The ongoing cost of living crisis means for many households, cutting back on luxuries like regular holidays is essential.
Finding affordable holidays is expected to become harder as living costs increase. Holidaymakers will be on the hunt for the rare bargains while they’re still out there, with recent research showing that 20 per cent of UK travellers are already seeking money-saving tips on their next trip.
In a bid to help navigate booking sunny destinations in 2022 Expedia and Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) are sharing their ultimate travel hacks guide. Average ticket prices (ATPs), airfares hit their lowest levels in December 2020 and January 2021 according to ARC despite confidence in travel growing.
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But, the MEN reports that ticket prices have started to normalise to pre-pandemic levels with a steady increase in demand, particularly over the summer.
Meanwhile, ATPs for international flights have steadily increased over the year, however prices are still on average 15 per cent lower compared to 2019. Knowing what day to book, how far in advance, and what day to travel is key to saving on costs.
Optimal Booking Window
- For domestic flights, Britons have started to book their trips further out in advance. Share of flights booked nine and more weeks in advance increased from an average of 20 per cent in 2019 to an average of 25 per cent in 2021.
- For international flights, the share of flights booked nine and more weeks in advance increased from an average of 40 per cent in 2019 to an average of 45 per cent in 2020 and 50 per cent in 2021.
Ideal day of the week to book
- Book a domestic flight on a Sunday rather than a Friday and it’s possible to save around 20 per cent.
- For international flights, the same rules apply but the saving is a little less at 15 per cent.
Ideal day of the week to travel
- Travellers typically think that Tuesday is the best day of the week to fly domestically, but the ideal day is actually Friday with savings of around 20 per cent.
- Again, flying internationally on a Friday will help to save about 10 per cent.
Have you cut back on holidays or managed to grab a bargain this year? Let us know in the comments below.
Best month to travel
Being flexible when it comes to flying is a great way to save on flights, so when holiday booking it can be worth looking at flights first before deciding on the month.
- If flying in the UK then the best month to go away is in November where it’s possible to save up to 45 per cent on costs.
- If escaping to somewhere a little more exotic, the ideal month to travel is September with a saving of up to 40 per cent.
Go premium
Travelling in luxury is now cheaper ever, with a steady decline in costs during the last few years with premium tickets costing 380 per cent more that standard in 2019, but this dropped to 250 per cent more in 2021.
Accommodation savings tips for 2022
Costs of stays in the UK are still quite high but there are some tricks to use for a good deal. Studies show booking domestic accommodation on a Friday can help travellers to save five per cent. If booking an international holiday then do this on a Wednesday and to save up to five per cent.
Choosing to start a domestic or international holiday on a Monday could see travellers saving up to 10 per cent.