The strangely common mistake passengers always make that means your flights are more expensive
PASSENGERS think they have the best ideas when it comes to booking cheaper flights – but there a few reasons why their plane tickets end up costing much more than maybe they ought to.
Some people think there are better days to book flights on, better websites and even better months of the year.
But there’s some really basic mistakes that a lot of people make that should be obvious when it comes to booking their flights.
In this week’s blog for Sun Online Travel, I’ll explain one of the main reasons why flight prices aren’t as cheap as passengers think they should be – and what can be done to avoid paying those high prices.
Firstly, people just assume that tickets will be cheaper when they fly outside of the summer holidays, but that’s definitely not always the case.
Just because it’s out of season for us, doesn’t mean your destination will also be quiet.
For example, people going to Mexico in November are always going to end up paying more.
Those flights will be more expensive because they celebrate the Day of the Dead at the start of the month.
The same thing goes for people travelling to some East Asian countries during the Lunar New Year, or to Miami during American spring break.
Not everyone’s calendars are the same as ours in the UK and people never seem to think about this.
Prices can increase by hundreds during busier periods and it could be that delaying your holiday by a week, or going a little earlier could easily save you a fair chunk of cash.
So before you go, it’s always worth googling festivals, national holidays and events in the place you’re flying to, just to make sure that you’re not travelling during their busy season.
If you find a time when it’s off season in both the UK and your destination, the chances are your flight will not only be cheaper, but also emptier.
So find that sweet spot and you’ll be able to spend less on your flights and keep the money you’ve saved for experiences in your destination.
You’ll also be able to stretch out into the spare seats on your journey over. It’s a win/win situation.
There are other things that people can do to cut the cost of their flights, but it is getting harder.
Its all mainly algorithmic these days with customer data, trends in sales of tickets so on and so forth becoming increasingly important in determining how much a flight will cost
You can try using different devices, browsers or even incognito mode to try and reduce that effect, but it’s not going to have as much of an effect as it once might have.
Other people swear by booking on a certain day, flying on a certain day or even booking at a certain time.
There may be a kernel of truth in it – it’s usually cheaper to fly during the week than on a weekend, but it’s still not an exact science and it’s always worth just shopping around and changing your dates.
Pack light
Other things I’d recommend you do to save money on your flight is to fly with hand luggage only, if you can.
A lot of people take way more than they ever need when they go away and never learn from their mistakes.
Paying for a checked suitcase, for both legs of your trip, really ramps up the costs unnecessarily – and slows your progress through the airport.
Check other airports
Your destination, or even the city you’re from, might have more than one airport and more than one flight option.
For instance, London has several airports, as do other major cities like Paris, New York and Tokyo.
Check all options and all airlines – it may work out cheaper to fly in and out of different airports.
Bring your own snacks
Some airlines charge for food on board, especially on shorter-haul journeys, while airports can ramp up their costs because they have a captive audience.
There’s no rules against bringing food from home to take on the plane with you – just as long as it’s not liquid, like a jar of peanut butter.
My recommendation is to bring a cup of noodles and just ask your flight attendant to fill it up with hot water for you – we’re always more than happy to do so.
Meanwhile, this is the secret snack you can ask your flight attendant to make for you on flights.
And this is the truth about the hot water on planes and whether or not you should avoid it.