Last Updated October 7, 2013
After interviewing 10 travel agents in the area, we’ve compiled the very best tips for finding the cheapest flights.
Book your flight 21 days before you want to fly:
Booking a flight is like playing a game of chicken. Airlines want to get the most money possible for their tickets and have sophisticated computer algorithms that adjust their prices automatically. Book too early, and you might miss out on some major deals. Book too late, and you might be shocked to see prices skyrocket. The general consensus is to book your flight 21 days before your planned departure date to get the best deals.
Tuesday is the best day of the week:
Most airlines update their reservation systems on a Tuesday at 7pm GMT. People tend to buy the bulk of their tickets on the weekend, so airlines make changes on one of the slowest days of the week – Tuesday.
Fly on Tuesday or Wednesday:
Tuesday and Wednesday are the least busy days at airports, and are also the cheapest days to fly. As an added bonus, you’ll also have less people to deal with at the airport. Friday and Sunday are the peak flying days of the week, and are the worse, and most expensive days to fly.
Book Early for International Flights:
The best deals for international flying are found 11-12 weeks in advance. You can also try flying into smaller airports, which sometimes have better deals.
Eat Your Cookies:
Delete your Internet browser cookies if you’ve visited an airline site within the last 30 days. It’s been discovered that some airlines will raise prices for previous visitors to their websites.
Compare Prices: Use travel search engines, in addition to airline websites, to make sure you’re getting the best deal possible.
Offer: Flights from €40
eDreams.com/Flight_Offers
Find, Compare Prices & Book Your Flight Destination with eDreams!
British Airways Flights
www.britishairways.com
Check-in, choose seats, drinks & snacks, 2 x hand luggage included
Cheap Flights - SA
Flights.travelsupermarket.co.za
Get the Cheapest Local Flights Compare all airlines in seconds
Compare Prices: Use travel search engines, in addition to airline websites, to make sure you’re getting the best deal possible.
Offer: Flights from €40
eDreams.com/Flight_Offers
Find, Compare Prices & Book Your Flight Destination with eDreams!
British Airways Flights
www.britishairways.com
Check-in, choose seats, drinks & snacks, 2 x hand luggage included
Cheap Flights - SA
Flights.travelsupermarket.co.za
Get the Cheapest Local Flights Compare all airlines in seconds