Travelling by plane is one of the most popular methods of transport in the modern world, thanks to its speed and efficiency. Whether travelling on holiday or business, guests can reduce journey time and even take some time to relax onboard. However, plane journeys come at a cost, and travellers can see themselves forking out hundreds for a return journey. This is particularly true for last-minute bookings or popular routes.
Luckily, there is a way passengers can combat sky-high prices for return tickets with this handy tip.
In his book ‘Plane Clever’, travel expert Christopher Bartlett reveals being strategic when booking could see the overall cost of your ticket plummet.
He writes: “Two one-way tickets can sometimes work out cheaper than a return. Alternatively, two ‘excursion’ return tickets, where you discard the return second leg may be cheaper; but remember the return ticket would have to start at the other end.”
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Timing also plays a crucial role when booking your return flight.
This is particularly true for holidaymakers who hope to jet off on a Friday, Sunday or Monday, as these seats are usually filled by business travellers.
Bartlett continues: “Cheap return flights may require spending the Saturday at your destination to prevent their use by businesspeople.
“If you have to go somewhere in the working week more than once, you could run two cheap returns in parallel, one starting the other end enabling you to spend the Saturday nights at home.”
Of course, there are plenty of affordable flights on offer these days too, with big names including easyJet, Ryanair and Jet2 boasting amazingly low prices for travellers on a budget.
Customers should note, however, that many of these tickets operate on a demand basis.
The more people purchase seats, the higher the cost of the ticket will end up being.
When affordable flights are released customers are advised to purchase them as soon as possible.
easyJet is one airline in particular who follow this pricing model.
Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis explains how this works, saying: “easyJet operates a fluid pricing model where prices move based on demand for any particular flight.
“So when they’re usually launched they’re priced cheaply and can quickly change depending on how many are being booked. So if you can pounce when they’re launched, you’re often getting the very cheapest deal.”
The Luton-based airline often offers journeys for as little as £15.99 to destinations around the globe, though these affordable tickets tend to sell rapidly.
