Travel agents say January is traditionally the busiest month for Brits booking their summer holidays, so it’s hardly surprising there are oodles of offers and codes knocking around – all promising huge savings on your 2018 getaway.
We’ve focused on package holidays here, as that’s where you usually see the big discounts (though we’ve also included a few hotel codes we spotted further down).
So where should you start?
Well, your first port of call should be our 60+ Overseas Travel Tips (or UK Hotels for staycationers), which’ll talk you through how to do your homework on hotels, find cheap flights and more. Also see our tips on Cheap Package Holidays, Cheap Travel Insurance and Cheap Currency.
Then after some time researching all this, it’s worth looking for a discount code as these can slash £100s more off the cost of your holiday. Though do check the saving is genuine by again using a comparison site such as Kayak* (flights/hotels) or Trivago* (hotels).
What package holiday codes are available?
When we checked on Tue 9 Jan, we found the following codes were available online from some big names in travel – but of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list. We’ve asked the companies for full exclusions, but some have been less than forthcoming, so it may be a case of trying the code and finding out for yourself if it works for you.
The minimum spends are quite high (many over £1,000 per booking) so these codes are likely better for long-haul holidays, and some stipulate this in the terms and conditions. Long-haul can mean different things to different companies – it’s usually flight of five hours or more – but there’s no hard and fast rule, so check your trip is included.
Tui (formerly Thomson) – £150 off if you’re spending £1,000+ on a long-haul package holiday booking departing between 1 May and 31 October this year. Enter code SALE150 online at Tui* (we asked Tui when the code expires but it told us it couldn’t give us an end date).
The offer doesn’t apply to group bookings of more than nine people, or ski bookings, and the minimum spend doesn’t include extras such as insurance, room or seat upgrades.
First Choice – £150 off if you’re spending £1,000+ on a long-haul package holiday booking departing between 1 May and 31 October this year. Enter code SALE150 online at First Choice* (we asked First Choice when the code expires but it told us it couldn’t give us an end date).
The offer doesn’t apply to group bookings of more than nine people, or ski bookings, and the minimum spend doesn’t include extras such as insurance, room or seat upgrades.
Thomas Cook – £100 off when you spend £800+ on selected holiday bookings, £200 off when you spend £1,500+ or £300 off when you spend £4,000+. Enter code BOOKIT online at Thomas Cook* (we asked Thomas Cook when the code expires but it only told us it was for a “limited time only and may be withdrawn without notice”).
The saving applies to selected Thomas Cook or Airtours-branded package holidays flying with Thomas Cook Airlines until 31 October 2019. The code is valid on 1,800+ holiday packages displaying the promo code within the main holiday image and the discount will be taken off the total cost of the holiday, excluding travel insurance.
Expedia – £100 off when you spend £1,500 on selected package holiday bookings of at least two nights for departures until 30 June. Get the code from VoucherCodes* (expires at 11.59pm on Sun 14 Jan) and enter it online at Expedia where you see ‘Enter a voucher code’ on the payment page.
The code is only valid on pre-pay e-package bookings for flights and hotels combined (we’re still waiting for confirmation of any major exclusions). The minimum spend excludes taxes, fees and upgrades.
Lastminute.com – £80 off when you spend £1,300+ on a package holiday booking for departures until 13 December. Get a code from MyVoucherCodes (expires at 11.59pm on Sat 13 Jan) and enter it at the booking stage at Lastminute.com.
Jet2holidays – This one isn’t a code, but it’s offering £100 per person discount on all holiday and city breaks at Jet2holidays for travel completed by 31 October. The discount is automatically applied per person, excluding children under the age of two. We’ve asked Jet2holidays when the offer ends and we’ll update here when we know more.
What about hotel codes?
Hotel codes notoriously carry a lot of restrictions, and may exclude major hotel chains. We’ve included these codes below anyway, but it may be a bit of pot luck if the codes work with your preferred hotel and dates, so look at any discount as a bonus rather than a guarantee.
Also check if you can get a better deal using cashback sites, though be aware it can take a long time for cashback to track and be paid – certainly not before your stay – and there’s a risk it may not track correctly, so again, see it as a bonus.
Lastminute.com – £25 off hotel bookings over £250 when you get a code from VoucherCloud (expires at 11.59pm on Sun 14 Jan) and enter it at Lastminute.com.
Hotels.com – 10% off selected hotels when you get a code from VoucherCodes* (expires at 11.59pm on Sun 21 Jan or when the code is used 31,856 times) and enter it before you pay at the Hotels.com online checkout. It’s valid for stays of up to 28 nights until 31 December.
The discount only applies to one room in a booking, so additional rooms would be full-price, but you can use the code for up to five separate bookings. Unfortunately, some major hotel chains including Ibis, Marriott and Radisson are excluded – see the full list of excluded hotels.
Laterooms.com – £10 Amazon voucher free when you go via VoucherCodes* and spend at least £100 online at Laterooms.com (expires at 11.59pm on Thu 18 Jan). You’ll receive an email within 60 working days letting you know your Amazon voucher is available to redeem.
Secret Escapes – £25 off a £100+ hotel stay when you go via VoucherCodes* and sign up as a new customer at luxury hotel website Secret Escapes. After creating your account, £25 free credit should appear. See full info.
Just looking for cheap flights?
January is always a popular time for flight sales, and a number of big airlines are offering widespread discounts this month. It can be hit and miss as to whether the flight you want is discounted though, and it may involve a bit of trial and error to find the cheaper fares.
British Airways – eg, Heathrow to Boston return for £308. Travel between January and December. Book by Tue 30 Jan.
Norwegian – eg, Gatwick to New York return for £245. Travel between February and May. Book by Mon 15 Jan.
Qatar Airways – up to 15% off economy and business return flights from London Heathrow to Bali, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Colombo, Bangkok, Perth, Sydney, Kathmandu, Male (Maldives), Auckland, Phuket, Goa, Canberra, Penang, Utapao (Pattaya) and Chiang Mai with code FLYMOREQR. Book by Mon 15 Jan for travel up to 31 March. The discount will be on the cost of the flight before taxes. Discounted seats are limited and may not be available on all flights, so check when booking.
Virgin Atlantic – eg, Heathrow to Dubai return for £312. Travel between January and November. Book by Thu 8 Feb.
Lastminute.com – £10 off flight bookings over £100 when you get a code at VoucherCodes* (expires at 11.59pm on Sat 13 Jan).
Remember, never book direct with an airline without first checking prices and dates on comparison sites to make sure it’s really a bargain.
Have you booked your holiday for 2018? Let us know where you’re going (and whether you got a bargain) in the comments below, on Facebook or Twitter.
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