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Passengers who book car hire and travel insurance on airline websites could be paying up to 458 per cent more than if they do it independently.

When booking flights, plenty of websites offer to add on extras to make life easier for customers, but holidaymakers could end up paying hundreds of pounds more than they need to, warned website Travelsupermarket.com.

When comparing costs on 12 airlines websites and elsewhere online for the May Half Term, the site found that car hire can cost up to 253 per cent more when booked through an airline, while hotel prices can be increased by 164 per cent and travel insurance 458 per cent.

Paying out: By booking hotels and travel insurance at the same time as flights you can end up paying hundreds of pounds more

Comparing 96 price points, the research found that - with the exception of three results in the USA with Virgin Atlantic and one result in Prague with Wizzair - using price comparison websites was cheaper than using an airline to buy your car hire.

In some cases, customers could save hundreds of pounds by avoiding going through their airline.

To hire a standard car in Malaga for eight days beginning 24 May, Thomson customers flying from various UK airports would pay £403.67 if they booked via their chosen airline.

However, the same car type, on the same dates was found elsewhere for as little as £122.04, saving £119.77 compared to Norwegian and £281.63 compared to Thomson.

It is the same story with travel insurance. By booking through an airline, a nine-day policy for a family of four travelling to the US during Half Term costs £156.24 with Aer Lingus and £90.96 with Thomson. But a family booking independently online can find insurance for as little as £32.20.

It is a similar story for European travel. Families booking through Wizzair could end up paying £70.84, while insurance could cost £46.76 for the family when booking through Ryanair. But insurance in Europe can be available for as little as £13.32.

It can also be tempting to book hotels at the same time as flights. but it pays to do your research. The latest findings highlighted that a three-night stay at the five-star Trump SoHo in New York would cost £1,335.20 if booked with Virgin Atlantic. However, the same hotel was available on other websites for as little as £802, a 66 per cent saving.

In Tenerife, the five-star La Plantacion del Sur costs £773 for three nights through Thomson, but can be booked elsewhere for £373.