Holidaymakers keen to make the most of the bank holiday weekend have been advised they could save money with a strategic booking
If you’re dreaming of a bank holiday vacation but have yet to book a trip, you could be in luck. While people keen to make the most of the long weekend might think they’ve left it too late to find any deals, an expert says otherwise.
Oliver Brendon, CEO of AttractionTickets.com explained: “It’s a common misconception that booking earlier always guarantees the best prices. The reality is that airlines regularly adjust their fares based on demand, and savvy travellers can benefit from these fluctuations even just a week ahead of departure.
“This means there’s still time to save on last-minute travel this May bank holiday, especially if you know when to book.” Brendon’s team analysed pricing data and industry travel trends to find the exact date and time Brits should book their last-minute getaways for the best possible price – and it’s just a few days away.
The experts suggested the best days to book are Sundays, meaning holidaymakers should check deals on May 18 or May 25, for last-minute trips. On the other hand, they recommended avoiding Fridays, when prices tend to spike due to increased demand and business travel.
As for the time, it sounds like the early bird catches the worm. The experts said the best time to book is around 6am. Brendon said: “Our analysis of historical pricing patterns, alongside industry travel reports, shows that Sunday remains the most cost-effective day of the week to book trips.
“Airlines typically release discounted fares and adjust inventory over the weekend, and we know from travel data that booking on a Sunday can save travellers up to 23% compared to booking on a Friday.
“We’ve also seen consistent trends that early morning is the best time to snap up low fares. Flights booked around 6:00 a.m. tend to be significantly cheaper than those booked later in the day. This is often when airlines drop fresh fares and adjust pricing algorithms before the day’s search traffic begins.”
Booking.com’s website also offers advice for people looking for affordable flights. The team’s travel experts recommend setting up price alerts, flying at unsociable hours, booking flights and accommodation on one website, and scheduling trips during your destination’s low season to help save money.
The experts said: “If you’re flying to a beachy destination with a changeable climate, such as a coastal town in Spain, Italy, or Greece, you’ll find that airfares normally rocket during the summer months when scorching beach-friendly weather is (almost) guaranteed.
“On the other hand, if you’re travelling to Orlando, a destination most famous for its theme parks, you can expect the cost of plane tickets to increase massively around school summer holidays.
“And how about those historic European cities like Berlin, Prague, and Vienna, known for hosting picture-perfect festive markets? It can actually be cheaper to fly there in the summer than December.”