How to Book a Cheap Flight The holiday market has never been more competitive. BA claimed that a further 30 airlines would go bust before Christmas after XL handed in the towel in September. With airline companies fighting for your custom, now may be a good time to find some good flight deals. Here are some tips to help you get the cheapest flight possible…
– Book early. Sometimes you can get fantastic late deals from flight companies, however, the majority of the time the later you book, the more expensive your flight will be. Even a week makes a difference when the price of flights are concerned, so once you know you are going to be travelling, don’t procrastinate- book now. It could save you hundreds on flight prices.
– Fly off-peak. During school holidays, flight and holiday prices soar. If you haven’t got any children, book your flight in term time. Term time is classed as off-peak, so prices can drop dramatically during these periods. Avoid travelling around Christmas, Easter and in July and August, as flight costs will unavoidably rise, and could save you up to £300 for a fortnight’s holiday.
– Fly at unsociable times. Even though travelling in the early hours of the morning may not be the most enjoyable time to fly, it could save you money on flight costs. People tend to book flights at convenient times, for example, during the day or early evening. By choosing to fly in between 11:00pm and 7:00am, you will find your flight prices may be significantly lower. These times are also ideal for missing traffic on the way to the airport.
– Don’t limit yourself to one airport. Just because you live near an airport doesn’t mean you have to fly from there. Look for flights from a number of airports, and you may be surprised that you may find a cheaper deal at another airport. If you find a cheaper deal at another airport, weigh up how much it would cost you to get there, and it may still be cheaper than the flight from the nearer airport.
– Book online. Travel agents take commission while booking your holiday, which means higher prices than you would find on the Internet. For travel companies, the costs of running an online booking service is cheaper than running an actually branch, with staffing and rent to consider. Online booking eliminates these costs, so you are more likely to find a cheaper flight.
-Shop around. Make sure you compare flights online from a number of different companies, and don’t limit yourself to the big travel giants. By searching through a number of companies you are more likely to come across cheap flights, and find flights that are most suited to what you require.