Booking a holiday can be a stressful experience — especially when you find the ‘perfect deal’ and it slips through your fingers as you are about to pay
A travel expert has shared a hack which could save holiday makers much-needed cash to splash on their vacations. It can be frustrating for people booking a holiday to spend hours scouring flight comparison sites, juggling dates, checking alternative airports and refreshing tabs, only for the deal they want to slip through their fingers just as they’re ready to pay.
Prices that were tempting minutes ago suddenly leap sky-high at checkout, leaving you wondering whether airlines are playing tricks on you. But according to one travel expert, there’s a surprisingly simple trick that could help you dodge inflated fares and lock in savings, and it’s something as ordinary as taking a screenshot.
Andrea Platania, a travel expert at Transfeero, said far too many people overlook the value of old-fashioned travel agents in the hunt for cheap flights. And he shared a tip he revealed has saved him a small fortune during his own travels.
He said: “Plenty of agents promise to beat any price you find online. If you bring them a screenshot of the fare you spotted, even if that price disappears when you actually try to book, many will honour it and match the deal.
“I’ve done this many times when travelling around the world, and I’ve genuinely saved hundreds of pounds. It’s such a small step, but it can make a big difference.”
Anyone who has tried booking flights online knows how quickly fares fluctuate. A seat that seems affordable when you first spot it can vanish in seconds, replaced by a more expensive price. There are a number of reasons why this occurs, which leads to frustration from potential passengers.
Sometimes it’s down to demand, sometimes it’s a matter of the airline’s pricing system refreshing. That’s where screenshots come in handy. By capturing the lower price in black and white, consumers are effectively holding airlines and booking platforms accountable.
It gives travellers proof of what they saw and a lot of travel agents, keen to win your business, are often more than happy to book you at that rate.
Andrea also pointed out travel agents can sometimes throw in added perks beyond simply matching a fare.
“You’ll often find they can help with better baggage deals or include things like seat selection, which online booking systems will charge extra for,” he added.
Another tip he has for savvy holidaymakers is to avoid booking flights late at night after a long search session.
“When you’re tired, you’re more likely to panic-buy at the wrong price,” Andrea said. He recommended taking a break, revisiting the search later and using screenshots to hold onto the best deals to stop you from overspending on your dream holiday.
In an age where most people assume booking directly online is always the cheapest option, the advice to keep travel agents in the loop might seem outdated. Yet Andrea argues it’s exactly this misconception that works in travellers’ favour. “Agents want to prove their value, and they’ll do what they can to make sure you don’t walk away,” the travel expert said.