Finding the Best Airfare
Although buying an airline ticket can often seem like a bit of a gamble, there are a number of tips that should reduce your risk of paying over the odds:
1. Plan Ahead
Many discount fares require that you make a reservation 7, 14 or 21 days in advance, depending on the fare. The best international fares often require a reservation 30 days in advance. Making a reservation as soon as you know your travel dates increases your chances of finding a great fare.
Having said that, it's not always best to rush in and buy the first available fare. If you monitor the prices of tickets on your route for some time, you will quickly learn what is, and isn't, a good deal. Once you see a good price, you'll be in a good position to act quickly; safe in the knowledge that you've found a great deal. In this case, book straightaway, as the number of such cheap seats may be limited.
2. Pick the Best Season
Avoiding high seasons can also save you a tremendous amount of money, so find out when they start and end. The date of your outbound flight normally determines your fare, so try to make sure your departure date is either before high season starts, or after it ends.
3. Chose the Right Day
Try to avoid the days most business people like to travel. Flying on the 'wrong' day of the week may put an extra £30 on your ticket price. Flights departing on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday usually offer the lowest fares, and prices tend to be higher on Monday and Friday. Although Saturday flights occasionally have discount fares, it's often more expensive to fly on a weekend than a weekday.
TOP TEN AIRLINES - as voted by our readers.
1. Thai Airways
2. Singapore Airlines
3. Qantas
4. British Airways
5. Cathay Pacific
6. Qatar Airways
7. Emirates
8. Malaysia Airlines
9. China Airlines
10. Air New Zealand
4. Be Flexible About the Date
If you are flexible about the dates you can travel, then you may find that you can save considerably, as cheaper tickets may still be available on a less popular day than your preferred day. To get the lowest roundtrip fare, the same fare must be available on both the departing and return flights you select. If the fare is sold out on either of these, you'll end up paying a much higher price. If possible, consider flying on another date.
5. Beware of Fare Change Dates
As well as changing for high and low seasons, fare tariffs often change on the 1st day of the month. If you are planning to depart in the last few days of a month, it will be worth checking to see if the fare is lower at the start of the following month.
6. Find the Cheapest Airport
You may find that being flexible over the airport you use may save you a great deal of money. If you can choose between two airports for destination or departure, one may much cheaper than the other.
For example, you could save £50 on a flight to Chicago by choosing to fly from Manchester Airport rather than Leeds-Bradford. Of course, this may not be a useful saving for you if you live in Leeds and would have to spend an additional £50 on getting to Manchester; but it's certainly worth bearing in mind.
7. Consider Indirect Flights
If you are willing to sacrifice the ease and convenience of a direct flight, you could get yourself a bargain. For example, you could save nearly £200 on a flight from Heathrow to Cape Town by choosing a route connecting in Frankfurt, rather than a direct flight. This could add up to 7 hours onto the duration of your trip depending on the connection times, but you may feel that the saving you make would be worth this inconvenience.
8. One Way Flights
If you want to book a one way flight, always check the prices for a return ticket, even if you have no intention of using the return portion. In some cases, one-way tickets can cost more than round-trips; for example, you could save almost £50 on a flight from Glasgow to Chicago by buying a return, rather than a single ticket.
9. Think about Restrictions
Make sure you are aware of any restrictions that your ticket has. In general, the cheaper the ticket, the bigger the restrictions. Cheap tickets are usually non-refundable and non-changeable once they have been printed, so make sure you take out adequate insurance against cancellation costs if necessary. However, not all bargain fares have the same restrictions, so it is essential to read the terms and conditions of the ticket before buying.
