Holidays come with their own set of expenses. Whether it is paying for accommodation and transport, or budgeting for eating out and souvenirs, tourists have a good idea of the spending that will be involved. Unfortunately, there are some ways that holidaymakers may be burning cash without even realising it. Travel expert Melonie Dando explained to Express.co.uk some of the ways customers may be spending more than they need to when booking their holidays.
“Millions of consumers, unaware of their rights and without access to a secondary marketplace, lose money on non-refundable hotel, train and event bookings every day,” explains Melonie, the CEO and co-founder of travel booking resale app UseMyBooking.
“Scores of families, pensioners and young travellers are finding themselves at a financial loss when making travel arrangements.
“In the UK alone, there is a sky-rocketing number of hotel rooms that go unused due to changing circumstances forcing many consumers to say goodbye to their hard-earned money.”
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“Timing is everything too when it comes to holiday transit. Be sure to compare a few different travel departure and return dates when booking your flight or train, as they will fluctuate day-to-day and you may snag a better deal if you can be flexible.
“You should also check local holidays and political goings-on at your end destination, with bank holidays often driving up costs, while things like strikes may cause prices to drop but cause you a lot of pain once you’re there.”
Holidaymakers are also at the peril of the ever-changing exchange rate, which for Britons has seen the pound soaring and plummeting in response to recent Brexit debates.
Rob Stross, CMO of WeSwap advises travellers to keep an eye on relevant news and updates that may affect the pound.
He told Express.co.uk: “When it comes to travel money, it can pay to be aware of any upcoming political events which could affect the pound’s value,” he explained.
“Last minute purchases, whether at airport bureaux or cruise ship currency exchanges, are always likely to lead to less bang for your buck as merchants are able to offer whatever exchange rate they like, knowing holidaymakers have no choice but to accept.”
Unfortunately, even if adventure seekers are savvy during the booking process, there are some unexpected ways that they can come face-to-face with a financial loss.
Whether it’s due to weather disruptions, changes in personal life of work obligations, holiday plans can rapidly change.
This often means losing out on pre-paid hotels and transportation.
Melonie adds: “This reality becomes even more frustrating when you find out how much agents re-sell lost holidays for, profiting from unforeseen circumstances.
“Shockingly, even in the event of a death, consumers are even charged additional cancellation fees by travel agents claiming compensation for commission despite being put back on the market by the supplier.”
One of the main ways tourists can protect themselves against unexpected disruptions is to ensure their holiday is protected with travel insurance.
Melonie advises: “Be sure to shop around and find the best travel for your needs.
“If you’ve got the travel bug and tend to go abroad more than three times per year, arming yourself with annual cover is bound to cost you less than separate policies per trip.
“Another key tip when taking out a travel insurance policy is choosing the best excess per claim in the event you may have to cancel your trip.”
She adds: “UseMyBooking empowers people with a platform to turn their losses into gains. Users can both buy and sell their non-refundable bookings instantly for face value or less, with the aim to ensure people are fairly treated and understand their rights when getting the most out of a non-refundable purchase.”
