'Think ahead' for the best travel buys

Thursday September 11th , 2008

For those who frequently travel abroad, advice has been offered on how to dodge high-cost air fares.

According to Sharron Livingston, founder of the Travel Magazine, booking early is now the key to finding a bargain, as leaving decisions until the last minute is likely to work out more costly.

"The credit crunch is turning us savvy at bargain hunting," she says, meaning people are more likely to scour the market for the best buys.

Ms Livingston advises signing up to newsletters as this is where "online travel agents first promote their offers".

If any last-minute fares are available, she concludes, they will be promoted in the newsletter.

A report by Holiday Which? from February 2008 found that 44 per cent of people still use traditional high street travel agents when booking all or part of their holiday.

Only 29 per cent phoned or visited a travel agent for information before making a final decision.