5 tricks to prepare cheap flights for summer holidays

Are you desperate to get away this summer, but not desperate to break the bank to do so? It might be gearing up to be a scorching summer in the UK, but that doesn’t mean a cheeky trip to a foreign beach would go amiss.

But if you’re new to booking flights, then it can be intimidating to know the latest tips and tricks to get the best bang for your buck. Now, we won’t pretend it’s an exact science – but allow us to crack some of the online waffle and share just a few tricks for you to try and cut those holiday costs.

Be it the choice perfect time to book or using the perfect platform to book them, the tricks here will hopefully save you a little money on your travel bills.

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1. Avoid peak travel times

Different countries mean different peak travel times. But in general, flying to Europe in the summer months (June, July and August) is almost always more expensive than in the fall or winter, Conde Nast Traveler reports.

On the other hand, the Caribbean / Australia / New Zealand gets crowded with visitors during the cooler season. It boils down to chasing the off-season when you can for more affordable flights and fewer tourists to bar fight with.

2. Use technology

Using the right app or website could make all the difference when it comes to purchasing cheap flights. For example, the Google Flights Explore map allows you to see the cheapest place to fly from the airport during the selected dates/date range.

Others that have been promoted for best deals include: Expedia; Skyscanner; Cheap flights; KAYAK; Booking.com; First choice; Hopper and Momondo.

3. Look up rates yourself

It’s not the best for convenience, but finding a place alone can save you some serious bank. Conde Nast Traveler reports that due to the airlines’ poorly designed automated fare systems, they will only look for more than one seat at the same price.

However, by searching for a single seat, the system will find that cheaper seat – savings that can really add up when you’re traveling with a group. Many airline agents should be able to help you with this – and travel agents can also make it quicker and easier if you’re not sure about doing it yourself.

4. Be flexible

When it comes to booking a vacation, most of the time we want to be as prepared as possible. But that’s not always the best thing for our wallet.

Experts advise you to check whether moving the flight a day earlier or later will affect the price or from a nearby airport. For greater savings, consider destination flexibility as well.

If your dates are fixed, browse the options on Skyscanner, which allows users to select ‘explore everywhere’ as their destination. Then look for the best value in a certain time frame.

Another recommendation concerns “secondary and tertiary cities”. In Europe, competition from low-cost airlines has allowed secondary cities to become gateways to a destination, for example flying to Porto instead of Lisbon in Portugal.

5. Timing, timing, timing

Unlike the yellow labels at the supermarket, unfortunately, there is no secret time to get the perfect deal. A 2024 report by Expedia found that airfare is, on average, least expensive on Sundays and most expensive on Fridays) – but it’s not that easy.

According to Google Flights, for mid-December travel, it might pay to wait a little closer to booking, as average prices tend to be lowest 71 days before departure, based on the most recent data. For winter holidays, consider that most airlines issue tickets between six and 11 months, so it’s never too early to look for the best deals.

As a general rule, the best prices tend to stop once the flight is less than three weeks away. If there are 21 days until you plan to travel and you haven’t seen a flight deal to your destination, go ahead and book.

This is because the airlines’ automatic fare systems are set up to treat later bookings as last-minute flights for business travelers and price them accordingly.

Do you have a tip that I missed? Let us know in the comments below