With the summer holiday season fast approaching, many prospective travellers will be scouring the internet for the best flight deals, whether planning a family getaway, a romantic escape, a group adventure, or a solo journey. Securing affordable travel can be a challenge, but two leading travel experts have shared their invaluable insights and top tips to help holidaymakers save money.
Katy Maclure, head of community and content at Jack’s Flight Club, notes that global flight prices have seen an increase, largely due to rising oil costs. This trend has particularly impacted the expense of travel to destinations such as the USA and Asia. However, she highlights that European travel has not been affected to the same extent.
“We know that oil prices have gone up and flight prices have gone up, especially for international travel,” Maclure explains. “But what we’ve noticed is that Europe’s not being affected in the same way.” She points to the continued availability of competitive fares from the UK with budget carriers like Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air, and Jet2, covering popular European destinations including Spain, the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, Portugal, and France. Recent deals have even seen return flights to Rhodes and Crete for under £100 during pleasant seasons, alongside options like Thessaloniki in northern Greece, which offers charm away from the main tourist hubs.
Maclure advises holidaymakers to consider avoiding the most “obvious places” during peak summer, as prices are often significantly inflated. For those seeking alternative destinations, she suggests exploring Madeira, often dubbed the “Hawaii of Europe,” Slovenia, Albania, or various locations across the Balkans, such as Skopje in North Macedonia or Zadar in Croatia.
When it comes to securing cheaper flights, Maclure suggests that travellers can often rely on budget airlines, such as Ryanair, to offer regular “flash sales,” making it worthwhile to monitor these promotions. Furthermore, for those without a fixed destination in mind, opting for closer-to-home travel within the UK, to Jersey, or to Ireland, can lead to substantial savings.
“If you know your local airport and who flies out of where, you can rely on Ryanair to drop a flash sale every week,” she states. “If you’re willing to go to places that are slightly different, if you don’t need the beach, the heat, the traditional British holiday, then travelling to places like Ireland, can save you so much on flights.” Maclure also notes that budget airlines typically offer their “lowest prices as close as six to three weeks before the flight,” making flexibility on timings a key advantage. Similarly, airlines like TUI often reduce fares “last minute” to fill unsold seats, a strategy worth noting for spontaneous trips.
Baggage can often be a hidden cost, and Maclure warns travellers to be vigilant. She recommends adding any necessary extras in advance or investing in specific luggage solutions to avoid higher costs later. For instance, she highlights Primark’s £25 suitcase with removable wheels, designed to fit under most airline seats, as a way to circumvent additional baggage fees.
“Make sure you know what you’re taking on, so you don’t get caught out,” she advises. “So, if you’re just going for a girls’ weekend, don’t pay for the luggage unless you really need it. Maximise your bag, focus on the bag, because it’s cheaper to pay £25 for the right bag than it is to pay for luggage.” Maclure also cautions against booking “bundles,” which frequently include unnecessary “fees and add-ons.”
“Sometimes a bundle will be the best way to get your carry-on bag, but sometimes it’s cheaper to add it separately afterwards,” she explains. “So you click through, you keep the light fare, and then you add the bag after, just the carry-on. You don’t always need to do the whole bundle. Don’t get caught out paying extra just because it’s what they want you to do.”
Rachel Mumford, KAYAK’s UK travel expert, emphasises that “flexibility is your key weapon when it comes to getting the cheapest deal,” particularly for flights. She suggests travelling during the ‘shoulder season’ – typically September and October or March and April – for optimal savings. However, she points out that package deals can often prove more economical for families travelling during the peak summer months.
“If you have kids and you have to travel in the peak of July, when all the schools have just closed, and you want to go to a popular destination, then I’d say a package deal can often be a winner,” Mumford says. “If you’re a couple without kids, and you can travel in the shoulder season and you’re more flexible about where you go, you can often save money by spending a few hours searching and putting it all together yourself.” She advises comparing the total cost of both package and DIY options, including all extras like checked bags and transfers. “But also, it’s not just about price, right? It’s also about the convenience factor, and that has a different level of value depending on the type of traveller that you are.”
For leveraging technology, Maclure notes that websites like Skyscanner can be useful for checking flight prices, but warns travellers to be aware of potential additional fees. “What we often find is that the prices on Skyscanner might go through an online travel agency, so a third party. It won’t always direct you straight to the airline,” she explains, urging caution with terms and conditions when booking via third parties. For those with specific dates, airlines, and destinations in mind, tracking prices via Skyscanner or Google Flights can be beneficial, with options to set email alerts for price changes.
Mumford also suggests using AI tools for initial travel inspiration. Travellers can input criteria such as desired temperature or preference for beaches, and the AI can generate a “shortlist of destinations.” “I’d say, with AI, that is where it’s coming into its own, it’s helping travellers with that initial inspiration phase,” Mumford adds.
Both Maclure and Mumford agree that overall flexibility is paramount for securing the best deals. Mumford offers a final piece of advice: consider flying from “alternative airports,” as these often come with a much lower price tag. “The bigger city airports can come with a much heftier price tag,” she notes. “If you’re willing to get a 45-minute train to a neighbouring airport… or add an hour or two onto your journey and travel from a smaller airport, then they do tend to have lower air fares.”
