6 cost-saving flight ‘hacks’ examined to save you money?

White passenger airplane flying in the sky amazing clouds in the background - Travel by air transport

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Getting the best value for money on a flight is always going to be important when booking time away, but an air travel trade body has warned that prices are likely to rise further, due to inflation and jet fuel costs.

So, if you want to continue exploring the world but keep costs down, what can you do to find the best deal?

Most of us know that shopping around is key to grabbing the cheapest flights, but over the years you might have heard of a few tips that friends and family swear will get you access to better prices.

So, let's look at some of the most common ‘flight hacks’ to see how true they really are, with expert insight into whether they can actually save you money when dreaming up your next trip.

1. You should always be first in the queue

“The earlier you book the better” – or at least, that’s what you might have been led to believe. But this often isn’t the case.

Some airlines release their tickets around 11 months in advance. But if you’ve sat at your laptop all night, waiting to be first in the queue once the tickets are released, you’re probably wasting your time.

According to flight alert site Jack’s Flight Club, airlines don’t really manage their fares for domestic flights until around four months before the departure date, and up to five months for international.

It also says seasons play a bigger role with long-haul flights. For international travel, the site claims the best prices are available one to two seasons before departure – so if you want a winter trip, get searching in summer or autumn.

However, our research found that the exact time to book to get the best prices alters year on year, as airlines look to different strategies to entice consumers in.

For instance, Cheapair.com found booking a flight from the US to Europe 45 days in advance was cheapest in 2022, but just one year later it spotted that buying 320 days before departure netted the best saving.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Jack’s Flight Club also says there’s little truth behind the idea that you’ll pay less if you leave it to the last minute, especially for popular business destinations.

This is due to the fact airlines can ‘take advantage’ of business travellers and people who need to travel quickly, with companies more willing to pay the higher fares.

2. You can never travel in the school holidays

It’s no secret that you’ll generally pay more for flight tickets if you travel during popular times, such as Christmas or out of term.

However, before you give up on any hope of a seasonal holiday, there are ways to get a cheaper deal, depending on where you’re flying to.

Rob Burgess, Editor of frequent flyer website headforpoints.com, says big city trips can be a smart way to travel at this time – especially if you fancy a touch more luxury.

“Premium seats to large business-focused destinations can be cheaper at the peak of summer due to the lack of business travellers,” he says.

3. Always book on a Tuesday

You might have heard that Tuesday is the cheapest day to book and fly on, since it’s usually quiet and, to a degree, that’s true.

Data from flight comparison site Skyscanner suggests that Tuesday can be a good day to book – but that’s usually because sales are unveiled on Monday evening or Tuesday morning.

Laura Lindsay, Travel Trends Expert at Skyscanner, says: “Some analysis shows Tuesday being the overall cheapest day to book – but that’s not always the case. In fact, our data shows it really comes down to comparing the specific route and destination.

“As flight pricing is all about supply and demand, it also depends on how well a particular flight or route is selling. It’s always best to shop around and compare live prices to make sure you’re getting the best deal.”

Current data from comparison sites Skyscanner and Opodo suggest that Sunday is, generally, the lowest-cost day to book.

But while it would be great if there was a 'perfect' day to book, the rather mundane truth is: it depends heavily on where you’re going and when you intend to fly.

Flight price comparison websites have a variety of features that allow you to check out the cheapest prices depending on the day – features like date charts that span a whole month make it easier to spot the good times to fly.

Many will also let you set up alerts when flight costs drop – so you can set a budget and wait to see if anything falls to the price you want.

Background of airplane seats. — Shutterstock / Thanakorn.P

4. You need to fly from bigger airports

If you can find a flight to a desired destination and you’re open to fewer amenities before flying, regional airports can save cash thanks to being usually served by low-cost airlines.

Smaller airports can have lower fees and overheads which are then passed on to consumers.

But Jane Hawkes, Consumer Expert and Blogger at ladyjaney.co.uk warns: “[Smaller airports] serve fewer destinations and fewer daily flights. This could account for any fare differences.”

It also depends where you’re off to – data from Skyscanner didn’t find a clear difference in cost between smaller or larger airports, but did note that it can often be cheaper to fly in and out of different locations.

Larissa Shearman, spokesperson for Jack’s Flight Club, also points out that you’ll need to factor in the additional expenses incurred if you end up having to travel further afield to get a cheaper flight.

She adds: “Either way, it’s a good idea to check which airlines fly to the destination you want to go, and which of those fly out of your closest airports.

“For example, if you were within driving distance from Southampton and Gatwick, it’s handy to know that while the majority of your flights will probably be cheaper and only available at Gatwick, [some airlines] do sometimes have handy connections from Southampton that can make for a cheap long-haul trip.”

5. Airlines track your browsing history

If you’ve ever heard the theory that you can access cheaper flights when using your browser’s “incognito” mode (when none of your browsing history is saved) or clearing your cookies, you certainly won’t be alone.

But in reality, it won’t make any difference, says Matthew Hall, Managing Director at airport transfer specialists hoppa.

“It’s common knowledge that companies track our browsing histories to personalise the advertisements we see to make us shop more online.

“However, no matter how often you view the same flights, this won’t affect prices here. That’s because flights are priced according to supply and demand, and generally lower-priced tickets sell out first, leading to price hikes for last-minute tickets.”

Other theories suggest that airlines do dynamically alter prices, but not based on your personal browsing history.

Instead, a sudden surge of demand from consumers will see them directed to more expensive groups of seats, which can partly explain the reason why you might see prices changing.

6. It’s all about flexibility

As you might expect, the best ‘hack’ for getting a cheap flight is being as flexible as possible – if your lifestyle allows you to be open to when and where you go, you stand the best chance of getting a cheap flight out.

Flight comparison sites will often give you the option of entering ‘everywhere’ or ‘anywhere’ in the destination box, along with the dates you want to fly – use this to start your inspiration.

Make sure you sign up for airlines’ emails, as they’ll often alert you when sales are starting, giving you the chance to snap up a flight more cheaply.

Some third-party sites that track airline sales can let you know when an airline is trying to shift seats or has a special discount that might suit what you’re looking for.

Browse for ‘flight price alerts’ and you’ll find many places that can nudge you when prices get to a more reasonable level, depending on your budget.

So, while there sadly isn’t a hidden system of ways to get cheaper flights every time, being flexible on departures and moving quickly when a good offer comes up is still the best advice for cut-price plane travel.

Key takeaways

Comparing prices using multiple comparison sites will help you find the best deal.
Clearing cookies before you search for flights won’t make a difference to the price.
If you can be flexible about when and where you travel, you’re more likely to grab a lower fare.
If there’s more than one airport you can easily travel to, see how flight prices. compare – especially if you have the flexibility to fly out of one place and back into another.