The Wonky holidays report – why imperfect travel is perfect for your budget

Our Wonky holidays are a travel industry first. Think wonky veg – those carrots shaped like you-know-what that usually go to waste, which makes them cheaper – but for holidays 👀 They’re all about super last-minute deals, flights to and from smaller airports, longer transfers to where you’re staying. People pass them up, which means there are more for you – and the prices reflect that. And we have the receipts to back it up, too…

Enter, the Wonky holidays report. We’ve only gone and got the UK’s first data-driven guide to prove travelling on the wonk really can work out better for your bank balance.

Read the full report, or carry on below for some of the highlights 🤓

The data: how we got the receipts

Yes, the Wonky holidays report is founded on real-life booking data – from travel lovers like you! We did a complex analysis of extensive travel data and cross-referenced this with expert financial insights. Special shout out to Jordan Cox, who partnered with us on this! We looked at…

First Choice’s package holiday booking history database (January 2024-November 2025)

Granular data on trip durations, UK departure airports, arrival airports, days of the week and seasonal booking patterns

Price-per-night comparisons across various trip durations (3,5,7,9,11 nights)

Average spend per passenger

The results:

1. Odd trip durations can unlock double-digit savings

Hot take… 7-night durations are out this year (if you want to save money on a holiday that is). The travel industry has us thinking in multiples of 7 – 7 nights, 14 nights etc. But there’s so much untapped saving potential in wonky durations.

7-night holidays made up 30% of First Choice holiday bookings, while the average 7-night trip works out at £302 per night. So, why not try…

5 nights (avg. £291 per night)

11 nights (avg. £291 per night)

14-night holidays made up 13% of bookings – that’s nearly three-quarters of bookings just for these two durations! Instead of paying £268 for the average 14-night trip, try…

15 nights (avg. £235 per night)

17 nights (avg. £254 per night)

2. Flying from alternative airports can reduce fares by 85%

AKA, the airport effect. Flying from the closest airport to you is definitely the most convenient, but it’s not always the cheapest. Airport flexibility is one of the simplest ways to save on your holiday. Even just switching within the same region e.g. flying from Luton instead of Heathrow in London can save you over £1,000 per person.

Here are some of the best departure airport switches you could make to save:

London Heathrow > London Luton = saves avg. £1,107 per person

London City > London Stansted = saves avg. £416 per person

London City > London Southend = saves avg. £389 per person

Manchester > Leeds Bradford = saves avg. £186 per person

Manchester > Liverpool John Lennon = saves avg. £108 per person

Newcastle International > Teeside International = saves avg. £76 per person

Birmingham > East Midlands = saves avg. £144 per person

Southampton > Bournemouth = saves avg. £102 per person

Edinburgh > Aberdeen International = saves avg. £157 per person

Inverness > Aberdeen International = saves avg. £137 per person

The same goes for your arrival destination airport, too! The average spend per person to fly into lesser-known airports, compared to larger hubs, can be much lower. Consider these switches for Paris and Milan…

Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport > Beauvais (Beauvais–Tillé) = saves avg. £173 per person

Milan Malpensa Airport > Bergamo (Orio al Serio) = saves avg. £626 per person

This might sound crazy, but if you’re going DIY (booking flights and hotel separately), you could even fly into a neighbouring country and drive across the border. For example, flying into Santiago de Compostela is 85% cheaper on average than Porto. Then, pick up your hire car and it’s less than a 2.5-hour drive down to the Portuguese city.

3. Travelling on Tuesday instead of Saturday can save you £70 per person

Of course, Saturday to Saturday feels like the best value – maximising annual leave by making the most of two weekends – but airlines know that, and prices reflect it.

Instead, mid-week departures can be much cheaper. Tuesday and Thursday were found to be the cheapest days, according to our data. By switching from Saturday to Tuesday, you can save £70 per person. Demand peaks don’t always align with the lowest prices, so by simply switching when you leave and come back, you can make some really meaningful savings.

4. Shoulder-season trips can save you £40-65

Like days of the week, what month you travel in counts, too – even the specific week of the month! Shoulder seasons are those sweet spots either side of peak season, when the weather is still warm, but you can avoid the school holidays and general travel rush, where the prices are hiked.

April, May and September save you £50-72 per person, compared to the July peak. May comes out on top, with the highest saving of £72 but April and September (£40-65 cheaper) should have better weather, so it’s up to you what to prioritise.

In terms of the best weeks to travel in those months, our data shows some clear ‘golden windows’. Booking just after peak demand passes, e.g. mid-late September, can save up to 16% per person. We found that prices consistently lower after peak travel periods, as demand resets and availability increases again. Here are a few of those ‘golden windows’ to note in your calendar for this year…

Week 14 (usually falls in April) – avg. £33 cheaper than week 15

Week 22 + week 37 (usually falls mid-September) – avg. £39 cheaper than the weeks before (late August/early September)
The data doesn’t lie. Browse our Wonky holidays and save with a perfectly imperfect trip.