The September holidays are coming up so you know what that means — time for your next getaway! 😉 And when planning your big adventure, here’s what you’ll need to know when booking and scoring cheaper flights.
As a travel writer and avid adventurer, I know just how exciting it is to plan your next epic escape. Whether you’re dreaming of sipping pina coladas on a tropical beach, hiking through stunning mountain ranges, or exploring new cultures and cuisines, there’s nothing quite like the thrill of booking your flights and knowing you’re one step closer to your next big adventure.
However, booking flights can be stressful, especially when it comes to figuring out the best time to book. Do you book six months in advance to secure the best deal, or do you wait until the last minute to snag a discounted fare? With the September holidays just around the corner, it’s important to start thinking about the best times to book your flights if you want to score the best deals. Trust me, you don’t want to be scrambling to book a flight at the last minute, only to be hit with sky-high prices.
But fear not, my fellow adventurers! In this article, we’re going to break down exactly how many months in advance you should book your fights. Read on for insider tips and tricks to scoring the best deals for those extra savings! So buckle up, grab your passport, and let’s dive into the world of flight booking!
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1. Be Flexible With Your Travel Dates
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One of the biggest ways to save money on flights is to be flexible with your travel dates. I understand that not everyone can afford to travel any day of the week, and most of us would try to book flights that occur right before or during the weekends to avoid clashes with work. However, if you’re able to spare yourself a few days of flexibility, you’d find that looking for flights has never been easier.
Try to avoid travelling during peak holiday periods, such as Christmas and school holidays. Instead, consider flying on less popular days during the middle of the week. Booking flights on the weekends is extremely costly, so shifting your travel dates by a few days can make a huge difference in price. And as always, research is extremely important. Try looking for ideal months to travel to your desired destination to avoid clashing with the region’s holiday period.
How Many Months In Advance Should You Be Booking Your Flights?: Click here for more on how to maximise your 2023 public holidays & long weekends!
2. Book Your Flight At Least Three Months In Advance
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While it’s true that sometimes last-minute deals can be a steal, it is often known that for cheaper airfare, one should plan early as prices can fluctuate very quickly nearer to the take-off date. For those with long-distance flights, ensure that you prepare months in advance as certain destinations tend to be more popular during the holidays.
As a general rule of thumb, planning and booking your flight around three to six months in advance would be a safe bet. If you’re making a last-minute trip decision, aim to get your tickets at least a month in advance for the best savings.
How Many Months In Advance Should You Be Booking Your Flights?: Find out more if you still need Covid’19 coverage for your travel insurance here
3. Compare Your Prices
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You can never have too many cooks when it comes to comparing airfare prices and it’s always a good idea to do so! Sites like Google Flights and Skyscanner offer you a quick overview of prices across multiple airlines — making them a great resource for finding the best deals on flights. You can even set up alerts for price drops, ensuring that you get your desired tickets within your budget. Just make sure to read the fine print before booking to avoid being hit with hidden fees or restrictions!
How Many Months In Advance Should You Be Booking Your Flights?: Find out how you can stand a chance to win one of 500,000 free tickets to Hong Kong here
4. Explore Alternatives
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While a one-stop flight is a dream for most people, sometimes a little thinking out of the box might just be the solution to more savings! Consider flying into alternative airports or taking less direct routes — including flying into nearby cities and taking the local train or bus to your final destination. Be creative with your travel plan. And if you don’t mind hitting more than one destination on your flight, consider getting tickets with layoffs as those tend to be cheaper than direct flights.
How Many Months In Advance Should You Be Booking Your Flights?: Click here for what to consider when budgeting on your travels
5. Take Note Of The Best Days & Months To Book Your Tickets
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Believe it or not, the day of the week you book your flight can have a huge impact on the price you pay. According to several sites, the best days to book flights are usually Tuesdays and Wednesdays as airlines tend to release their cheapest fares early in the week. For those planning a trip during the peak travel seasons, it’s crucial to book your flights well in advance. You can save even more money by booking during the ‘shoulder season’, which is the period just before or after the peak travel season. In general, the best months to book flights for the cheapest fares are September, October, and February.
How Many Months In Advance Should You Be Booking Your Flights?: Click here for what you need to know when bringing home luxury items from your vacation
6. Leave No Trace When Booking
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Before you start searching for flights, ensure you clear your browser history and cookies as airlines tend to use these to track your online behaviour. This means they can see the flights you’re looking at, how often you’re searching for them (which will be a lot), and how long you’ve been spending on each website. They may use this information to adjust and raise prices if they think you’re interested in a particular route. Clearing your history and cookies gives you a clean slate to start your search any time and may help you find cheaper airfares. Another trick is to use incognito mode when searching for flights, which will prevent airlines from tracking your search history directly too.
How Many Months In Advance Should You Be Booking Your Flights?: Click here for how to save on luxury shopping in Greece
7. Sign Up For Email Alerts & Loyalty Programs
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If you’re a frequent traveller, signing up for email alerts and loyalty programs can be a great way to save money on flights. Many airlines offer special deals and discounts to their email subscribers. So make sure you sign up for these alerts of your airline of choice in advance. Travel booking platforms tend to hold sales with exclusive deals on flights and accommodations, which is a great avenue to check out while you’re looking for the best airfare.
Besides the alerts, airline loyalty programs can earn you miles or points, which can be redeemed for free flights, upgrades or other perks in the future. Don’t forget to make use of any credit card rewards or airline miles that have been left unused for the past two years as well, and opt for travel insurance to create a safety net for yourself.
How Many Months In Advance Should You Be Booking Your Flights?: For more information on YouTrip Perks, click here
8. Use YouTrip Perks For Cheaper Flights & Accommodations!
Speaking of saving more on your vaycays, we’ve got EXTRA cashback and discounts on YouTrip Perks that could help with saving on your travels! Don’t miss your chance to snag those extra savings when you shop and book your next vacation with YouTrip Perks and checkout with your YouTrip Mastercard! It’s time to start planning your next getaway this March holidays!
| YouTrip Perks | Deals |
| Booking.com | ✅ Recieve up to 10% cashback on accommodations |
| Agoda | ✅ Get an additional 7% off hotel bookings |
| Klook | ✅ Get up to 5% cashback on your next adventure |
| Trip.com | ✅ Get up to 6% cashback on hotels, flights, & bookings |
| Qatar | ✅ Get up to 10% off on your flights |
How To Use YouTrip Perks:
1️⃣ Tap on ‘Perks’ on the home page of your YouTrip app to view all available deals on YouTrip Perks
2️⃣ Tap ‘Get Deal’ to redeem your YouTrip-exclusive reward
3️⃣ This will open up a pop-up window with more information. Tap ‘Redeem Deal’ to be redirected to the merchant site
4️⃣ Complete your purchase within the same window, enter any promo codes if applicable, and pay using your YouTrip card!
5️⃣ Receive a direct discount or cashback credited into your wallet within 45 days from your date of booking
🔔 We Want To Help You Get Your Cashback!
✅ Ensure that you follow through with your purchase once you click on “Redeem Deal” on YouTrip Perks.
✅ If you jump out of the check-out process (even if to check on a message or just happen to close your browser), click through YouTrip Perks again to re-purchase to get your cashback.
How Many Months In Advance Should You Be Booking Your Flights?: For more details on how to score 100% cashback, click here
Ready To Head Off On Your Next Vacation?
With this list of tips and tricks for flight booking, you’re all set to secure those cheaper flights while saving on your travels! And while securing booking those plane tickets, don’t forget to make use of your YouTrip Card to lock in those wholesale exchange rates and skip those pesky bank fees!
As Singapore’s favourite multi-currency wallet, we aim to get those pesky fees out of the way and help you save on your travels. With the best foreign exchange rates, no longer will you have to deal with those long queues at money changers! So if you’re looking for a go-to travel card, sign up for your complimentary YouTrip card today with <YTBLOG5> and get FREE S$5 in your account! Then, head over to our YouTrip Perks page for exclusive offers and promotions — we promise you won’t regret. For more great tips and articles like this, join our Telegram (@YouTripSG) and subscribe to our free weekly newsletter here or down below.
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