The secret to finding cheap airline tickets

Experts from consumer protection organizations Which? your, shares effective tips to help travelers save money as well as hunt for attractive deals when planning their next vacation.

The first piece of advice is “let price comparison sites help you decide whether to book now or wait for a better price”.

Lauren, senior researcher and content editor at Which?says sites like Google Flights, Hotels or Kayak often display information boxes indicating whether this is a good time to “lock in” or not. These assessments are based on huge amounts of price data and are often very specific.

For example, Kayak informs Which? that ticket prices to Tokyo, Japan, are expected to increase by 90 USD in the next 45 days. When searching for hotels, Kayak also shows that a hotel is 28% cheaper than expected – meaning its price is likely to increase in the near future. Google Hotels and Google Flights also have similar features that help guests know whether to book now or wait.

Travelers can also use built-in tools to find the cheapest week to travel, says Amy, senior researcher at Which?.

At the Skyscanner travel service booking application, travelers need to enter their departure point, intended month of travel and desired destination. This tool will provide the average price and best time to book tickets accurate to each week.

“It also shows other cheaper destinations in the month the customer wants to go for further consideration,” says Amy. However, travelers also need to remember that the data is based on the previous year, and airfare prices may not follow the same pattern each year.

In addition, experts also advise users to take advantage of support tools such as “everywhere” or “explore” to hunt for cheap prices. On Google Flights, travelers can click “anywhere” and Skyscanner has an “explore” section. Travelers can also use the map to display prices based on real-time data, filter by flight time or travel type such as “nature”, “beach”, “ski”.

If you plan to bring checked baggage, use the “checked bag” filter to compare prices as suggested by researchers at Which?, Trevor.

“Flights sometimes seem cheap, but when you add luggage, the price increases dramatically,” Trevor added.

Kayak, Skyscanner or some platforms all allow filtering by baggage options, and Google Flights allows removing results that do not include checked baggage, helping passengers calculate the correct amount to spend.

Naomi, deputy editor of Which?also reminds that when viewing results, always sort by “cheapest”, not “best”. If you are flexible with your travel dates, you can use the price chart tool to find the cheapest date. Google Flights’ price chart makes it easy for travelers to see which days are cheapest, so just search around the date you plan to travel, then scroll down and click price graph.

Amy also mentioned that price comparison sites sometimes show different results, so travelers need to cross-check between platforms. “If you find a good deal on one site, check that flight or hotel again on another site to make sure you get the best price,” she says.

Finally, experts advise travelers to check prices directly with the airline or hotel because sometimes they may offer discounts to encourage direct bookings or offer free breakfasts or other incentives.

For airline tickets, use comparison sites to filter your options, but it’s best to book directly with the airline. This is a way to reduce risk if guests need to change plans.