As the old saying says, if you look after the pennies, the pounds will take care of themselves. Well that’s all very well and good, but how do you do it when you’re looking for cheap flights?
I’ve thought long and hard about it, and come up with some tips we hope will help. Please leave your ideas in the comments below!
1. Where to Book
I recommend that you book your flight online – comparison websites like Skyscanner offer cheaper fares and lower fees than sometimes booking direct with an airline.
Comparison sites are a great way to check the base price of a flight. But don’t forget most sites don’t actually show the real cost of your flight, including booking fees, luggage fees, an inflight meal and so on – so the results can be a little bit misleading as they’re missing this information.
Since most airlines have unbundled their services like meals and hold baggage from the flight price, it can be tricky to make like-for-like comparisons on prices. One way to compare airlines is to search for a flight on a comparison site. Once you find the airlines that match your price, departure time and airport criteria the closest, you can then go through the booking process on separate tabs to see how the extras add up. It will take longer, but if you have the time you might just avoid hitting hidden extras.
Some airlines don’t charge for payment by debit cards, Pay Pal or credit cards, but some do. Make sure you know the costs of this before so it can help you make a good saving when compared to our competitors.
2. Choose Your Destination Carefully
Unless you’re going to see family or own a second home, chances are you can be quite flexible about where to go. Don’t forget to consider the exchange rate and do some research about the relative cost of food and accommodation where you’re going, to alternative options.
3. Be Flexible with Dates
There are two schools of thought about when to book a flight to get the best savings. If you know where and when you want to go, and particularly if you’re travelling during a peak period such as a holiday or weekend, we recommend that you book well in advance of travel.
This will help you to grab any early bargains available, select your preferred seats on the aircraft, and guarantee your extra legroom seat before they sell out.
On the other hand, if you don’t know where you want to go but you know when you want to travel, you can make savings by booking a late flight deal closer to the departure date.
Be aware that if you want to travel during peak periods such as school holidays, mid-summer, Christmas, Easter and Bank Holidays, prices are likely to be higher due to peaks in demand. It’s all about timing – if you can travel when others are not, chances are you’ll find a cheaper fare.
If you want to make a saving, try to book in the ‘shoulder season’ just before or after these peak periods. You may also find tourist site entry fees are reduced or discounted at your destination- and the entry queues will be shorter too!
Hotels and resorts will be quieter too – plenty of free sun loungers round the pool!
If you can be flexible with your flight times and dates, you’re likely to be able to find a cheaper flight. It also pays to consider different days to your usual routine – some mid-week flights may be cheaper than weekends, and vice versa, depending on the destination.
Whether you’re planning to book early or late, check our cheap flight offers regularly and particularly just before you make your booking – there could be an offer to suit you.
4. Airports
If you can, try to be flexible with your airports. You may find a cheaper flight from a more distant airport – though it pays to check the cost of travel to and from the airport e.g. public transport vs taxi. If the cost of this is prohibitive, why not take a look at airport parking.
5. Food
Let’s be honest, unless you are going first class, airline food is pretty average. If you’re worried about spending too much on food or snacks onboard, some airlines offer in-flight meals that can be purchased online in advance for a very reasonable cost. You could also take your own food onboard which can work out even cheaper.
6. Pack Light
Want to save money on luggage? Pack light! Take just what you need for the time you are away and if possible don’t check in a bag as most airlines now charge for this.
If you are able to put everything in your carry on bag you can put the money you would have spent on luggage costs towards a new wardrobe, sightseeing or souvenirs. You were going to go shopping anyway, right? Of course, you can carry 10kg in your hand luggage for free on most airlines.
Need some extra baggage but worried about excess charges? You’ll save a significant amount by weighing your bags at home and buying an extra bag online, rather than waiting till you get to the airport.
7. Join Rewards Clubs
Are you a frequent flier? A lot of websites and airlines have membership reward schemes for additional time saving and money saving benefits. Sometimes you can collect points towards a free flight!
Do you have any recommendations for how to grab bargain flights? Let me know below.
