Almost a third of searches for family holidays in England are for trips before the school summer holidays officially start, new TravelSupermarket data reveals.
This suggests that a proportion of families are still looking for cheaper deals in term time despite the threat of higher government penalties aimed at combating unauthorised school absences from September.
An average of 30% of all family holiday searches on the holiday comparison site from England for July are for departures one week before the start of the school summer holidays.
The highest proportion (41%) is for family holidays based on flights from Bristol airport the week before schools break up, followed by 34% from Liverpool and Manchester; 33% from Birmingham; 32% from London and 31% from Newcastle.
Parents will be faced with increased penalties in September as well as an increase in Air Passenger Duty from this month.
TravelSupermarket chief executive Richard Singer said: “Families in the UK face a parent trap. Not only does supply and demand push up holiday prices during school holiday times, but APD rises and the cost-of-living crisis are all compounding to punish families with school age children.
“Family holidays are a time to cherish and we urge the government to do more to offer flexibility around school holidays to enable more families to travel together this summer.”