Press embargo. This data study is under embargo until 2026-06-28 (13 days). For pre-publish access, contact [email protected].
The unused-travel problem, in numbers
By SpareHolidays Editorial · Travel resale research team · Updated 2026-06-14
How much pre-booked travel goes unused each year across flights, hotels, and packages — and how much of it is actually transferable.
€280
Avg. value of an unused booking
~60%
Transferable provider policies
10%
Buyer commission cap (low tier)
Methodology
Provider transferability is compiled directly from carrier, hotel, and OTA published terms (the SpareHolidays transferability matrix), reviewed quarterly. Value and category figures are illustrative platform research, not audited financials, and will be replaced by anonymised marketplace data once liquidity supports a statistically meaningful sample.
The SpareHolidays editorial team researches airline, hotel, and OTA transfer and refund policies directly from carrier and provider terms, and updates each guide as policies change.