'Book early for best flight deals'

A travel expert has asserted that there are still cheap deals available on flights if people look in the right places and are as flexible as possible.

Tom Hall, editor of the popular Lonely Planet travel guides, said that while rising oil prices will be passed onto the consumer to a certain extent, budget airlines will still be around and savvy holidaymakers will know how to take advantage of them.

"There are a huge number of flights available on a large number of budget airlines, they still need to fill their seats and there are still large numbers of people who want to travel on them," he remarked.

He added that bargain basement airfares were "a myth" anyway and that travelling even to popular holiday destinations does not need to cost the earth.

Advice that people may wish to follow includes choosing flights at off-peak times, taking as little luggage as possible in order to be accommodated more quickly and checking in online.

According to a report from the International Air Travel Association, world passenger numbers were up 3.8 per cent in June, even as the credit crunch continued.

However, load factors - a measurement of how full planes are - were found to have fallen.