9 ways to save money on flights

Flights from the UK are not as cheap as they used to be, but there are easy ways to save on your next trip – including booking through a flight club and knowing when seat selection is a waste of money. 

In summer 2023, the average return flight from the UK to Europe cost £322 – that's up from £184 in the summer of 2019, according to the Office for National Statistics. And it doesn't include extras such as luggage or seat selection. 

Part of the reason is that demand for holidays and flights remains high, so airlines can charge more. Many of our tips on how to save on your next flight aim to help you avoid paying peak-time prices. 

Set up a price alert

It's usually cheaper to book flights months in advance, but it's not as simple as book early to save.

You're better off setting up a price alert through a flights comparison sight such as Skyscanner or Google Flights. That way you'll receive an alert when the price drops. Even if you can't be sure you'll get the best deal, at least you'll have saved a few pounds by waiting. Unless you leave your booking to the last minute, it's unlikely that prices will be at their cheapest the first day you check them.

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Check when flights are usually cheapest

Predicting when to get the best deal is not an exact science. However, Skyscanner has a tool that analyses when flights to some popular destinations have historically cost the least. 

For example, it suggests that flights from London to Barcelona in August last year were at their cheapest 10 weeks in advance. If that's true, this year you'd need to book in late May. For London to Bangkok at Christmas, it suggests booking six months ahead – that would be around 25 June.

You can try the Skyscanner tool here.

Fly out on Saturday rather than Friday

Google Flights and Skyscanner will show you a graph of the cheapest days to fly over your chosen month. Fridays and Sundays are typically the most expensive; Tuesdays are typically the cheapest.

Of course, Tuesdays aren't convenient for many people, but you will probably save money on a weekend break if you fly out on a Saturday and come back on a Monday rather than going Friday to Sunday.

Ryanair vs easyJet – which budget airline should you choose?

Check regional school holiday dates

Even families can travel at cheaper times by checking school holiday dates in the rest of the country. Half term in London and the south-east, for example, is often on a different week to northern England or the Midlands. That means if you live in Birmingham, you might find a cheaper flight from a London airport when London kids are still at school, although you'll have to factor in the cost of an extra hour and a half or so of travel. There are also big differences in the dates of school summer holidays between England and Scotland.

It's worth checking inset (teacher training) days at your children's school. These are often on a Friday or Monday, tagged onto a school holiday, so it might be cheaper to fly out on one of these days.

Which are the best airlines for short-haul and long-haul?

Consider a different destination airport

Budget airlines are notorious for flying to airports that are nowhere near your destination (Girona and Reus in Spain are both used for flights to Barcelona – despite being around 60 miles north and south respectively).

However, if choosing a secondary airport results in a big saving, you might decide it's worth it. On the Costa Blanca, you can choose between Alicante and Murcia airports – about an hour's drive between them. In countries with fast, relatively inexpensive trains, you could consider spending a night in one town before heading to another. Italy is well connected by train; for example, you can travel between Verona and Venice in just over an hour.

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Avoid being surprised by airline extras

Sometimes the airlines that appear cheapest on a flight comparison site are much more expensive than the initial price suggests. Ryanair, Wizz and now easyJet will charge you for any luggage that won't fit under your seat. If you want to take a standard case into the cabin, that could add as much as £70 to some return flights. If you want to check luggage into the hold, you'll pay even more.

Airlines such as Jet2 and British Airways, which still don't charge for cabin luggage, may appear more expensive initially, but the price you see on the first page is likely to be what you'll actually pay.

Don't pay to sit together

Most airlines will automatically seat you with your travel companions without charging. The exceptions are Ryanair and Wizz Air. In our airline survey, we found they were much more likely to split passengers up than BA, easyJet or Jet2. 

Check how likely your airline is to sit you with your family.

Sign up for flight clubs

Sites such as Secret Flight Club and Jack's Flight Club send out regular emails with the cheapest deals they've found. The best are reserved for premium members, paying between £2.41 (Secret Flights) and £4 (Jack's Flight Club) a month, but you can take a free 30-day trial to see if it's worth it.

Consider buying a package

If you need to book hotel accommodation as well, it's often cheaper to get a package holiday. That way, you'll have more legal rights if anything goes wrong – and you'll be refunded by Atol if your travel firm goes bust. Last year, we found that seven out of 10 all-inclusive holidays were cheaper than buying flights and accommodation separately.