Thanks to soaring flight costs, families looking for some half term holiday sun face paying up to eight times more this February, research has found. With Saturday 13th February marking a double whammy for flight sales with Valentines Day weekend and the start of half term coinciding, this perfect storm of demand has seen prices skyrocket.
The research, by travel money expert FairFX, showed that when comparing return flight costs to 75 holiday destinations from 12 regions, the average flight increases by nearly 200% compared with holidays departing two weeks later. However, the biggest hike was found at Manchester Airport where a flight to Verona, Italy, increases by 762% from £55 departing on February 27th to £474 on February 13th. The second biggest surge was found flying from London to skiing hotspot Salzburg, Austria, costing 739% more. A return flight from London to Salzburg for half-term is priced at £470 but just two weeks later, it drops back down to just £56.
Comparing flights from 12 regions, holidaymakers flying from London will be the worst off this half term, paying an average of 272% more for their flights, followed by Nottingham (East Midlands) at 266% and Leeds at 253%. At the other end of the scale, holidaymakers in Glasgow are less likely to be ripped off, but still face average price increases of 131% more for half-term flights, followed by Newcastle and Edinburgh where flight costs are increased by 146%.