Welcome news for travelling divers, including those who favour the more expensive long-haul destinations, comes from global travel search company Skyscanner.
In a survey it has found that flight prices from the UK to all destinations have dropped by 10% over the past 12 months, with long-haul flights enjoying an average 7% reduction in that time.
The company, which handles online flight, hotel and car-hire bookings for a claimed 50 million people a month, has published its top 20 of the biggest long-haul price-drops. Vancouver, a favourite hub for coldwater northern Pacific divers, tops the list with an 18% reduction, which translates to a £126pp saving per flight.
Other airports offering access to prime diving destinations and appearing in Skyscanner’s top 20 include Havana, Auckland, Bali, Perth, Manila, Phuket, Sydney and Brisbane, with average price drops ranging from 11.4% to 9%. Also included are flights to hubs such as Kuala Lumpur, which give onward access to a range of Indo-Pacific destinations.
The survey does not highlight individual destinations that might have been considered over-priced 12 months ago, but it does offer advice on the best months for booking to obtain discounts.
“Finding cheap prices can be easy if travellers are flexible – choosing to depart from a different airport or changing the date of travel are just two quick hacks to consider,” says Skyscanner.
The company stresses that a combination of factors will determine whether or not the price reductions continue: “While it is hard to predict the exact future trends of flight prices and if they will continue to drop, what we do know is the price of oil, flight demand and route availability all impact on the cost of flights,” it says.
Divernet – The Biggest Online Resource for Scuba Divers
19-Apr-17
