Brits fly away from packages

British holidaymakers are turning their backs on the traditional package holiday in favour of cheap internet deals and budget flights, new figures show.

For the first time in 30 years, the number of families choosing to arrange a trip themselves will outstrip the number going on package holidays.

According to the Association of British Travel Agents, consumers want more control over their holidays. The popularity of package breaks has not fallen so low since 1971, when about 49 per cent of Britons chose to travel with one of the big tour operators.

Britain's appetite for package holidays first took a downturn after September 11, when bookings slumped by a third. Interest in foreign trips only began to pick up when budget airlines slashed fares.

Many holidaymakers who once used package-tour operators realised they could save money by booking their flights and hotels separately. Others simply preferred the independence of DIY trips.

A spokeswoman for TUI, the parent company that owns Thomson Holidays, Lunn Poly and Britannia Airways, said customers wanted more control over their holidays. The firm, which sells four million package holidays each year, has also begun to offer flight-only deals to meet the change in demand.

She said: "There is now a market for people who want f lexibility. We have changed our package holidays to offer people the chance not to have in-flight meals or make their own way from the airport to the hotel, as customers want more control.

"What has changed most of all is the fact that people often want to take mini- breaks to places rather than the traditional two weeks.

"That means the sort of deals on offer have to change."

In the last year alone, the no-frills airline sector has grown by 25 per cent. Over the next 30 years, budget airlines are expected to treble in size as more people opt for short breaks which they book themselves.