To help those booking holidays for 2024, travel agent and director of eShores, Gavin Lapidus, shared his advice.
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He stressed that jetsetters must buy luggage at the right time due to huge fluctuations in the price.
Gavin gives the example of Ryanair who offer the option to buy
a priority ticket that includes a cabin bag and a 10kg luggage you can bring with you on the aircraft.
But the prices for this package vary between £6 to £24 depending on timing and the amount of people that already purchased this option.
It can often work out cheaper to buy the 10kg bag when you first book your flight.
But, on less popular flights when there’s enough space on the
plane, the offer you will get at check in to get the priority package will be significantly cheaper than the one you were initially offered (on the side of £10).
So, according to the expert, it’s worthwhile considering how busy your flight is likely to be.
It comes as Gavin also revealed the exact days you should book your flights on and why last-minute trips aren’t the cheapest.
Being smart about buying your flights could save you hundreds and let you spend more cash on enjoying your dream break.
He says Monday to Wednesday is the best time of the week to board a cheap flight.
If you’re flexible with your dates, always double-check departure days, as flying a day sooner or later could save you up to 20 per cent.
And jetsetters have been warned about three holiday destinations that could land you with a £55 fine at the airport – even before you have boarded.
Passengers flying with Ryanair have been told to print their boarding passes when travelling to three popular holiday destinations overseas.
While most countries allow travellers to scan their tickets on their mobile phones, there are some exceptions at certain airports.
Some countries do not allow digital boarding passes to be used and holidaymakers will have to print out a paper copy before they travel.
UK airports accept digital passes, so passengers won’t need to print their tickets for the outgoing flight, however they may be required to have a hard copy for the return journey.
Ryanair has posted a reminder to its customers on its website.
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TIME TO FLY: Always use a flight comparison site, such as fly-scanner.com or kayak.co.uk, which will search for the cheapest operator on your chosen route.
Airlines release tickets up to a year in advance and, generally, the earlier you book, the cheaper flights are.
This is especially true if you’re planning to fly during peak periods, such as summer holidays.
FLEXIBLE WINS: You’ll be able to find the best deals if you can be flexible on destination or with dates of travel.
Flying midweek is usually the cheapest, while Fridays and Sundays tend to be the most expensive.
If you have set dates in mind, try Skyscanner’s “Everywhere” search tool, which will show the cheapest destinations available at those times.
PACKAGE UP: You can usually save cash by opting for an all-inclusive deal over booking flights and hotels separately, according to research by consumer group Which?.
However, it does depend on the destination so it’s worth doing your research.
Spain was found to be cheaper as an all-inclusive, but you would be better off doing a DIY holiday in Portugal’s Algarve.