A travel expert has shared her advice for those looking to save money by booking last minute holidays.

With UK holidaymakers leaving it later to book holidays and choosing destinations closer to home, consumer champion and former British Airways stewardess Jane Hawkes says the key is to be flexible and be ready to hit ‘book’.

Jane, who runs the advice website LadyJaney.co.uk says: “Flexibility is the key when you want to get a great deal on your holiday: that includes where, when and for how long,” says Jane.

“There are some key rules to follow if you want to get the best deal, such as midweek departures, but above all don’t hang around because those bargains will be snapped up before you know it!

“There are ways to protect yourself if things do go wrong, such as booking with a credit card, but I would always recommend using reputable sites and doing your research to avoid unpleasant surprises.”

Here Jane shares her 8 top tips for last minute bargains.

Be flexible

You might have always dreamed of that one destination but be realistic if your ultimate goal is a holiday at a great price. You can get the best deals by not flying on a Friday and considering unusual trip lengths instead of the typical 7,10 or 14 days.

City breaks are often cheaper, and you can get the best of both worlds if they are a stone’s throw from the beach. Look at destinations like Lisbon or Porto in Portugal or consider budget-friendly Sunny Beach in Bulgaria.

Set up alerts

Sign up to mailing lists for price alerts from your favourite airlines, hotels and tour operators. Many package holiday providers have 'late deals' and 'last minute' sections on their websites. Some airlines offer reward flights on certain flights which give the best value compared to simply using them for money off.

Book direct

You can use comparison sites to find out what’s available and get a good idea of prices, but for the best UK accommodation prices, you should book directly. This is because the host saves money on any online commission and booking fees so you can end up being quoted a much better price as a result. It’s always worth contacting them to ask for their best rate. Plus, you can also negotiate additional benefits such as upgrades and free add-ons.

Be ready!

Be ready to go, go, go! This doesn’t mean necessarily booking after you’ve packed your suitcase but the best last minute deals to tend to be snapped up really quickly. If you have something in mind, keep it as your main search and be ready to hit ‘book’ when the perfect holiday offer pops up. You can set up price alerts on websites if there are particular destinations you prefer.

Consider all-inclusive

An all inclusive package holiday which covers flights, accommodation and car hire can be cheaper, even if you don’t intend to use all aspects of it. They often offer free child plans and in house food and drink can be far more cost effective especially for families. Package holidays also come with invaluable consumer protection under the Package and Linked Travel Arrangements 2018.

Secret holidays

How about a secret holiday? You can save money by choosing ’secret hotels’ on sites such as lastminute.com. The options are cheaper as you don’t know where you are going until you have paid. However, with a bit of detective work it is possible to dig out a few clues using key phrases in online searches. You might find a destination you’d never thought of going turns out to be your dream getaway.

Make the most of loyalty points

Use loyalty or reward points to bring down the cost of your last-minute holiday. Points can be accumulated not just via travel sites but through everyday spending on just about everything. Look out for special deals with your supermarket loyalty card where you can exchange points for double the value compared to simply exchanging it for a voucher to spend in store.

Reverse search those unbelievable deals

Watch out for scams particularly on social media as if it looks too good to be true it often is. You can check the authenticity of ads by doing a google reverse image search and check reviews of any new or unfamiliar travel websites.

To mitigate any potential issues which might pop your holiday bubble such as one which doesn’t exist, pay by credit card for Section 75 protection or at least use a debit card (up to 120 days chargeback) Avoid bank transfer and don’t move off official platforms such as Airbnb when communicating with hosts.

For more free information visit www.ladyjaney.co.uk