Those embarking on
gap year travel around Europe may face higher air fares from additional charges on budget airlines, it has been claimed.
But with as many as 44 per cent still opting to book holidays and hostels through a travel agent according to Holiday Which?, many tourists could still do more to improve the costs of their trips.
For the moment however, there is still plenty of competition among short-haul flights to keep prices down, Sean Tipton of the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) suggested.
"The traditional airlines have lowered their prices to compete with the no-frills carriers and there's a lot of competition now," he said.
But he warned that it is still unclear how much additional supplements such as priority bookings and check-in costs could still impact on prices.
Research by Holiday Which? also showed that 29 per cent of travelers contacted a travel agent for information prior to booking their holiday.
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