Rising flight costs have left students struggling to afford international travel, forcing many to miss out on opportunities or the chance for international students to visit home.
Roshni Grewal, a nurse student studying at Kingston University said: “As a student who is of dual heritage my family always go abroad at the end of October to our home country.
“Due to the prices of flights and juggling my finances for University I am unable to make the trip, I would have used my student finance but that is still not enough.”
A study by the Office of National Statistics found that since 2010 flight prices have been rising by at least £30 annually. This summer fares rose by 22.2% between July and August 2024.
Grewal said: “The costs are just unimaginable for a uni student.”
Students might look at social media platforms such as TikTok and imagine that they’ll use their student finance to fund their trips during term time, as these are the years that they will have both the time and financial freedom. However, the reality can be very different.
According to data from Nerdwallet.com flight costs increased by 1.3% between August 2023 to August 2024 but other estimates are higher, especially when looking at the summer months.
Students are navigating these fluctuating prices by turning to travel agency apps such as Sky Scanner and Kayak.
These apps offer the cheapest prices on flights, with access to discounted flights for students.
Grewal said: “I have used Skyscanner before which actually did offer me a cheaper flight compared to one that I was looking into previously.”
Alice E Rickman
Shaunelle Harrydass-Clark
Emma Farr