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How to save cash when booking flights

Want to know how to outsmart the airlines?

Finding cheap flights has become a “sophisticated game”, according to Travelzoo Australia head of editorial James Hurley, and he hopes you play it well.

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“I wouldn’t say we’re being ripped off, but I would say the majority of people perhaps don’t know the best way to get the best deal for themselves,” Mr Hurley says.

Travelzoo, the world’s largest travel deals publisher, has released a free e-book on its website full of tips and tricks from its 250 experts.

Here are some of the best.

Don’t always book last minute

Mr Hurley said there is a perception that last minute bookings are always cheaper, but this is not necessarily the case.

“In terms of being strategic about when you book, it will pay bigger dividends for you to be strategic about when you travel rather than how far in advance, or not, you make the booking,” Mr Hurley.

Travel on the right day and time

As with any form of transport, avoiding peak times is one of the best ways to save.

The cheapest days to travel are Sundays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays, according to Travelzoo, and the cheapest times are the middle of the day or night.

These times tend to avoid hoards of business travellers or weekend leisure breakers.

If you do want to go away at the weekend, Travelzoo recommends going away between Saturday and Monday instead of Friday to Sunday. Monday is a less popular time so it can be cheaper, and you still only need to take one day off work.

Go on holiday in low season

Before you book a flight, Travelzoo says you should seriously consider the time of year you are intending to fly.

For example, you might want to consider a shoulder season (the period between peak and off peak) flight to save money.

Most travel around the festive season is pricey, but avoid places like Sydney over New Year’s Eve and try visiting in February instead.

An easy way of avoiding inflated airfares is to travel outside of school holidays if possible, and to avoid bank holiday weekends.

Upgrade your way to a cheaper flight

One way to get a cheaper flight is to book in a lower class and then upgrade.

Ten years ago or more, you might have been able to get an upgrade for free. Complimentary upgrades are a rarity these days, but there are ways to get one as cheaply as possible.

A lot of airlines, such as Virgin Australia and Etihad, offer bidding systems for reduced upgrades once you’ve bought a ticket. You place a bid for the amount you are willing to pay to upgrade and then closer to your flight they’ll let you know if you’re successful – with no charge if you miss out.

Seek out price beat guarantees

Another step to ensure you are absolutely getting the cheapest fare is to find companies with price beat guarantees such as Jetstar or Flight Centre.

If you’ve managed to outsmart them and find a cheaper flight, they’ll go even further to beat that quote.

Hold off during a sale

Often if one big airline launches a sale, competitor airlines will follow suit and launch one the next day to compete on price. If possible, Travelzoo says it is best to wait a day before you book a flight you see in the sale. It might turn out that a competitor beats that price a day later.

Be careful though and always check the book by date of any flight sale – you don’t want to wait too long and get caught out.

Delete your cookies

Some travel companies may alter their prices according to the data they hold on you.

According to Mr Hurley, deleting your cookies is one way to trick the travel company into thinking you are a first time visitor to their website, which may result in them showing you cheaper prices.

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