Latest holiday deals
• Jet2holidays – Often cheaper than rivals for beach destinations, especially if you’re flying from the north of England or Scotland. Includes 22kg hold luggage and transfers in the price, which helps keep cheap holiday deals genuinely low-cost.
• Loveholidays – Good for comparing a wide range of hotels with real-time pricing. Often features last-minute cheap holiday deals and lets you filter by budget easily.
• On the Beach – Lets you build your own package by combining flights and hotels. Handy for finding cheap holiday deals that mix airlines or hotels other sites don’t include.
• Expedia – maybe surprisngly, we often find lower prices using Expedia’s package search than visiting holkday specialists direct. Always compare.
Booking early gives you the most choice and usually the best price. Most UK holiday operators release their best deals 9–12 months ahead, and early birds typically save 10–15% on popular summer dates. For all-inclusive packages to the Mediterranean, aim to book by February for the following summer. Last-minute can work for flexible travellers, but availability narrows quickly in school holiday periods.
Use comparison sites as a starting point, not a final answer. Sites like Jet2holidays, TUI, and easyJet Holidays all sell direct, and you’ll sometimes find exclusive offers that don’t appear on aggregators. Check a few operators directly once you have a shortlist. ATOL protection matters — always confirm before you pay.
Shoulder season travel saves serious money. The two weeks either side of school holidays can be 20–30% cheaper for the same hotel and destination. If you have flexibility on dates, flying on a Tuesday or Wednesday departure is typically cheaper than Friday or Sunday. Moving your dates by just three or four days can bring the price down considerably.
Package holidays — flights, transfers, and accommodation bundled together — often work out cheaper than booking the parts separately, and ATOL cover means your money is protected if the operator fails. Build-your-own can be more flexible but check the total cost carefully, including transfers, before assuming it’s better value.
For summer package holidays, booking in January and February — often called the “January sale” window — typically gives you the best prices and most choice. For winter sun, late September and October tend to offer good value. If you can travel outside school holidays, shoulder season departures in May, early June, or late September are consistently cheaper than peak July and August dates.
It depends on the destination and time of year, but package holidays often work out cheaper for popular sun destinations, particularly when you factor in transfers. They also come with ATOL protection, which means your money is protected if the operator collapses. For city breaks or less common destinations, building your own trip can be better value — just compare the full cost, including transfers and luggage.
Manchester, Birmingham, and Bristol regularly offer competitive prices for package holidays, particularly to Spanish and Portuguese destinations. Gatwick often has good Jet2 and TUI options. London Stansted is strong for easyJet Holidays. Flying from a regional airport can also save significantly on travel costs to London, so always compare the total price including getting to the airport.
ATOL (Air Travel Organiser’s Licence) protects the money you pay if your holiday company fails before or during your trip. If your operator is ATOL-protected and goes under, you won’t lose your money and, if you’re abroad, you’ll be brought home. Always check for the ATOL logo before booking a package holiday. Booking flights and hotels separately does not give you ATOL protection.
Major operators including Jet2, TUI, and On the Beach regularly discount unsold holidays in the weeks before departure. Late deals typically appear 2–4 weeks out, with deeper discounts in the final 7–10 days. The trade-off is limited choice on dates, destinations, and board basis. Flight Tribe publishes last-minute deals as they appear, so checking back regularly is one of the simplest ways to find them.
