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Around 30% of consumers booking holidays online have admitted it cost them more than they had expected, a new survey has revealed.

A further 5% of the 1,001 respondents to the survey entitled ‘Are You Ready?’, which was commissioned by Advantage Travel Centres, said they paid up to £300 more than they had expected when making an online booking.

Chief executive John McEwan said the statistics showed that there were still strong reasons for booking a break through a travel agents as opposed to a website.

He added: “Traditional travel agents have seen increasing numbers of people turn to the web to book their holidays, but it’s not the holy grail of bargains.

“Good independent travel agents have access to a far wider range of holiday products than you’ll ever be offered in a typical web search.

And added to that, you are dealing with experts who are trained to answer any query you might have to make sure your trip goes without a hitch.

“Agents can tailor-make a holiday exactly to your requirements. Most importantly, travellers have peace of mind knowing their purchase is financially protected.”

McEwan said the survey also revealed 22% of respondents aged between 16 and 29, the most likely to book travel online, have fallen foul of airlines’ baggage rules as opposed to 12% of the general population.

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