Holidaymakers saved themselves a collective £4.92 billion last year by cutting out the middle man and booking directly, new research from Santander Cards has revealed.(1)
Of the 25 million adults who went on holiday abroad last year, 11.6 million (47 per cent) saved money when booking their travel and accommodation by avoiding travel agents and tour operators, instead going online or calling directly to make their booking.
While holidaymakers estimated their average vacation spend over the year was £1,315, DIY holidaymakers calculated they had taken an average £423 off their holiday bill by booking themselves. Of these savvy travellers, 3.3 million estimated they had saved £500 or more.
The most popular money saving method was to book online (44 per cent). A third of holidaymakers (33 per cent) cut costs by contacting hotels and accommodation venues directly, while 17 per cent made the most of friends living abroad by staying with them.
The research also found that six million Britons asked for an upgrade in the past year, with the most popular requests being for hotel rooms (50 per cent) and aircraft seats (43 per cent). Of those who asked for an upgrade, 60 per cent were successful.
Date: 26th, February, 2010
Author: Richard Hann
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