Booking overseas trips when the Aussie dollar is strong can save big bucks, research reveals

AN Australian woman has revealed how one simple act slashed a quarter of the cost from her upcoming three-month holiday to the USA.

A STRONG Aussie dollar is a great thing when travelling abroad, especially to the USA.

Just ask Melbourne woman Rebecca Rogers, 24, who is off to the states for three months with partner Stephen Cuff, 26.

The savvy professional has been paying for the holiday in advance for more than a year, saving thousands, simply by watching currency movements.

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“I was keeping an eye on what the dollar was doing, when booking transport and accommodation” Ms Rogers said. “We used Skyscanner and an app called Hopper and made sure to lock in prices as they fell.”

The couple also set their sights on experiences; locking in hiking trips, tickets to sports matches and Broadway shows.

“We signed up for alerts of low prices on Broadway tickets and promo codes for sports, like the NBA,” Ms Rogers said. “We’ve probably saved about $2500 all up across a three-month trip, on what would have been a $10,000 spend. Just by watching the dollar and paying when it was strong.”

Ms Rogers said not to wait to trade your money just before a trip, in case of a negative global event.

Rebecca Rogers and partner Stephen Cuff paid close attention to the AUD when booking their trip in advance.

“I’ve pre-bought currency for a year and secured a good rate on the day, rather than risking something happening,” she said. “The Aussie dollar is on the front page of every news website, so it’s really easy to follow.”

Skyscanner released a list of our 10 favourite US places to visit on a strong Aussie dollar. Los Angeles topped the list, followed by New York and Honolulu. A return airfare to LA in 2017 averaged $1589, while New York was $2246 and Honolulu was just $1058.

San Francisco, Las Vegas, Dallas, Chicago, Boston, Seattle and Washington were also popular.

Skyscanner Australia senior growth manager Robyn Lee said currency can make or break a holiday budget.

“Booking travel experiences when the dollar is strong is a brilliant way to keep costs down,” Ms Lee said. “Pay for your hotel when the rates are good. A lot of the time you’re only asked to pay when you check in, but that’s also when you get charged a potentially higher rate.”

Wotif research revealed currency strength now influences the destination choice of 67 per cent of Australian travellers; up 45 per cent over the past decade.

Wotif managing director Daniel Finch said Australians are more conscious of how they spend and also have access to more information.

“More Aussies are planning and booking their travel online,” he said. “Travel is also becoming more affordable with new routes by low-cost carriers and the rise of discounted airfares.”

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Conditions can change quickly however and Patrick Liddy, head of foreign exchange at WorldFirst predicts a fall for the AUD due to strengthening US, UK and Europe economies.

“The AUD is set to slide this year, which means a trip to the US or Europe will be more expensive,” Mr Liddy said. “Aussies (already) have around $450 less than they did two weeks ago on every $10,000 they intend to take to the US.

“Those looking to travel overseas later in the year should do the bulk of their planning now including organising their currency.”

Most popular US destinations to travel with a strong AUD:

Los Angeles- $1589 (avg. 2017 return airfare)

New York- $2246

Honolulu- $1058

San Francisco- $1704

Las Vegas- $2019

Dallas- $2094

Chicago- $2335

Boston- $2621

Seattle- $1678

Washington- $2314

Source: Skyscanner

Originally published as Booking overseas trips when the Aussie dollar is strong can save big bucks, research reveals