Holiday prices to potential “green list” destinations are already surging ahead of an announcement on the traffic light system today.
It is understood that places like Portugal, Malta, Gibraltar and Israel could be on the list of places where travellers can go without having to isolate on return as part of plans to restart foreign travel.
The ban on non-essential travel abroad for England is due to be lifted on May 17 under Boris Johnson's roadmap out of lockdown.
Brits will have to follow a new traffic light system, where countries will be ranked either green, amber or red, to determine whether travellers need to quarantine and if coronavirus tests are needed.
A Downing Street press conference is expected at 5pm on Friday to set out the details.
However, holiday prices to would-be “green list” destinations are already rising - despite no countries being officially confirmed yet.
The Mirror spotted how a Ryanair flight to Porto has jumped from just £14.99 on May 14 to £232.99 on May 17 when restrictions lift.
A British Airways flight from London Heathrow to Portugal costs £175 on Saturday, May 15, compared to £372 on May 17.
EasyJet, meanwhile, is charging £233.99 for a flight to Portugal on May 17 when restrictions are eased, compared to £108.99 for holiday-starved Brits who wait until the next day.
Separately, The Sun also found direct flights from London to Malta have jumped from £85 on May 15 to up to £153 through the week beginning May 17.
These hikes come after Booking.com chief executive Glenn Fogel told the BBC that holiday "prices are already going up".
Flight prices tend to fluctuate based on demand and depending on the time of year.
The May 17 date for resuming foreign travel also only applies to England, with no plans announced yet by Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
The decision will be based on factors like vaccinations, new variants and infection rates.
People will be able to visit green list countries without quarantining when they get back - although you will have to get a test before travelling and on day 2 after coming home.
Holidaymakers returning from an amber list country must self-isolate for at least five days and pay for two private PCR tests.
Anyone coming from a red list destination will have to spend 10 nights in a quarantine hotel at a cost of £1,750 for solo travellers.
Popular European hotspots such as Spain, Italy, France and Greece are initially expected to be on the amber list due to higher infection rates.
However they could switch to green ahead of the summer, with the lists due to be reviewed every three weeks.
A British Airways spokesperson told The Mirror: "Like so many of our customers, we're excited about returning to the skies and we've been offering some incredible deals that have been quickly snapped up.
"In the airline industry, the price of tickets rises as the lowest fares sell out."
An easyJet spokesperson added: "easyJet has always aimed to offer customers great value for money and affordable fares and we do not artificially increase ticket prices.
"As with all airlines, our pricing is demand-led, which means that our fares start low and increase the closer it is to the date of departure and as more seats on the aircraft are booked."
