It’s ‘Sunshine Saturday’ tomorrow – there are offers available however you have to be cautious
By Ollie Cooper, from the Money workforce
The first Saturday after the festive interval is dubbed Sunshine Saturday by the UK journey trade – as it’s sometimes the most well-liked day of the 12 months for holidaymakers to ebook a visit overseas.
But in the midst of a cost of dwelling disaster and a journey trade nonetheless recovering from the aftermath of COVID, what can we count on from this 12 months’s Sunshine Saturday?
What to count on
We requested some journey firms what they thought the weekend would convey, with the overwhelming majority of them feeling fairly assured.
TUI’s UK and Ireland industrial director Phillip Iveson advised us he expects the massive demand in earlier years to be repeated this weekend, whereas a spokesperson for Jet2holidays stated they had been anticipating “the same old Sunshine Saturday rush”.
Jonathon Woodall-Johnston, chief working officer at Hays Travel, stated he anticipated tomorrow to be “the largest Saturday of the 12 months”.
Most retailers have already famous a robust demand post-Christmas and New Year, with offers available.
Deals, you say?
That’s proper. Families confined by the college vacation calendar are anticipated to be the large winners, with consultants suggesting costs will not get less expensive for them this 12 months.
The headline offers embody £50 off per person on all holidays at Jet2holidays, or as much as £300 financial savings on chosen holidays at TUI.
Don’t be afraid to have a very good look via the suppliers, you might discover some gems – like Easyjet Holidays providing as much as £300 off every reserving made via Hays Travel.
There’s additionally offers on the littler issues – like 20% off journey insurance coverage insurance policies at Holidaysafe.
Mr Woodall-Johnston from Hays stated Spain, Portugal, the Canaries and Turkey are at all times in style on Sunshine Saturday – so maybe some offers needs to be anticipated at these locations.
There’s a however…
It’s by no means all sunshine and rainbows, even on Sunshine Saturday.
The New Year gross sales definitely aren’t the one alternative to bag a reduction, so in case your pockets is feeling a bit empty after Christmas – do not feel pressured to affix in on what’s, in actuality, only a massive advertising and marketing occasion.
Vix Leyton, client skilled at hotukdeals and host of the False Economy podcast, is eager to warn customers concerning the chance of hidden prices and hidden small print.
“The pleasure of the purple stickers and promise of significant money off can typically result in hurried selections that you just pay for later,” she advised us.
A variety of offers embody flights at dangerous occasions, no transfers on the different finish, or bookings via third social gathering websites that incur charges, she warns.
“Whilst there’ll undoubtedly be just a few flagship offers to hook you in, a variety of them will quantity to ‘so what?’ financial savings that you possibly can make at one other time of the 12 months via savvy buying round,” she stated.
How do I defend myself going into Sunshine Saturday?
Traveller safety scheme ATOL and the UK’s aviation authority has urged customers to train warning when trying to safe their bargains.
We’ll be itemizing various prime ideas beneath, however the greatest might be to examine your phrases and circumstances to guarantee your vacation is ATOL protected.
What does that imply? Well, the ATOL scheme steps in to make sure you will not be omitted of pocket in case your vacation firm ceases to commerce – by helping them to get home if they’re already overseas or permitting them to make a declare if they’re but to journey.
In different phrases, it is insurance coverage to your precise vacation package deal (to not be confused with journey insurance coverage – which actually is a should).
Here are another issues to consider forward of Sunshine Saturday:
- Organise a package deal journey – it is extra prone to be protected
- Read your T&Cs completely
- Conduct correct, like-for-like analysis
- Watch out for fraud
- Pay utilizing a bank card
- Be cautious of hidden extra prices
- Stay up to date on the latest journey necessities to your vacation spot
