When to Book

Early: if you know when you’re thinking of travelling months before you leave, airport fees can be considerably cheaper than a couple of months or weeks ahead. Plan carefully, and check all airline companies for the best deals to grab yourself a bargain!

Late: people often leave booking a flight as late as even 24hours before going on a holiday but this is impossible for most people, especially if you have children or work commitments. However, airlines will sell tickets cheaper because they don’t want to have empty seats so if you are able to leave at a moment’s notice, it’s worth trying for last minute deals.

Times & Days: whether you decide to book a flight early or late, the times and days of when you fly are important to help you reduce the cost of your airfare ticket. If it’s possible, go on your vacation during school time and avoid public holiday days which will increase the price. The best times to leave would be mid-week and not at the weekends; similarly, when you choose early morning or late night flight times, it will help to make your airfare charges considerably more affordable.

Where to Go

Choosing a Destination: if your holiday budget is limited, choosing your destination is crucial to free up some spare cash. Keep your options open and make a decision based on cost rather than planning a dream holiday you might not able to afford.

Think about Routes: Booking a direct flight will generally always be more expensive than if you choose a flight with stopovers. Naturally, you need to be realistic about this as you wouldn’t wish to be stuck in an airport for 24hours, but a few hours stop-gap can seriously reduce the price of your flight. In addition, look for alternative airports, either in the same city or country, and compare the air fees for the cheapest.

Get in First

One of the reasons people miss out on deals is because we don’t know about them! You might not want to receive endless emails from airline companies, but it will mean you’ll be first in line to hear about the deals they have on offer. Some airline offers are only available for 24hours so by signing up for their newsletters or mailing lists, or even following their tweets, will help you get those deals quicker than others!

Plan, Plan, Plan!
There are a wealth of internet sites offering deals on flights but the best approach is to check and compare prices between the airline companies and the sites that provide multiple searches – and watch out for any hidden charges!

Think about packing your luggage as so many airlines can extra fees for bags put in the hold. Do you really need to take all those clothes and accessories?!

Whatever you decide, remember that flight prices change daily so make sure you check the fares on every day around the time you’re planning your trip away.

Bon voyage!