Reserving cash for an emergency trip home

Key rules

• Number of trips: Reserve for one to two emergency trips a year, and lean to two if your family lives on another continent.
• Who travels: Fund a fare for each person who would really go, and cover the whole family only if you would travel together.
• Peak season: Size the reserve on summer, Christmas and Easter prices, since last-minute fares rise sharply then.
• Access: Keep the money separate and available the same day.

Fare patterns and the number of trips are general guidance, so check current prices for your route on airline sites before fixing your amount.

Set aside money for one or two trips a year

Keep a separate cash reserve for last-minute flights home. A sensible target is enough for one to two emergency trips a year. Aim for the higher end if your relatives live far away, for example on another continent.

No official rule sets this amount. It is a cushion you size yourself, and you keep it apart from your rent and setup money so you do not spend it by accident.

Who to include

Fund a ticket for each person who would actually travel. Cover the whole family only if you would all go together. If one parent would fly alone, reserve for one fare, not four.

How to size the amount

Work it out in four steps:

1. Pick your most likely destination: Latin America, Morocco, the UK or elsewhere.
2. Look up current one-way fares from your nearest Spanish airport on airline sites and fare comparison tools. Prices vary by airport.
3. Look at the fare for a flight in the next few days, not weeks ahead. Last-minute fares cost much more.
4. Multiply by the number of travellers and the number of trips (one or two). Add a margin for baggage and a night or two of extra costs.

How the season changes the price

Fares move with the time of year, so size your reserve for the expensive months.

• Latin America: cheapest in low season, roughly February to May and October to November. Highest in July, August and December.
• Morocco and the UK: low-cost airlines offer cheap fares outside holidays. Last-minute fares rise sharply in summer and at Christmas and Easter.

If you cannot predict when a trip might happen, base your reserve on the peak-season price. A reserve that covers the expensive months also covers the cheap ones.

Keep it easy to reach

Hold the money in an account you can use the same day, such as a current or instant-access savings account. Check each year that the amount still matches current fares, and top it up after you use it.

The questions below cover common doubts about how many trips to fund and when fares peak.

Frequently asked questions

How many emergency trips should I reserve money for?

Reserve for at least one to two emergency trips a year, such as a family illness or a funeral. Plan for more if your relatives live far away on another continent. There is no official rule, so size it to your own family.

Do I need to fund flights for my whole family?

Only fund the whole family if you would all travel together. In that case, count each person's fare separately. If one person would go alone, reserve for that single fare.

When are last-minute flights from Spain most expensive?

Last-minute flights are most expensive in July, August and December for Latin America. To Morocco and the UK, fares rise sharply in summer and at Christmas and Easter. Outside those periods, fares are usually lower, so size your reserve for the season you are most likely to travel in.