UK TRAVELLERS 2017 SUMMER HOLIDAY BOOKING TRENDS

With the Whitsun break just gone many Brits are turning their attention to summer holiday bookings, where to go, when to go and how to achieve the ultimate deal.  However, is the UK becoming more travel savvy when it comes to booking flights or is there still much to learn? Leading travel search engine Skyscanner.net has been busy data crunching to uncover the Summer flight habits of the Brits and unearth those destinations which could still offer some great flight deals

Whitsun 2017 -   Over £1.4m could have been saved by families travelling to the top ten Whitsun destinations₁

In 2016, Whitsun flights for the top ten most popular destinations were on average booked 11 weeks in advance which is close to the average 10 weeks Best Time to Book₂ for those destinations.  However, when looking at the data for the top ten Whitsun 2017 destinations, flights were booked 17 weeks in advance, compared to the average 12 weeks for those destinations, indicating that as a nation we are planning ahead more than the previous year, but not necessarily being as savvy as we once were. When looking solely at the top ten Whitsun destinations, Skyscanner has unveiled that families of four could have saved over £1.4m₁ if flights were booked at the best time (see chart in notes to editors₁).

Summer Destinations and Flight Booking Patterns

According to Skyscanner flight data, the majority of Summer bookings for all destinations for 2016 were made in July, in particular the last week in July₃ and when comparing Summer bookings to date year on year there isn't much change in the booking patterns7, which would indicate that 2017 could also see a wave of last minute bookings (see chart 7 in notes to editors) 7.  However, this isn't necessarily the best way to secure the top deals. The table below details when is the best time to book flights to the most popular destinations.  

Currently topping the charts as the favourite destinations for Summer 2017 is New York, which has moved up one place YoY and taken the lead from Ibiza.  The biggest risers in popularity to date include Palma (up 4 places YoY) and Alicante (up 3 places YoY)

Skyscanner's Top Ten Destinations for Summer 2017₄

Cat McGloin, Skyscanner's Travel editor comments. “Whilst there are some destinations which are best booked last minute such as Orlando three weeks before and Tenerife two weeks before, which could save you between 5 and 12%, a fair few European destinations should be booked in the coming weeks if you want to get more miles for your money. Although some travellers have already purchased their flights, there is still time for those remaining travellers to grab a good deal.  Ibiza, Malaga, Alicante, Faro and Palma are still within the best time to consider booking flights.  If booked at the best time, a family of four travelling to Faro could save over £1005.”

Skyscanner's Interactive Best Time to Book Tool that can be found on the Skyscanner site, allows travellers to search from the top 10 most popular UK cities to popular destinations across the globe. The interactive tool also allows travellers to see at a glance the cheapest month to travel and how much they can save if they book at the best time.

In addition to considering the best time to book, Skyscanner has more smart travel tips to help you get the best flight deals this year

• Monitor prices: The best way of getting a good fare is to keep track of the prices by setting up a price alert so that you are notified when prices rise or fall on a specific route.
• Consider travelling on a week day rather than the weekend: If possible, be flexible and fly on less popular days of the week. It pays to do your research by using Skyscanner's Month View search tool.
• Mix and Match: Fares don't have to be booked as returns, instead you can save money by flying out with one airline and back with another.
• Nearby Airports: Just click on 'add nearby airports' when creating your search and see if a short drive, bus or train journey could save you pounds
• Search Everywhere: For those with a limited budget but an unlimited imagination, Skyscanner recommends using its Search Everywhere tool, which will find the cheapest destinations to travel to for a specific date period.

-ends –

For more information, please contact Emma Wiseman on 07747 343233 or emma.wiseman@skyscanner.net 

Notes to editors

Skyscanner's Whitsun Top Ten Destinations 2017₁

₂ Best time to book for Whitsun holidays was taken from an average of the best time to book for each destination, which was uncovered using historical Skyscanner flight exit data for 2015 and 2016 to the selected destination

₃ Based on Skyscanner flight exits for travel between 25th July and 3rd September 2016, overview of the % splits per month detailed below

₄ Skyscanner's top ten destinations for Summer 2017, number of weeks booked in advance and average flight prices are based on flight exit data for travel between 22nd July to 3rd September 2017, exited on the Skyscanner site up until 5th June 2017.

5 Skyscanner's Best Time to Book weeks in advance and % saved if booked at the best time is based on two years' worth of historic booking data from 2015 to 2016. Whilst we can't predict the factors that may impact flight prices in 2017, we have looked at a wealth of data to enable us to identify clear patterns that we would expect to be replicated in future years. These results should be considered as a guide for travellers and whilst we have identified the average flight prices and best time to book, there will never be one date where it can guarantee that flight prices will be at their cheapest.

6 Overall UK savings for a family of four: based on the number of one traveller exits to that destination during the Summer break (22 July -3 September 2017) x's by the amount which could have been saved per person, which was then x's by 4 for a family of four figure

7 Percentage of bookings made that month for 2016 Summer holidays (25 July – 3 September 2016) and 2017 Summer holidays (22 July – 3 September 2017)