February 2023


Cash Still King as


Travellers Try to Get More for Their Buck


www.nitravelnews.com


FOUR out of every 10 pounds spent abroad by British travellers are in cash, new research has revealed. At 41%, cash’s share of


travellers’


spending is nearly three times higher than its use at home, where it accounts for just 15% of payments made in the UK.


The analysis found that 57% of Britons who travelled abroad last year used cash more than any other form of payment. Using a debit or credit card was the top choice for just 37% of the 2000 people polled. By contrast, data from UK Finance shows that 57% of all payments in the UK are made with cards. 45% of travellers said they like to use cash abroad as it makes it easier to budget and keep track of their spending. An identical proportion (45%) said they favour cash because of the certainty that it will be accepted everywhere, with similar numbers saying they opt for cash to avoid the hidden charges that using a UK card overseas can entail. Travellers’ desire to make their money go further


while abroad comes as airfares soar. Official data from the ONS3 shows the average cost of plane tickets rose 44.1% in 2022. Meanwhile research by Which? found that European hotel rates for Easter 2023 are up 10% on average compared to the same time last year. Britons are most likely to use cash to pay for the


‘three t’s’ while travelling – tips (for which 64% use cash) transport (48%) and tipples (46% use cash to buy alcoholic drinks).


While budgeting and practicality topped the list of reasons travellers gave for using cash, nostalgia is also a factor – with a third (34%) saying that using foreign notes and coins is “part of the fun” of being abroad. The findings come after the Nationwide Building Society reported that cash use in the UK rose by 19% last year compared to 2021, the first increase in 13 years.4 It attributed cash’s rising popularity to people’s desire to use physical money to budget more effectively in the face of the cost of living crisis.


UPDATES | 7


60,000 Free Train Tickets


UNDER 27 could be in luck this summer whilst


travelling


between France and Germany - The counties


transport


ministers announced the scheme will take place this summer to encourage travel between the two neighbours.


Tickets will be divid evenly between the two countries and used much like the current interrail pass.


THE UK Civil Aviation Authority has issued further advice to UK consumers


impacted FLYBE COLLAPSES


AIRLINE Flybe has collapsed for the second time, leaving 75,000 passengers facing uncertainty about how how


to get refunds from or


replacement flights and nearly 300 staff out of a job. Flybe flew to ten destinations City Airport.


Belfast


In a statement posted on its Twitter account,


the airline said: “We are sad to announce that Flybe has been placed into administration.


“David Pike and Mike Pink of Interpath have been appointed administrators. “Regretfully,


Flybe has


now ceased trading. “All Flybe flights from and


to the UK are cancelled and will not be rescheduled.”


by Flybe


entering Administration on 28 January 2023.


If you booked directly with Flybe and paid by credit card you may be protected under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and should contact your card issuer for further


information. Similarly, if


you paid by debit or charge card you should contact your card issuer for advice as you may be able to make a claim under their charge back rules. If you purchased travel insurance that includes cover for scheduled airline failure, known as SAFI, you should contact your insurer. If you did not book directly with Flybe and purchased your tickets through a


Flybe Customers: What to Do Now the Airline is in Administration should check with your bank.


third party, you should contact your booking or travel agent in the first instance.


Negative response letter


Passengers who booked directly with the company via either a credit, charge or debit card may alternatively be able to make a claim through their card provider. Some card providers will ask for a negative response letter confirming the position.


Direct booking with an airline


If you paid the airline directly by credit card you might be protected by Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. You should check with your card issuer for further advice. You may have similar cover if you paid by Visa debit card and


Booked through an Airline Ticket Agent


If you booked your ticket through an airline ticket agent you should speak to the agent in the first instance; they may have provided travel


insurance that includes Scheduled Airline Failure cover.


Scheduled Airline Failure Insurance (SAFI)


Some airlines and airline ticket agents will offer customers either a specific Scheduled Airline Failure Insurance (SAFI) policy or include similar protection within a broader travel insurance product. The type of protection provided may vary depending on the type of policy taken out.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56