Planes are a necessary evil for all budget travellers and, try as you might, you very rarely come across a fare that is, for lack of a better word, fair. There are some exceptions to this rule that we will discuss shortly but, on the whole, buying plane tickets is always about damage limitation. However, below are some handy tips to ensure that you get the best deal possible.

Book early
This is very important… book early, book early and book early. It’s rather simple, airlines increase the cost of their tickets as the number of spare seats decrease. As such, the sooner you book the less you will pay.

Use comparison websites
In our modern age, checking out potential flights is easy. There are a vast number of flight comparison websites and, though they vary in quality, they’re still a great place to start. Importantly, when searching for flights, play around with the airport that you plan to depart from. Sometimes you can get significant discounts just by departing from (for example) Gatwick instead of Heathrow. Furthermore, make sure that you check prices over a range of dates as rates will differ depending on the day you travel. As a general rule of thumb, try to avoid travelling on Fridays or at weekends.

Whilst these sites generally don’t add any additional fees to the price you pay, some are horrible advert infested affairs that bombard you with popups and sponsored links. However, whether you choose to purchase a flight through them or not, comparison websites do allow you to get a feel for what’s available and, importantly, identify areas where you can save money.

Check airline websites
Once you’re armed with the knowledge of who travels where, you need to carry out some further investigations to ensure that you really are getting the deal of the century. Whilst price comparison websites generally do a good job of checking schedules, they do occasionally miss or ignore special offers. Due to these shortcomings, always check out the official website of the airline you are planning on flying with.

Find cheap flight sales
On the topic of amazing deals, airlines do occasionally offer seats at ridiculously low prices. The reasons for these sales vary from publicity stunts to selling off spare capacity but, regardless of their motives, it’s good news for you.

In the past airlines would often offer flights for £1 and then, rather sneakily, add various taxes to inflate the price. However, nowadays this practice is illegal and companies have to include all related taxes in the price they advertise. That said, they are still allowed to add ‘extras’ like insurance and baggage fees but, thankfully, you can remove these manually. We recently travelled to Dublin for the grand sum of 2p each, courtesy of Ryanair. As you can probably imagine… we’re still smiling.

There are some negatives to these sales, however, and these drawbacks are normally found in the form of rigid departure dates. That said, with savings potentially running into the hundreds, the inconvenience is acceptable.

With offers normally only running for 24 hours, it’s important to keep your ear to the ground when it comes to these types of sales. If possible, sign up for all the major airlines online mailing lists so that you hear about any discounts, small or large, before the masses do. It may also be worth signing up to Money Saving Expert’s sales alert system. You can also use their site to search for cheap flights.

New Airlines
Occasionally, very occasionally, a new airline will launch. If this new airline happens to serve your intended destination, you could be in luck. New airlines are keen to promote themselves and this often translates into very cheap ticket prices for their first customers. For example, when Oasis Hong Kong Airline first started operating in early 2007, some lucky individuals found themselves with tickets to Hong Kong for around £100. Where were you, eh?

Categories: Budget Travel
Tags: cheap airlines, Cheap flights