Of course everyone wants to get cheap flight tickets – no one wants to feel like they have overpaid. But with so many options and wildly fluctuating fares, it is not always so easy. Many people leave their flight bookings until the last minute but if you book early, are flexible with your dates and have patience, you can bag yourself cheap flight tickets more easily than you would have thought. Our easy reference guide will help you to get the best price for your flight tickets.
A. Start looking early. We can not emphasise this enough. For the best cheap international flight deals, it is best to book several months in advance or as early as you can. Airlines sometimes release fares up to a year in advance and in general the price of flight tickets only goes up as the date of travel approaches.
A. After having gone to the trouble of doing hours or even days of research for your chosen flight and fare, don’t assume that the price will stay the same. The key is to book as soon as you are happy with what you have found as fares will invariably rise. This is even more important if you are looking for cheap flight tickets during school or festive holiday periods.
A. You should consider booking your ticket during the week to get the best deals. Booking mid-week is often considerably cheaper than travelling at a weekend. Many airlines will publish specific sales on certain flight routes on a Monday evening with other airlines often following suit over the next few days. Try to avoid booking on Fridays or weekends as this is usually when everyone wants to make a booking which can lead to a spike in the fares.
A. Be flexible on your dates if possible. We can’t stress this enough. Did you know that the price you pay can depend on when you go? For example, many long haul flights will require you to stay a Saturday night to get the best fare. Often changing your flight by one day either way can make a very big difference to the price. Please note that Acetrip has a “Flex Search” option just below the flight search box. Tick this box and the system will automatically search and include results for flights three days before and three days after your chosen dates.
A. Yes. Be flexible on departure airports if you can. Airlines are always opening new routes often from airports that are not so far away from your preferred departure airport, Sometimes switching to an alternative airport can save you a lot of money and may not make that much difference to your travel time. It can also be cheaper to park or find airport hotels for less money from other airports.
A. This depends on a number of factors but it is worthwhile checking the season. For many destinations the "season" can play a big part - for example, when travelling to Australia if you travel in our summertime you will get the cheapest fares. On the other hand, in the two weeks before Christmas the price rises to its highest, however, if you don't have to be there for Christmas Day, why not fly then? The price usually drops considerably then - giving you more money to spend when you get there!
A. No – this can vary quite a lot. Our advice is to get up early! Sometimes the cheapest flight deals are for the early morning departures. Most people want the convenience of a lunchtime or afternoon flight but the savings for an early riser can be substantial. At times, it can even be cheaper to travel to the airport the evening before and book a hotel for your early morning flight.
A. The short answer is no and we encourage you to be aware of cookies. Some flight comparison sites use cookies to tailor your experience. To get the best deals, it is always better to clear your cookies and do a fresh search or search in incognito mode so that the website does not know it is the same customer searching. However, please note that Acetrip will always give you the best available fares any time you search regardless of your cookie preferences.
A. Invariably it is cheaper to take a connecting flight and you should consider connecting via an intermediate point if cost is the main factor. Most airlines will operate a hub and spoke network and will be highly competitive for routes beyond their main hub. For example, if you are travelling to India, many of the cheapest flight deals will be with middle eastern based airlines as their hubs are located between the UK and India.
A. Ask the experts for advice. Although it can often be cheaper to book online, sometimes it doesn't give the full picture. You may be unaware that by travelling a week earlier or later could save your family hundreds if not thousands of pounds. If in doubt about your chosen destination, call one of our team on 020 8518 9700 for help and advice.
A. Not necessarily. Check the rules before you book. Although some long haul flights do require a Saturday night stay, many do not. For example, with many British Airways fares and with several other airlines, simply by staying a minimum of 3 nights will get you the best fare. Do also bear in mind that it is worth checking whether your selected fare allows changes or cancellations before you book – many do not. If you are unsure about getting the best fare for your holiday, our consultants will be happy to help. You can call them on 020 8518 9700.
A. There are a number of new Low-Cost airlines which may sometimes work out cheaper but it is important to be aware that they have a different model to schedules carriers. In some cases you can save money by booking one low cost airline outbound and a different one on the inbound. However each carrier will have different rules for extra luggage, pre-booked seats. So what may appear to be a cheap flight deal might not turn out to be.
A. Generally the answer to this is no – you should not leave it to the last minute. It is a total myth that the later you leave to book your flights it will get cheaper. The only time that this may be the case is during off peak periods and it will depend on the number of bookings an airline already has. If the bookings are low the airline may put out special airfares for a short period, however it can be very risky to wait if you know that you definitely need to travel.
