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19 March 2024

Shave Dh3,000 off your summer holiday

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Published
By Shuchita Kapur

The average cost of a family holiday in, say, two or three European countries for a family of four (two kids and two adults) can easily go up to Dh30,000. This would include air tickets, hotels, food, tickets to various attractions and miscellaneous expenses.

Early birds do manage to save a decent clip on airfare and would get a better deal on the hotels as well, but there is one thing that can, singlehandedly, save a substantial amount on your holiday bills this summer.

According to Expedia.com, an online travel site, UAE residents can save up to Dh3,300 from the UAE to top holiday destinations when booking flights and hotels simultaneously. This bundle booking is far more cost effective than booking everything separately.

By analysing costs of flights in comparison to package bookings, when customers book their flight, hotel, car rental or activity together, the study carried out by Expedia reveals significant savings opportunities.

Popular island destinations such as the Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles, and European city destinations including Rome and Paris were amongst the destinations with significant cost-saving potential.

The below chart lists the top ten packages booked by UAE travellers in 2014 along with their average saving potentials.

 

Top 10 Package Savings Destinations from the UAE

Average Savings (Dh)

Save up to (Dh)

1. Maldives

900

2,200

2. Seychelles

1,450

2,800

3. Phuket, Thailand

650

1,300

4. London

700

1,600

5. Istanbul, Turkey

290

650

6. Mauritius

1,200

3,300

7. Bali

800

2,400

8. Rome, Italy

800

1,800

9. Cairo, Egypt

290

790

10. Paris, France

650

1,600

 


 

 

Besides booking a package, there are other ways too to keep your holiday bills in check if you prefer to keep things according to your wishes.

Firstly, instead of visiting the website of the three airlines on top of your mind, check travel websites such www.makemytrip.com, www.expedia.com, www.ebookers.com, www.cheapair.com and the likes. Such websites, in one snapshot, will give you the fare and the hours of the route that you intend to fly and you can also get a small discount on your purchase price.

Secondly, some tickets from certain airports are cheaper. For example, a flight to Bangkok will be priced differently if you take it from Sharjah, Dubai International, Al Maktoum airport or Abu Dhabi. Compare the prices and opt for the cheapest one.

Thirdly, if your kids are not that small or if you are travelling without them, then do consider hotels that are closer to the airports than city centre. They are always more cost effective. Again, if you don’t have infants in tow, then consider flights with stopovers as they are cheaper. With some small changes, the savings can add up to make your summer holiday sweeter.