Tips to bag a bargain flight
In an era of low cost airlines there are some amazing flight bargains to get your hands on. These days even bigger airlines often try to compete especially across European and a few long haul routes such as New York or Singapore. Have a look at the tips below to help you bag a bargain.
Fly mid-week Flying on Tuesdays and Wednesdays is usually cheaper with Fridays and Sundays being the most expensive. Don't go in school holidays If at all possible avoid all school holiday dates as flights can be up to ten times more expensive - if you can go at another time then do. If you are tied to school holidays follow these tips even more rigorously! Follow your airline(s) If you know which airlines you want to fly with follow them on social media and sign up to their mailing list as this is where they will first announce their sales and special offers. Play with your dates Jiggling your dates by a day or two, if you can, can sometimes make a massive difference to costs. Google Flights gives you the option of a matrix of dates and prices (just select the 'date grid' option) or the 'price graph' shows you prices around the dates you pick. Look at nearby airports It may be worth flying out from a different airport than you arrive back to but before you do this think about how you're getting to the airport - if you have to spend loads getting to or from a different airport it may not be worth the hassle. Investigate which other, cheaper, airports are near your destination and how much travelling time this will add to your journey. Look at google flights in 'map' mode to get a good view of surrounding airports. Book early or last minute If you know when and where you are going the general rule is to book as early as possible as flight pricing models mean that prices rise as seats sell. If you are going last minute my favourite place to look is TUI who list all their last minute flight deals once you make a few simple choices about where and when you want to fly. If you know WHEN you want to go but you don't mind WHERE If you just want to get away and are happy to consider a range of destinations Skyscanner* allows you to search flights to 'Everywhere' and on Google flights you can search by continent. Easyjet also has a facility called 'inspire me' which can give you loads of destinations and prices for your dates. Paying for flights Use a credit card of you are spending more than £100 as this will give you protection against airline failure. |