BOOKING flights can be daunting, especially as the cost for the same flight can vary so dramatically.
Here's all the expert advice you need on the subject of getting cheaper flights.
What is the cheapest month to buy flights in the UK?
According to Michael O'Leary, CEO of Ryanair, booking flights in the first two months of the year could make them cheaper.
He revealed that fares will often be sold at a loss during January and February in order to fill the planes up.
The same is said for the dates just before the peak school holidays.
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Speaking to the Independent in January 2024, he said those winter months are the best time of year to find the cheapest air fares.
He explained: “There will always be periods of time, particularly... January, February, before you get to the school mid-term break or the Easter holidays or summer — where we’re trying to fill flights.
“We’re happy to fill flights at loss-making air fares. So there will still be lots of low air fares.”
Even with those lower prices in January and February, O'Leary still sticks by comments he made around this time last year when he said that the days of £9.99 flights were over.
He said the price of fuel now means the airline cannot afford to go that low anymore.
He continued: “We’re now paying $80 (£63) a barrel for fuel. I don’t think you’ll see a return to £9.99 air fares but £15, £20, £25 is still a phenomenally cheap air fare."
However, there are still bargains to be had for flights if people look at the right time.
What is the cheapest day to book flights?
Anyone looking up advice on when to book cheap flights will see lots of outlets saying Tuesday is the best day of the week for deals because airlines often release sales starting from Monday night or Tuesday morning.
Because the air travel business is heavily based on supply and demand, you will most likely get a better deal nearer the start of a sale.
Although there is no best day of the year to book a flight, a number of experts recommend booking on any Sunday in January to get the cheapest prices.
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[If you book] too late, we all know prices can skyrocket, but also you don’t want to book too early, because then you could be unnecessarily paying too much
Caroline Bologna
Rather than a specific day, travel expert Caroline Bologna says there is a sweet spot for when you can get the best deals called the “Goldilocks Window”.
Unsurprisingly, this optimum time for securing bargains lies right in between booking too early and booking too late.
Caroline told the Am I Doing It Wrong? podcast: “There’s this term called the ‘Goldilocks Window’ — which I’m pretty sure Scott Keyes, who founded Scott’s Cheap Flights, which is now called Going.com — coined.
“[If you book] too late, we all know prices can skyrocket, but also you don’t want to book too early, because then you could be unnecessarily paying too much.”
She explained that people who are organised and get things done in advance can be at a disadvantage when booking tickets.
Similarly, those who book at the last minute can also lose out on the best deals.
Caroline advised booking domestic flights four to six weeks before flying, or even as much as eight weeks in advance.
While for international travel it was best to book three to five months before actually jetting off.
But Caroline also issued a warning, as there are exceptions.
She said: “There are always exceptions.
“Holiday season, summer travel — those are times you know are going to be crazy, so you’re going to want to book them pretty far in advance.”
Some people swear that you can get better deals if you book on a particular day, such as a Sunday or Tuesday, however Caroline rejects this saying that the experts she’s spoken to dismiss this as being a myth.
However, if you fly on particular days this can save you money.
Caroline said: “Every expert I’ve ever talked to says [traveling on] Tuesday and Wednesday — those midweek days — are the best.
“Early Saturday can be pretty good as well.”
There are also other advantages of flying on these days.
According to Caroline, not only are you less likely to have your flight cancelled or delayed due to fewer people flying but also your overall airport experience will likely be more relaxing.
One of the hosts of the podcast, Noah Michelson, added that if you do fly on holiday, such as Christmas morning, you can save a pile of cash.
However, there is a huge risk with doing this – if there is a problem with your flight, either being delayed or cancelled, you may not make it home for the big day.
Does the time of the day affect flight prices?
Opting for an unsociable, early-morning flight can save you money, while also improving your chances of getting a better seat.
Frequent flyer Zach Griff told The Points Guy: "Families would likely have a hard time travelling with kids at 6am, and only those who don't mind a 4am (or earlier) alarm can make these early-morning flights work.
"Airline revenue managers know this and that's typically why the first flight of the morning is the cheapest one.
"There's much less demand and that reality is often reflected in the fares."
And on top of that, a survey has shown that earlier flights are disrupted less frequently.
Figures from AirHelp show that of the scheduled flights from the UK and Ireland between 5am and 9am, 43 per cent were disrupted on average.
Between 10am and 2pm, this figure rose to 55 per cent on average.
Flights scheduled between 9pm and 10pm were the most disrupted, with a rate of 66 per cent, before dropping to 56 per cent between 10pm and midnight.
Is it cheaper to get last-minute flights?
Vacation expert Gavin Lapidus — travel agent and director of multi-centre holiday specialists eShores — has revealed why last-minute flights are not always the cheapest.
Price is dependent on how many seats are left on a flight – demand may be high, so prices can spike closer to the date of travel and you can end up paying more.
This means you should book early when travelling over the holidays, such as Christmas, when you can guarantee demand will be high.
Lapidus says that in some cases you could pay three times more booking your Christmas flights in December than if you did it earlier in the year.
He says to book for Christmas you should begin looking in January or February.
The days before and after a seasonal holiday are also the most expensive days to travel, so if you can be flexible with your dates or extend your trip, that can cut costs.
