Has this ever happened to you? You’ve just booked a flight for your next vacation. You’re talking to a friend telling them where you’re going and how much it cost. And next thing you hear, they tell you they’ve booked tickets to the same place, but a lot cheaper!
How infuriating!
And this can significantly add up even more when you’re booking for your entire family. You could have had hundreds of pesos extra to spend on the finer things in life. But no, it all went on flights!
Well, there are some ways to save an absolute bundle on your next vacation, with a little planning and know-how. So let’s talk through slashing your vacation costs, without ruining your fun:
Early Bird Catches the Discount
Okay, this one may not come as a huge surprise, but the earlier you book the better the price you get. This is true of course regarding many things!
It’s true for flights, for accommodation, and more. Actually, something well worth keeping in mind when booking flights early – there is a bit of a balancing act to keep in mind. According to research, the cheap seats don’t appear until four months before the flight. So don’t book a year in advance!
Whereas a couple of months before the flight is when prices increase, even significantly. So between two and four months before you’re due to fly is the magical discount window.
Be Flexible
First let’s talk about flights again, then accommodation:
If you’re quite happy not to set in stone the date you’re flying out on, then that gives you the ability to save a ton on travel. Basically, the less popular the flight, the better the price.
This means that flights in the middle of the week are cheaper than flying at the weekend. With prices dropping the most on Wednesday, interestingly.
And of course, if you can fly off peak rather than during the peak season, even better. Although this may not be particularly practical depending on when you can get time off work. And also of course, you probably don’t want to pull the kids out of school early!
And for saving on accommodation, if you have dates set in stone, then there’s not much you can do about negotiating a price. You can shop around, but if you’re travelling during peak season, again, there’s less flexibility. But taking vacation either side of peak season can help you reduce costs by a lot.
Let’s say that you’re planning a trip to France, and are picturing your family splashing their way down the big sandy beaches of Languedoc. Well, do you have a firm date in mind? Perhaps, rather than travelling at the start of summer, leave it towards the end, nearer September and the start of the school year.
Competition is Good News For You
Competitive markets keep prices under control. And can even mean prices come down a lot. For flights – the busier the airport, the more airlines are competing with each other. This is good for you.
And for accommodation, there’s a balance between popularity and price. A popular area often means prices increase. But as competition increases, so prices can stabilize, and even drop. Basic economics really, demand versus price.
Compare, Compare, Compare
Have you used multiple comparison websites to see how and where you can get the best price? Don’t just depend on one. And a few hours of online research can save you
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