When it comes to sun, sea and sand, package holidays are still a popular choice among British holiday-makers. There are a number of benefits to booking a package holiday over making arrangements with separate flight and accommodation companies separately. However, the many advantages of package holidays are often overlooked.

Package holidays have to offer financial protection in the form of an ATOL. This law is enforced by the CAA and ensures that holiday-makers are guaranteed a refund or repatriation flights home in the event of the company failing. Flights booked direct with airlines do not offer this same level of financial protection.

It’s easy to see the total cost when you book a package holiday, since flights, accommodation and transfers are all bundled into one price. Alternatively, people booking items separately can sometimes be lured into cheap flights only to then find that accommodation or transfers are expensive. When you take this more confusing approach, the overall cost can often work out to be more expensive than a package holiday.

Package holidays tend to start with what is called a “brochure price,” and this is the price that the holidays are traditionally sold at. However, tour operators operate what is called “fluid pricing,” which means that prices change regularly in-line with supply and demand. If demand is high, the price is maintained. If demand is low, the price of a package holiday is lowered in order to fill flight seats and accommodation which the tour operator has already paid out for.

This "fluid pricing" is why package prices remain high on peak dates such as Christmas and New Year and the school holidays, but is also why prices often plummet during the off-season. During these less popular times, you can usually pick up a bargain holiday. This is particularly likely if you are departing in the first 2 weeks of December and if you book within just a couple of weeks of departure. Otherwise, if you want a good price but need to travel during peak dates, you are best advised to book your package holiday in advance.

Finally, package holidays often include an in-resort representative and also the re-assurance that you will be looked after in the event of a problem. When air travel was suspended during the eruption of a volcano in Iceland, clients who had booked a package holiday were put up in a hotel at a cost to the tour operator before it was possible to fly them home. By comparison, passengers who had booked with the airline directly had to pay the cost of extra nights’ accommodation themselves and try and claim the money back afterwards.

All in all, package holidays are ideal for those wanting a worry-free holiday. They can be enjoyed by couples, families and groups of friends alike.

Peter Rose writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.