If the price of your holiday drops after you book, you could get the difference back
THERE is nothing worse than booking flights or a package holiday only to find it much cheaper elsewhere.
Thankfully, a number of airlines and holiday providers offer price match guarantees.
While they vary in how long after booking you can claim, to whether you claim before buying or after buying, there is a way to make sure you get the best deal.
This means that if you find a cheaper deal either on the airline website or on a different travel website, you could get the lowest cost.
It is also sometimes cheaper to cancel a whole holiday if it drops massively in price, with some package providers only charging the deposit to cancel.
If the deposit is less than the difference then it could also save you money - depending on how long before travelling you cancel.
From one hour after booking to three months before travelling, we reveal how to get the best bargain for your holiday abroad.
One hour after booking
Ryanair are the only airline where you need to be speedy to get the difference back.
Their means being able to get double the difference back if you find a cheaper air fare.
However, they also state that you need to claim within one hour after booking: "The passenger needs to submit the claim using the attached form to [email protected] within 1 hour of making the booking.
";Should a claimant for any reason fail to submit the claim form within 1 hour of making the booking on www.ryanair.com, then that claim will be deemed as late and will be disregarded for the purposes of this promotion."
FIGHT OR FLIGHT How long airlines like British Airways REALLY give you to cancel your flights for free
24 hours after booking
British Airways allows passengers to claim back the difference in price up to 24 hours after booking.
The airline will with a BA voucher which is valid for up to one year, with Executive members getting double the difference.
A screenshot taken on the same day as booking the BA flights must be sent over to claim the difference back.
also offer to match the price up to 24 hours after booking, as well as give a £15 discount on top.
However, this needs to be done before booking the easyJet holiday, with customers then calling with proof to get the full price difference and discount.
If you find a better deal with an alternative airline, you could also cancel your flight altogether - airlines including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and easyJet offer a 'cooling off' period where you can cancel flights up to 24 hours after booking, either for free or for a small charge.
30 days after booking
Virgin Atlantic travellers have up to 30 days to make a price match claim after booking flights, if they find it cheaper elsewhere.
Passengers should book their flights then send the proof to Virgin who will match the cost with a refund.
84 days before travelling
Sometimes it can be cheaper to cancel a package holiday if the difference in price is more than the deposit, as prices can drop nearer the time.
For example Brits heading to Madrid for the Champions League final saw prices exceed £1,500, only .
Thomas Cook allow a full holiday refund if it is 84 days or longer before travelling, with only a £200-£250 deposit fee per person lost.
Therefore if customers find their holiday has dropped massively in price, it could be worth cancelling only to rebook the deal.
70 days before travelling
Similarly, TUI allow a full holiday refund if cancelled 70 days or more before travelling, with just the cost of the deposit lost.
Jet2 also allow customers to cancel over 70 days before travelling, with just the loss of the £60 deposit.
What are my rights if I want to cancel days before my holiday?
If you find yourself needing to cancel your holiday at short notice, it is unlikely you will be able to avoid losing a high percentage or the full amount paid for the holiday or flights.
If the cancellation is due to something out of your control such as illness or natural disaster, this could be covered by your insurance.
According to Which?: "If you need to cancel your holiday, you're not legally entitled to a refund from the tour operator under refund law.
"But you may be able to claim back the cost of the holiday from your travel insurance provider. Check your travel insurance policy to see if you're entitled to compensation.
"Travel insurance will usually pay you compensation if you have to cancel or cut short your trip, because of illness, for example, or the death of a close relative."
Most read in travel
However, last month, a woman was charged £900 to cancel her holiday, despite paying extra to avoid cancellation fees.
Despite Cherise Robertston paying for the "service package" which allowed her to book and cancel if she wanted, Lastminute.com refused the refund and claimed it was "cancellation costs".
Earlier this year, the Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) warned holiday providers to be refund consumers if they experience an illness or death in the family, accusing many of being unclear on their policies.