A new survey has underlined the importance of annual breaks to Britons, finding that people who are trying to save money would sacrifice alcohol and takeaways before holidays.

More than half (58 per cent) of the respondents to a poll commissioned by bmibaby said they would sacrifice takeaways to save money, while 39 per cent said they would stop drinking.

The majority (51 per cent) also claimed they would be willing to stop having nights out, but less than a third (27 per cent) said they would be prepared to miss out on their annual holiday.

Julian Carr, commercial director of the low-cost bmi subsidiary, said: "The credit crunch is making people think carefully about their spending priorities for 2009 and question what they want to give up or save money on.

"The survey results show that people are prepared to cut back on 'luxuries' such as takeaways and nights out in order to still go on their annual summer holiday, which is sacrosanct to many."

Mr Carr said that the results of the survey are supported by strong demand that bmibaby has seen for flights to destinations such as Spain and Portugal for summer 2009.

The airline operates from East Midlands Airport, Birmingham Airport, Cardiff Airport and Manchester Airport and offers flights to destinations including Alicante, Faro and Amsterdam.

Article by justflight.com