Travel enthusiast Laura Bennett, 34, has shared her little-known tip to bag bargain flights, after slashing her air fare on a recent trip to the picturesque Greek islands
Bag the lowest airfares with this genius tip that saved one traveller a whopping £90 on her recent holiday to Greece.
Knowing exactly when to book your flights can sometimes feel like you’re shooting in the dark. Many pay for their travel and hotel well in advance, while others risk waiting until the last minute to see if any sudden sales become available.
Luckily, experts over at Ionian Island Holidays have finally set the record straight after reviewing new travel data that found booking two to three months in advance will get you the best price. This is particularly true for hotspots like Greece, which Laura Bennett, from Bristol, recently visited.
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The 34-year-old spent a fortnight exploring the Greek hotspot of Crete and the Cyclades islands – and managed to get a great deal on her flights. “I’ve made the mistake of booking too late in the past and paid over £300 for a return flight,” she said in a statement sent to the Mirror. “But this year, I booked early and saved more than half that amount.”
“I started checking prices in January for a May trip, and flights were around £120 return. Just a few weeks later, those same seats had jumped to over £200.”
Experts over at Ionian Island Holidays recommend booking your flights ‘as early as possible’ if you’re travelling in key seasons such as between April and June or in September. “These shoulder seasons offer great weather — and fewer crowds — but prices do rise quickly the closer you get to departure,” they added.
Flights in July and August will often be the most expensive, so Laura recommends dodging these dates altogether. Even flying mid-week rather than at a weekend could save you money, if you have no choice but to holiday in the peak summer months. “I once changed my outbound flight by just two days and saved nearly £90,” she said.
Many travel enthusiasts now use price alerts on comparison sites such as Google Flights and Skyscanner. This notifies customers when the fare they’ve spotted has decreased in price – and gives a good indication as to whether you’re overpaying or not.
But sometimes, waiting for a bargain can actually work out more expensive. “In-demand routes like London to Athens or Manchester to Corfu often sell out of their cheapest seats quickly,” the travel pros warn.
“If you see a fare that fits your budget, it’s better to lock it in… Regional airports often have seasonal routes that offer direct access to the islands. It’s worth checking multiple departure points if you’re not tied to one city.”
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