With many Brits set to jet away over the coming few weeks, the Money Saving Expert (MSE) website founder Martin Lewis shared a piece of advice for holidaymakers
Martin Lewis has issued a warning to Brits jetting away this summer – and has urged them to cancel their major holiday bookings.
With many Brits set to jet away over the coming few weeks, the Money Saving Expert (MSE) website founder shared a piece of advice for holidaymakers. Across his many media channels this week, including his BBC Sounds Podcast, his ITV show the Martin Lewis Money Show, and his X – formerly Twitter – account, Martin said holidaymakers could “slice” the cost of their hotel or car hire this year by cancelling and rebooking.
On this week’s ITV show, Martin said: “Is your hotel or car hire cheaper now than when you booked? If so, and you’ve got free cancellation, well, keep checking the prices. And if you suddenly find it cheaper, well rebook, and then cancel.”
The Martin Lewis Money Show co-host Jeanette Kwakye then shared with viewers a success story sent in by one of Martin’s fans. The fan wrote: “In January 2024, I booked a two week car rental in the US for $1,024. After checking comparison sites in May, I checked back, and the same car was available. I cancelled the first booking, had my deposit refunded, and rebooked at a lower price. The lesson here is that booking early does not always guarantee the best price.” Martin added: “The lesson is here – get free cancellation”.
The MSE website says that it is “well worth ” looking for a flexible policy when booking a car hire or a hotel as firstly it will cover you if you have to change or cancel your plans. Some of the biggest care hire sites, such as Avis, Enterprise and Europcar, all offer free cancellation as do some hotels – although they may have timeframes on when you can cancel and receive a full refund.
The MSE website does urge you to double check the terms and conditions of your plan before going down this route – just to make sure free cancellation is included. Particularly with car hire as some sites can add in some “sneaky fees” such as admin or reimbursement charges. Alongside this, if a car hire policy or hotel booking offers free cancellation often they are “by no means” the cheapest” – this means you will likely be paying more for a flexible booking.
