The prices of flights and hotels for new green list travel destinations have swung sharply in both directions since the guidance was changed on Thursday.
The government added 16 destinations to the list. Travellers returning from these do not have to isolate on return.
Destinations include Malta and Spain’s Balearic Islands, and some holidays have doubled in price, the Independent’s travel editor Simon Calder said.
Airlines have added extra capacity.
Initially when these new flights have become available, prices have fallen as extra supply takes up the demand.
But this has proved to be short-lived in many cases: “Availability is changing by the minute,” said Calder, who has been checking prices regularly since the announcement.
Immediately after it was made there was still quite a lot of keenly priced flights and holidays, but we’re back down to ‘last seat’ showing”.
“Madeira and Malta, for example, were looking pretty reasonable, but then things really took off. Unless you’re sitting in front of a screen there’s no way of gauging which trend line you’re on,” he added.
EasyJet said: “When new flights are put on sale the starting fares may be lower compared to existing flights with many seats already booked.
“Like all airlines, our pricing is dynamic which means that our fares start low and increase the closer it is to the date of departure and as more seats on the aircraft are booked.”
The latest list changes:
The destinations added to the green list from 4 a.m. BST on June 30 are:
Europe: The Balearic Islands (which include Ibiza, Menorca, Majorca and Formentera), Malta and Madeira
Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat and Turks and Caicos Islands
Other British Overseas Territories: Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory and Pitcairn
Six destinations will also be added to the government’s red list on June 30. They are the Dominican Republic, Eritrea, Haiti, Mongolia, Tunisia and Uganda. (BBC)
