Planning a holiday is exciting, but booking flights online can be quite a challenge. The price can vary from one day to the next, and it’s hard to know whether you’re getting the best price. To help you find better deals, here are 10 tips to save money booking flights online.
1. Book early
The earlier you can book short haul flights the cheaper it can be. As flights get full and there are fewer seats to sell, the price usually increases.
2. Be flexible with dates
Can you be flexible with your dates? A few days either side of your preferred date might mean a significant difference in the price. Midweek flights and flights at unsociable hours are generally cheaper.
3. Compare dates
Use comparison websites. These compare prices between different airlines and the different booking sites. You’ll be able to view flights by date and time, allowing you to work out the cheapest dates to fly.
4. Fly off-peak
Travel in off-peak times. Spring and Autumn are usually cheaper compared to travelling in the peak summer months or school holidays.
5. Be flexible with airports
Can you be flexible with the airport you are travelling from? Flight prices vary from airport to airport. If the cost of a flight combined with travel to another airport works out less expensive than flying from your closest airport, it could be worth considering. If you don’t plan to leave a car at the airport, then returning to a different airport than the one you flew from could make flights cheaper still.
6. Use different airlines
Sometimes buying a return flight with the same airline is not always the cheapest option. Search for individual flights each way to see if you can save money by flying out with one airline and back with another.
7. Reduce your luggage
Luggage is an added extra to the cost of your flight. Do you need all those big suitcases, or could you manage with just hand luggage?
8. Browse in private mode
Use the private mode on your computer when searching. Booking sites can remember which flights you have searched so if you go back and search again, the price will often increase. If you search in private mode or use an alternative computer, you might avoid the price increase.
9. Sign-up for offers
Sign up to receive email alerts when flights go on sale or airlines offer discounted rates.
10. Take advantage of late deals
This goes against our previous suggestion of booking early, but you can get some great deals if you wait until last minute. This works best if you don’t have a preferred destination and can be flexible with dates and flight times. Often holiday companies will release cheap deals if they have lots of availability or there have been cancellations.
Once the stress of booking your flights is over, its time to pack your bags, relax and enjoy your holiday.
At Morses Club, we try and help our customers make their money stretch a little further by providing money saving tips on our blog. There may be times when you need a little extra help covering an unexpected cost. That’s when one of our doorstep loans could help. A doorstep loan isn’t the best option for everyone so make sure you understand how it works before deciding if it is right for you.
