Holiday expert reveals exact time to book your tickets for August bank holiday flights & how you can save hundreds
It's not too late to book last-minute flight tickets for holiday trips over the August bank holiday weekend.
Brits can still find ways to get out of the country that won't blow the budget for the weekend of August 25.
This includes trips to classic European escapes and hotspots like Disneyland Paris.
Ticket experts have analysed pricing data and industry travel trends.
CEO of AttractionTickets, Oliver Brendon, explained: 'It's easy to assume the early bird always gets the deal.
"In reality, travel companies adjust fares repeatedly based on demand, and we see opportunities appear even in the final days before departure.
"There's still time to save on last-minute August bank holiday travel if you know when to book.'
Brendon reveals the trick to finding value no matter how late the purchase is made.
Through review of historic pricing, as well as industry reports, Sundays have been found to regularly deliver the lowest average booking prices.
This is because airlines adjust seat availability and prices over the weekend.
Therefore, holidaymakers who plan to book on Sundays can more often find a better deal and pay significantly less than those who book on other days.
3 tips to help you get the cheapest flights when booking holidays
Furthermore, Fridays have been found to be time to avoid as it is the time when prices tend to spike due to increasing demand.
A clear morning advantage has also been found through analyses.
Around 6am is when the fresh fares tend to show up, so it is good to get in early before search traffic ramps up into the day.
So those looking to book a getaway from the bank holiday this month should set their alarms for Sunday morning.
Oliver adds 6am on Sunday, August 17 "both sit within the sweet spot before the long weekend and will give you a chance at potentially unlocking better pricing.'
This timing tip comes from expert insights and data-driven research from travel and ticketing platforms.
It also focused on last-minute booking trends by travellers in the UK.
The advise follows suggestions from CEO of Ryanair, Michael O'Leary, who said flights could also be booked cheaper in the first two months of the year.
Winter months are believed to be the best time of the year to find cheap air fares, as well as just before the peak of school holidays.
Another study looked in to the best time to book flights for certain destinations.
For Faro in Portugal, the cheapest flights for the summer holidays were found to be just five weeks before travelling.
And for long-haul flights like to New York, the best time was found to be June to book for an August vacation.
Other tips for saving money on flights
Here are some of the best ways you can save money on flights
Mistake Fares
A mistake fare is essentially an error that occurs when airlines or travel agents accidentally list the wrong price for a flight.
It might happen when airline staff accidentally leave out a zero — or two — while listing the cost of a ticket online.
While the odds of airlines making these mistakes are fairly low, such incidents do occur from time to time — and travellers can save hundreds of pounds by just keeping an eye out.
However, they will have to be quick as airlines will remove these prices as soon as they spot the mistake.
Being flexible
Being fussy about where you go on holiday can reduce your options for saving money.
Going on Google Flights and clicking on the map instead of searching for a specific destination will show you the cheapest rates to a number of cities.
That way you can make sure you head to the most affordable destination, or at least choose somewhere with cheap flights.
Avoid pricey luggage additions
Most airlines now charge extra for passengers to check luggage in during their flights and it's much more affordable to fly with just carry-on.
So practice packing before you fly and make sure you can squash everything into a case or bag that will fit in the airline's hand luggage rules — it could save you a fair amount.
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