Looking for cheap flights for your next trip? There are actually more tricks than you might think. For instance, the day of the week you book your flight can make a difference. Additionally, websites track your activity through cookies, which means prices can adjust based on what you search for. It’s also important to know the different airlines and perhaps subscribe to some for extra deals. Try to be flexible with your travel dates as well, so you can find the best price for your flight. Good luck on your quest to find the cheapest flight!
Checking larger comparison sites can often be a very good option. This gives you a quick overview of different airlines, days, and travel options. However, not all budget airlines are included on these sites, so it might be worth doing an extra search on the side to get the best comparison possible. For example, make sure to use a site like Tripplo.co.uk that lists all types of flight deals, whether they are tickets sold directly by major airlines, low-cost carriers, or travel agencies.
Tuesdays are generally the cheapest day to depart. Many people choose to travel on weekends, so Wednesdays and Thursdays are more popular – and therefore more expensive. Fridays and Saturdays are also popular departure days that you should avoid.
Try not to get too fixated on specific departure dates. Being set on specific dates limits your ability to compare different prices. So – if you have some flexibility with departure and return dates, it’s much easier to find cheaper flights.
Keep in mind that flight prices are often much higher around major holidays and school breaks. This is because many people are off work and choose to travel during these times. If you can take time off in the middle of a term, when most others are usually working or at school – then you can definitely find lower prices on your flights.
Sometimes it can be cheaper to travel if you are willing to have one or two stopovers during your flight. Although it might be a bit more inconvenient, it can potentially save you some extra money. There is usually plenty to do at airports, such as shopping and dining, so you can pass the time.
Keep an eye on prices in advance if you plan to look for last-minute deals. Sometimes prices can spike on the day of departure. The general assumption is that last-minute trips are the cheapest, and while this can sometimes be true, it can also be the opposite – so do your research in advance to avoid overpaying.
Booking flights about two months in advance is considered a good time to get a good price. If you book, for example, a year in advance, prices are usually higher. It’s also smart to book your trip at the right time during the week. Booking on a Monday often means higher prices because airline websites have had high traffic over the weekend, as many people research their trips then. Therefore, it’s better to book your trip sometime between Tuesday and Thursday, with Tuesday being the best day.
Of course, it’s important to book your flight at the right time. But it’s also important to see which flights are cheapest in terms of departure time. Generally, evening departures are less popular and therefore come with a lower price tag.
Believe it or not, but it can actually be cheaper to book a package holiday where both flight and hotel are included, rather than just booking the flight. When this happens, it’s usually because various travel agencies have booked a number of flight tickets that they sell in a package with accommodation, but they haven’t managed to sell all of them. Then they sell their package deals at rock-bottom prices. This usually happens for destinations that face high competition among travel agencies. For example, for package holidays to Spain and package holidays to Greece, but also for various package holidays to a popular destination like Thailand.
If you subscribe to newsletters from major airlines (and comparison sites), you might occasionally receive offers that you get first dibs on. You can also keep track of trends and get updates on what’s popular right now.
Join the loyalty programs of major airlines. With some airlines, you can collect points and get discounts on certain flights. You can also accumulate vouchers if you sign up for credit cards with certain companies. It’s a smart and easy way to gather some extra credit that can pay for your flight.
Do you travel for work? Make sure your employer arranges for you to collect frequent flyer points on a personal account. This way, you can use them for personal trips – a small extra bonus as a thank you for all the business trips you’ve taken for your workplace.
Today’s algorithms are clever things that keep close track of what you search for. Some websites use their cookies to raise the prices of the trips you’re looking at, to get you to book them faster. You can easily avoid this by enabling private or incognito mode on your browser. A quick Google search will show you how this works in your browser.
Discount codes are fantastic things that can help you save a few extra pounds on almost any kind of shopping. Don’t forget to spend a few extra minutes looking for discount codes before you click book. We have several discount codes on our website where you might find something that fits your specific trip.