Travellers who change currency at the airport lose out when compared to high street rates, according to a new study from the Post Office.
Holidaymakers who use an airport bureau de change can lose as much as £34 each time they change over their cash. Birmingham Airport gives customers £33.79 less during an average transaction of £262 than they would get if they changed their money on the high street.
In terms of the euro, travellers are losing out by an average of £13.56 a time. Post Office’s Head of Travel Money, Sarah Munro, told the Daily Mirror, “With family budgets getting ever tighter, the message has to be to plan expenditure carefully.”
Another travel expert warned that, as airports had a captive audience, they are among the worst places to change money over. Airport bureau de change also charge commission on money exchange, unlike many High Street travel agents and banks.
The Post Office research also found that swapping currency at UK airport costs an average of £12.25 on the Turkish lira, £17.88 on US dollars, and £15.51 on the Egyptian pound.
