When it comes to booking a flight and travelling the costs can certainly add up, especially when it comes to certain UK budget airlines.
It seems like it’s not just a ticket that we have to pay for but pre-booking seats, boarding earlier and, let’s not forget, printing boarding passes.
However, with the right strategy, travellers can find affordable flights and save a huge amount of money.
This is according to experts at Coveragely who have shared their tips for bagging cheaper flights which could save you up to £1,200.
Here’s what you need to know.
1. Search engines and aggregators – potential savings of up to £150
Start with Google Flights to get an overview of prices from various airlines. Use filters to narrow down options by price, airline, stops, and more.
Meanwhile, with Skyscanner, you can search multiple airlines and travel agencies, providing a comprehensive comparison.
Finally, Kayak lets you search for flights and allows you to set up price alerts.
2. Flexible dates and destinations – potential savings of up to £100
Most experts recommend this but searching for flights over a range of dates to see if flying a day earlier or later can save you money.
Skyscanner’s ‘Explore Everywhere’ option helps you find the cheapest destinations from your location.
3. Search operators and specific techniques – potential savings of up to £150
Thanks to private browsing you can avoid price increases due to cookies tracking your searches. You can do this by using incognito or private browsing mode.
4. Combine one-way flights – potential savings of up to £150
You can mix and match airlines by sometimes booking two one-way tickets on different airlines. This can be cheaper than a round-trip ticket.
5. Set up alerts and notifications – potential savings of up to £200
Certain sites are great for this such as Google Flights and Kayak. You can set up price alerts for specific routes to receive notifications when prices drop.
Meanwhile, the Hopper App can predict the best time to buy flights and sends alerts when prices are expected to rise or fall.
6. Optimise your timing – potential savings of up to £300
By booking one to three months in advance for domestic flights, and two to eight months for international flights, you can yield better prices.
It turns out Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays are often cheaper days to fly.
7. Leverage social media and newsletters – potential savings of up to £150
Social Media can be a great tool for travel. Follow accounts like @SecretFlying and @TheFlightDeal for real-time deals.
Elsewhere, newsletters can work just as well. Subscribe to sites like Scott’s Cheap Flights for notifications about sales and error fares.