AIRLINES are cutting the price of flights to encourage nervous Brits to book their holidays.
Experts have already warned that in the long term, flights are going to go up in price.
Last week, British Airways owner IAG said prices will inevitably go up, with Virgin Atlantic adding surcharges on its long-haul flights.
However, the cost of flights – especially across Europe – is actually dropping right now because of the ongoing uncertainty.
This includes not only fears of a jet fuel shortage, but also concerns over the cost of living, with food and fuel prices being pushed up as well.
According to the FT, the cost of flights to 27 of the top 50 European destinations when travelling in July has dropped in recent weeks.
Some routes in mainland Europe dropped as much as 44 per cent, while a number of UK routes, such as London Heathrow to Nice, London Gatwick to Barcelona and Manchester to Palma, all dropped by at least 10 per cent.
The Sun’s Head of Travel and expert of more than 30 years, Lisa Minot, explained what this means for your holiday.
She said: “Airlines and tour operators face an impossible choice right now as they attempt to get Brits booking.
“As the US / Iran war drags on into its fourth month, news of jet fuel shortages and fuel surcharges has led to a dramatic drop in bookings as the travelling public is paralysed with indecision.
“While many of our favourite airlines and tour operators are confident in the price – and availability – of jet fuel for the summer months, convincing us to book has proved more difficult.
“When the good times roll, supply and demand can see prices skyrocket.
“Conversely, when the outlook is less sunny, that demand drops and so do prices.”
Chris Webber, Head of Holidays and Deals at TravelSupermarket, told Sun Travel about some of the places that are seeing prices drop.
He explained: “What’s really striking is just how many short-haul European destinations are actually cheaper than they were before the conflict began.
“Italy is leading the way, with the Neapolitan Riviera down £232 per person to £905, the Amalfi Coast £126 cheaper at £1,073, and the Italian Lakes down £122 to £714.
“Spain‘s La Palma has fallen from £120 to £474, making it one of the best-value options on the market right now.
“Turkey is also seeing significant drops across the board — Bodrum is down £118 to £579, Dalaman is £110 cheaper at £492, and Antalya has fallen £90 to £520.
“The Greek islands are following suit, with Corfu down £83 to £568 and Skiathos down £82 to £844, while mainstream favourite Majorca is £86 cheaper at £581.
“Holiday companies are keen to get bookings moving, and that’s likely filtering through into some very competitive pricing right now.”
Wizz Air‘s chief executive József Váradi warned the “level of hesitancy” is causing the drop in bookings, previously telling the BBC: “That level of hesitancy can be overcome through price stimulation. So, short term, you are actually seeing prices dropping.”
Barclays analyst Andrew Lobbenberg backed this up, saying: “People are reluctant to book, they are booking late, and the airline and holiday companies are having to incentivise them with lower prices.”
What does this mean for your cheap flights?
Right now, easyJet has a number of cheap flights under £20 if travelling next month to destinations like Pisa, Amsterdam and Faro.
And Ryanair still has some cheap fares from £20 for July travel – when you’d normally expect fares to start going up – to destinations such as Barcelona and Venice.
Some of the biggest bargains in July include:
- London Luton to Barcelona (£20)
- London Luton to Venice (£21)
- London Stansted to Milan (£15)
- London Stansted to Cagliari (£20)
- Manchester to Paris (£17)
- Manchester to Ibiza (£20)
- Birmingham to Pisa (£18)
- Birmingham to Santander (£19)
TUI has some huge bargains for July still, especially to places like Corfu and Turkey.
Seven nights at Odysseus hotel just before the summer holidays is £275pp, with other stays coming in under £340pp.
Hard-hit destinations have seen holiday prices plummet, too.
Egypt is still on the safe travel list and hasn’t been drawn into the Iran war, but has seen holiday prices drop.
All-inclusive holidays for a week can be found for under £500pp in July – or ditch the food package, and there are deals from £419 each.
If you can wait until next year, seven-night, all-inclusive holidays for as little as £269pp with loveholidays in January 2027.
Turkey all-inclusive holidays are even cheaper, starting from £229pp for a week’s holiday – or travel in July for breaks still under £330pp.
Brits who are nervous about booking a trip abroad right now should look at booking package holidays instead, Lisa advised.
UK tour operators are ATOL protected, meaning your money is protected if your trip is cancelled.
This isn’t the case if booking flights and hotels separately.
But if you want to take the risk? You could find some mega cheap flight deals, which might be the last time for a while.
Lisa added: “With prices tumbling as the industry tempts us back into the skies, for the late deal hunters, things are looking good.”