Beach

Holiday Airfare may be more expensive this Thanksgiving season than it has ever been. Studies have shown that airfare is up nearly 30 percent compared to last year’s numbers. Experts are blaming the falling economy and the ever increasing price of gas. Consumers this holiday season would also find that transport companies are offering lesser discount deals compared to 2007.

“The combination of high fuel prices, airline capacity and route cuts means holiday travelers may easily spend upwards of $100 more per ticket than last year,” Said a Farecast Spokesperson.

The Holiday airfares are expected to decrease by Christmas and New Years – but by very little.

The Associated Press and Farecast also report that fees for food, excess baggage and other extras will be higher this year too. Passengers are then advised to minimize their the amount of their baggage in order to save money.

In other news, Associated Press also reports that Caribbean Holiday Cruises are on top of the Holiday list this year. Travel Leaders concluded that trips to the Caribbean was the most in demand holiday option over all others.

Holiday cruises to the Mediterranean, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Montego Bays and Rome were also popular holiday destinations for 2008 as everyone loves being in their swimwear on the beach!

Consumer experts are reminding the public that securing holidays with the right insurance policy is more important today that it has ever been. The economy is down and the collapse of the XL Leisure Group is only a reminder of how bad things are getting.

British Insurers are advising holiday going families to read their travel insurance policies thoroughly. Many Holiday insurance providers do not cover trips that are cancelled because of air carrier or tour operator going bust. In today’s weakening economy, it may be safer for people to spring for travel insurance policies with extensive coverage. It may be more expensive but at least travelers can rest assured that their Holidays are covered.

Holiday experts are also saying that it may be safer to pay for trips using credit cards or debit cards. A lot of carriers have an easier time refunding clients if they use these modes of Payment.

The XL leisure group collapse was announced on September 12, 2008. As of now, 11 companies associated with XL have been put on administration. The XL Leisure group’s crash is considered the biggest British air carrier/tour group crash ever since 1974.  XL once considered itself the biggest tour provider in the United Kingdom.

Anyone needing help getting their money back from XL, please check the Moneysavingsexpert site for help: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1152827

The economy is continually changing and it seems like prices are hiking up by the second. Eight years ago, people were carefree about holidays and expenses. Entire families could pack up and leave for an extensive cruise ship tour of the Caribbean. Today, the feeling is more cautious than carefree. People are afraid to splurge too much on holidays because they have become too expensive.

However, that doesn’t mean that Holiday vacations should only be spent at home. No, there are a lot of Holidays on a bargain and online auction sites are one of the best places to find them.  Just visit the any online auction site and you will see a whole range of Holidays on discount. Some people even get lucky and find a Holiday package to the Canary Islands for as little as £50 US.

Holidays on bargain may seem like a good thing. But, holiday hunters should be careful. You have to make sure that you are purchasing valid holiday packages. Don’t get fooled by too-wonderful-to-be-true images. Dig a little further and see if you really are bidding for the genuine thing. If you don’t, you may find yourself at a loss and staying in a crummy hotel instead of the 5 star images it was advertised to be.

If you do get a good deal, don’t forget your bikini or tankini as holidays are the best way to become stress free and - the most important thing - get a great tan!