I’m a flight expert and you can save hundreds by booking ‘hacker fares’
A TRAVEL expert has revealed a way to save hundreds on flights, by using what he refers to as “hacker fares”.
Tom Church is a travel expert and co-founder of money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk where a network of bargain hunters share the cheapest deals they find.
However, he also offered a money saving tip that involves passengers mixing and matching both airlines and airports, to try and cut costs.
For example, some destinations can be reached from several of London’s airports, with several different airlines, so it’s worth checking which routes are cheapest for both outgoing and return journeys.
It could be that going from London Gatwick with easyJet is cheaper heading out, but that a return to Stansted with Ryanair is the most affordable option on the way back.
Tom said: “Don’t be afraid of mixing and matching airlines.
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“This is called a ‘Hacker Fare’, and essentially means you’ll fly out with one airline, and return with another.
“This allows you to get the cheapest fare on the way out and the way back, so it can be cheaper than buying a return with one airline.
“Most comparison sites will show you these mix and match fares, but keep an eye on the airports.
“For example, you could depart from London Gatwick and return to London Heathrow.”
Tom also recommends flexibility when booking, saying it will show people the cheapest time to travel.
He added: “If you can be flexible with your dates, you should be able to score better deals on your flights.
“When searching on Idealo Flights, Google Flights, Kayak, Skyscanner, or Momondo, I always select the flexible option.
“This way you can see when the cheapest time to travel is, and just by planning your trip around those dates, you can save hundreds of pounds.
“Making these changes to how I look for flights has meant I can afford to travel more often, and now I go on three times more holidays than most others simply because I find cheap flights”.
Meanwhile another travel expert follows these three steps to keep their holiday costs down.
Booking a mystery holiday is another way to get a holiday for cheap.