Planning a summer holiday adventure? The following post outlines what discounts and cheap fares are available to students to help save some money.

Easyjet

Website: www.easyjet.com

EasyJet are a low cost no frills airline who also offer additional student deals. They offer 6% off all flights for NUS card holders and also have regular deals on studentbeans.com, such as £15 off EasyJet holidays.

Student Feedback:

‘Make sure you check voucher websites before booking, you can often save an extra £10-£30′ Lily, second year, Cambridge

‘I reckon they are one of the better budget airlines, the hand baggage allowance is slightly larger than some of the others’ Colin, third year, Durham

STA travel

Website: www.statravel.co.uk

STA travel is a discount student travel agency. They promise to be able to beat any airfare you’ve been offered and have plenty of student friendly deals available, such as 25% specific tours. They have a very informative website which gives loads of information on how to save money on your travels. They also offer a Multiflex pass. This allows you to be able to change your flight dates during a trip without incurring extra flight charges, so if you’re planning on going away for a few months it could be a great way to save some extra cash. They have weekly student airfare deals- check their website for details!

Student Feedback:

‘I always get emails about their amazing flight deals, the only problem is that I can’t just drop everything and go to Thailand next week! The offers always seem to only be applicable for a few days so it’s not great for booking a holiday in advance’ Emma, third year, Edinburgh

‘I always book through them, I reckon they do the best deals for students!’ Henry, second year, Leicester

‘They are good for finding the best prices for you if you’re willing to be flexible with dates and times’ Amy, third year, London

 

Student Flights

Website: studentflights.co.uk

Student flights specialise in cheap holidays for young people: they offer a comprehensive list of cheap flights, accommodation and adventure holidays and tours. Although they offer all of these at very cheap prices which are ideal for a student budget, their motto is “Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime” so they don’t actually offer specific deals for those with a student card.

Student Feedback:

‘I always have a look at them when I’m booking a flight, they show a good comparison of the cheapest companies’ Chelsea, second year, Exeter

‘Good website but I wish they did an added student discount, I think their name is a bit misleading!’ Leo, first year, Brighton

 

ISIC card

Website: www.isic.org

The ISIC card is the only globally recognised student card. It is valid in 120 countries and offers 40,000 discounts across the world. It only costs around £9 so is worth buying if you’re going travelling. They offer some great travel discounts: such as 10% off bookings at hostelworld.com and other accommodation deals.  You can purchase the ISIC card from STA Travel.

Student Feedback:

‘I went around Indonesia in my gap year and my ISIC card was great, managed to get 10% off at a Great Western hotel, it was amazing to have a couple of nights of affordable luxury’ Abigail, second year, Sussex

‘A great way of saving some extra money when you’re abroad! All the small savings add up’ Sam, fourth year, Aberdeen

 

 

Student Universe

Website: www.studentuniverse.com

Student Universe are an American based company who offer a range of discounts exclusively for students. You need to be a member of their website to access these deals, which are often geared towards university vacations. They offer occasional special discounts such as Cyber Monday sales, when they offer limited discounts for one day only.

 

Student Feedback:

‘They are obviously very American based, I get emails about Spring Break deals, but they do have some amazing discounts which UK students can use as well’ Antonia, third year, Cardiff

‘It’s definitely worth signing up to their mailing list, the emails are a good source of inspiration!’ Simon, first year, Glasgow

 

Ryan Air

Website: www.ryanair.com

Ryan Air offer very cheap flights which are perfect for a student budget. They offer regular sales where you can buy short haul flights for as little as £1. However, they don’t offer any added extras at all, which includes cabin luggage or checking in at the airport.

Student Feedback:

‘You definitely pay for what you get, never a particularly comfortable flight but they are very cheap!’ Chris, third year, Leeds

‘Absolute nightmare if your plane is delayed or cancelled!’ Liam, fourth year, Glasgow

‘Always seem to end up at an airport miles away from the city centre, you have to bear in mind transport into the centre at your destination’ Sarah, third year, London

 

BMIBaby

Website: www.bmibaby.com

BMI are a low cost airline which fly across Europe. They do not offer any student specific deals but do have offers which cater for student budgets: such as flights to Amsterdam from the UK for £16.99.

Student Feedback:

‘Got a great deal to Paris last year, would be good if they offered specific discounts for students though’ Isabel, first year, Newcastle

‘Pretty good flight company, wish they flew to Scandinavia, I prefer them to Ryanair’ Tom, third year, Southampton

 

British Airways

Website: www.britishairways.com

British Airways offer domestic and international flights and are more expensive than their low coast competitors. However, for a higher ticket price you do get the perks that no frills airlines leave out, such as a baggage allowance, free food and drinks and better customer service if your flight gets delayed or cancelled. They do not offer a student discount on tickets but they do offer an added complementary baggage allowance of 23kg for students  who are studying abroad.

Student Feedback:

‘You can get cheap flights if you’re going trans Atlantic, and they are so much better than the budget airlines if something goes wrong’ Zara, first year, Birmingham

‘My family live in America so I use British Airways a lot, the staff are really helpful, especially if you have excess baggage’ Emma, second year, Edinburgh

FlyBe

Website: www.flybe.com

Flybe are a low cost airline who fly across the UK and Europe. They do not offer any student specific deals but their costs are low so potentially could be the cheapest ticket out there. They offer occasional seasonal deals such as just having to pay taxes and charges.

Student Feedback:

‘Flybe fly to Aberdeen as well as other small airports in Scotland, like Shetland. It’s a cheap way to get abroad from Scotland without having to go via London!’ Rachel, third year, Aberdeen

‘I’ve used them a couple of times, always seem quite reliable, and are very cheap, though would be even better if they had a student discount!’ Dave, second year, London

 

* All terms and conditions are correct at the time of publishing this post

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