As the cost of jetting off remains a key concern for those planning trips abroad, new analysis has revealed one pre-flight essential is not rising in price – like everything else.
The average airport hotel stay now costs £120.96, down from £126.62 in 2024 and £130.17 in 2023.
The cost of everything from pints to petrol has climbed over the last few years.
Daily spending sacrifices are becoming second nature for those looking to protect their holiday budget and make the most of their time in the sun.
Yet as holidaymakers brace themselves for rising pre-flight costs to follow suit, the price of airport hotels has actually gone down, getting cheaper even as inflation bites.
They have seen a drop of more than 8 per cent in just two years.
Over the same period, inflation rose by around 15 per cent, meaning airport hotel prices have moved in the opposite direction to other costs.
Since travel returned to normal in 2022, airport hotel prices have risen by less than one per cent overall, data from Holiday Extras shows – effectively flat during one of the most inflationary periods in decades.
The average cost of an airport hotel has dropped – by a huge 8 per cent
It comes after the release of the brand’s Travel Disruption Tracker, a study that monitors issues that consumers say impact their decision on where to travel.
It named the rising cost of holidays as the biggest concern for holidaymakers booking their breaks in 2026, with almost half (48 per cent) citing increases to the overall price of going on holiday – flights, accommodation and airport costs – as the biggest influences on their travel choices.
The cost for another holiday essential, airport parking, has also remained steady.
Last year, Holiday Extras reported the average cost per night as £12.20, up just 2.1 per cent on 2024’s £11.95, which is below the 4.1 per cent RPI inflation rate.
With that said, travellers who turn up and pay on the day are still paying significantly more, with the average saving made by customers who booked in advance being £202, compared to paying on the gate.
With more early-morning departures than ever and airlines continuing to push ultra-early take-off times, getting organised and planning ahead has become more important than ever.
Seamus McCauley, head of public affairs at Holiday Extras, said: ‘Holidaymakers have become used to seeing prices rise almost everywhere, so the fact airport hotel prices have actually fallen will surprise a lot of people.
‘When you compare that to wider inflation, it represents a strong value for travellers.
‘Booking an airport hotel allows a more leisurely travel experience, with no 3am alarm, panicked motorway dash, or peak taxi fares – and now, for once, it is not adding inflation pain to the holiday bill.
‘The key is booking early. The biggest savings we see are from customers who plan ahead rather than paying on the day at the airport, so planning ahead not only means you’ll have the best choice of destinations and holidays, but more money to spend on activities, meals out, and quality time when you’re actually there.’
But on the other hand, while airport hotels are dropping in price, airlines are starting to hike up their flight prices as jet fuel supplies dry up amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Airlines are starting to increase their flight prices amid concerns of a shortage of jet fuel, and Scandinavian Airlines System even said it would be cancelling some routes as a result
Some of the world’s biggest airlines last month announced price hikes as the cost of aviation fuel soars.
Hong Kong aviation giant Cathay Pacific, for instance, introduced an emergency fuel surcharge, effectively doubling it on most of its routes.
Plus, Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), based in Stockholm, announced it would be cancelling some routes due to the ‘sharp and sudden increase’ in the cost of jet fuel.
The conflict has sent the price of crude oil rising by a third.
The war between the US/Israel and Iran has seen the main transit route for jet fuel from the Middle East, the Strait of Hormuz – which lies between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman – effectively closed in recent weeks.
The Gulf previously supplied around 50 per cent of airlines based in Europe, with consumers already taking the hit directly in increased flight prices.
Meanwhile, demand for journeys avoiding the war-torn region means more layovers and, as such, higher prices.
And experts also anticipate more expensive tickets will continue for months, even if the conflict dwindles.
Rigas Doganis, the ex-boss of Olympic Airways in Greece, said air firms were facing an ‘existential challenge’ amid the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
‘They will need to cut fares to stimulate weakening demand while higher fuel costs will be pushing them to increase fares. A perfect storm,’ he added.
The UK could soon be experiencing a jet fuel shortage.
The last known shipment of jet fuel to Britain from the Middle East is expected to arrive around Thursday, amid alarm over shortages within a week.
Data providers Kpler and Vortexa say the consignment on the Libyan-flagged Maetiga vessel is expected to reach the UK from Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
It comes after yesterday, Donald Trump dramatically washed his hands of the crisis and told the UK to ‘go get your own oil’ as the strategic Strait of Hormuz remains blocked.
Trump has maintained the US has ‘plenty’ jet fuel, but airline bosses say firms are facing an ‘existential challenge’ with depleting supply pushing up the cost of flying.
The UK is currently sourcing at least half its jet fuel from the Middle East amid a fall in domestic refining and a halt on Russian imports since the Ukraine invasion in 2022.
The UK receives supplies direct from the Middle East while additional supplies come in indirectly, especially via Belgium and the Netherlands.
Industry experts now fear the supply issues could have a major impact on airlines from the end of next month if the Iran war continues, the Financial Times reported.
Jet fuel was $4.24 (£3.21) a gallon last Thursday, compared with $2.50 (£1.89) just before the first US-Israeli strikes on Iran, according to the Airlines for America group.
Meanwhile, flights to destinations like the Maldives saw a sharp increase in prices for direct routes that avoid stopovers in Middle Eastern hubs.
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