanging money at airports or popular tourist areas may seem tempting, the rates offered there are often much higher than you’d find anywhere else.
“It’s also worth noting that ordering currency online can be more expensive if the delivery fees are high; your best bet is to go to a reputable currency exchange centre and pick up the money yourself.
“They tend to have the best rates and you can avoid delivery fees. Eurochange for example charges £5.00 delivery fees if you order less than £500 in currency.”
Falling afoul of currency costs, excess baggage and boarding pass fees could see you fork out more than £90 on avoidable holiday costs.
Lucinda also recommends getting travel insurance before you travel and ensuring you get the right level of cover. If you don’t do this, an accident could end up costing you a lot of money.
She also suggests several tips for keeping down costs on your mobile phone use while overseas.
She said: “Set yourself a daily usage limit, call your mobile provider to see if bolt-on packages could save you money abroad.
“Find out how much hotels, café and bars charge for wifi before you connect, switch data roaming off unless absolutely necessary and turn your phone to flight mode when not in use to avoid being charged for incoming calls.”
Meanwhile, some families end up spending £1,000 more than they need to on other holiday costs.
And these are the worst airlines for hidden costs.
