The actual cost of the flight is undeniably cheap, however, start adding on flight taxes and airport supplements and the costs sneak up. That is if you can fly from the airport of choice, more costs will be involved if you need to overnight at the airport hotel.

In the current climate, travel insurance is more important than ever. The latest new from Thomson and First Choice, both part of TUI, is that they are offering "redundancy cover" to holiday makers who book in January. This is a limited offer but if the take up is good it may be continued.

"The economic circumstances have made some people nervous about committing to expenditure," a spokesman for TUI said. "But we are offering some great deals and this will give people the confidence to book because they know that if they do lose their job and can no longer afford the holiday, their money will be refunded."

Following suit is the no frills airline Flybe. They announced earlier this month that customers who book flights in January will have their monies refunded if they lose their jobs.

Thomson and First Choice are keen to encourage people to book early and have heavily promoted their offers for this summer since the beginning of the year. Their refund offer is valid on all bookings for Thomson and First Choice branded summer 2009 package holidays or flights. They must be purchased in the companies' shops, on their websites or via their call centres, between now and January 31. However, Thomson Worldwide holidays on scheduled flights and Thomson Lakes and Mountains trip are excluded from the offer.

If customers wanted to claim they would have to prove that they have been employed for at least the last two years and that they have been made redundant. They would then receive a full refund of their deposit and final balance as long as it was one month before the departure date.

TUI have not reported on current booking figures but said that all-inclusive holidays and trips to countries outside the euro zone, such as Turkey and Egypt, were proving increasingly popular. The "book with confidence" guarantee with Flybe covers flights, car hire and hotels for travel any time before October 24th. Anyone in a booked party who needs to cancel due to the loss of a job will be automatically covered, at no additional cost.

If you are going to be able to relax and enjoy your travels you will definitely need a good comprehensive travel insurance policy. It is not just the cost of a suitcase full of clothes that is at risk, but full accident and illness cover can be absolutely invaluable if needed.

The best place to source really good deals for travel insurance is the internet. If you do not have time to do this, then an independent adviser will do all the work for you and find the best deal.