First there was that wave of budget airlines – it started over a decade ago, with carriers like Ryanair running crazily cheap flights that made everyone wonder why the other airlines were (comparatively) so expensive.
Remember those golden days of London to Stockholm, 99p plus tax? It was fun while it lasted, but presumably someone in the airline industry realised it was financially unsustainable, because suddenly those absurdly cheap fares were inflated by a range of added extras that nobody had noticed before; airport tax, baggage tax, handling fees, credit card fees, pay extra to choose your seat, check in your luggage, or eat a horrible airline sandwich. Oh, and there’s that travel insurance box that you have to untick, and all the attempts to sell you hotels, taxis, boat tours, car hire and bus passes for your destination.
It’s disheartening to labour your way through the cheap flight booking process, only to find an extra £150 or so added to the advertised fare by the time you reach the “pay” button.
After that ordeal, many of us stop believing that genuinely cheap flights are even a real thing. But although the silly prices heyday is most definitely over, there are still bargains to be winkled out, providing you’re happy to put some work into finding them.
How flexible can you be?
It also helps if you’re willing to be flexible, not only about when you fly, but also where to, with some experts like Travelzoo suggesting that we let flight affordability dictate where we go on holiday, rather than deciding where we fancy going and then trying to squeeze it into our budgets.
It is certainly very wise to set your budget first and then find the best possible holiday that fits inside it – that’s the true definition of good value. Comprising on quality just because you have your heart set on a specific place means you’re less likely to feel satisfied by the end result. What’s more, if you don’t set yourself a spending limit you risk being tempted by all the clever tricks and lures that you will undoubtedly stumble through whilst trawling the interwebs for flights and rooms.
The spending limit might give some people a shock, especially if you’ve been dreaming of a five star fortnight in the Maldives, only to discover that your limit covers a week in Devon, say, or perhaps ten days in Benidorm. But if affordability is that important to you, it’s time to get realistic.
Dedicated social media
You might not want your personal feeds clogged up with special offers and various temptations to buy stuff all the time, but if you’re in the market for a flight it’s worth following companies who publish deals and discounts as they go live. You could even set up a separate account just for following feeds that pump out useful travel information, but switching between accounts can get annoying and you can always unfollow after your holiday – until next time you’re looking for a flight.
Compare, compare, compare
It’s easy to believe that all those flight comparison sites give identical information, but actually some do cover different segments of the market, and they usually have special deals that are exclusive enough to warrant cross-checking across several. It is time-consuming, but less so than checking each airline individually. Once you’ve pinpointed a good deal, however, it is worth looking at that specific airline just in case they have a sale on. Do the same for travel insurance, rooms and any other logistical stuff you’ll need whilst on holiday. The only things not to scrooge on are suntan lotion and food! You have to indulge yourself somewhere, and if you’ve managed to get a good deal on flights and accommodation you should be able to splash out on some nice local meals!
