Brits could save over £1bn on flights this summer

Family of four could save £152 on flights

Data released today by leading global travel search engine Skyscanner has revealed that just 1 in 10 British travellers know when's the Best Time to Book flights₁.  Many Brits (40%₁) believe that booking 3-6 months would be the optimum time, with just 9%₁ knowing that booking eight weeks in advance of travel will give them the greatest chance of getting the best deals, saving a family of four £152₂.

And with an estimated 30million Brits planning to fly abroad this summer, this confusion could be costing them a whopping £1.1bn₃ this Summer!

To aid holidaymakers in the hunt for the best deals, Skyscanner analysed millions of prices exits from the UK to reveal that savvy travellers looking for the cheapest fares should typically look at booking flights eight weeks before departure5. However, whilst booking eight weeks in advance is the average Best Time to Book, further analysis of Skyscanner data found this can vary greatly from destination to destination.

For instance, families looking to soak up the sun in Alicante should wait five weeks before departure to book, saving a family of four around £765, while holidaymakers heading to Rome can save up to 17% if they book nine weeks in advance.  Those heading to Ibiza this summer should get planning as the best time to book is nine weeks before departure, while those who fancy a trip to Dalaman have a little more flexibility, as the best time to book is just two weeks ahead of travel.

Top Destinations

50 key destinations have now been analysed to deliver Skyscanner's most comprehensive Best Time to Book report to date.  For the complete guide to the Best Time to Book for the top 50 destination visit - https://www.skyscanner.net/bttb/best-time-to-book-flights-full-report

Skyscanner's travel editor Cat McGloin comments “We're aware that summer months can be a costly time to travel and we wanted to bring together our knowledge, data and insights to help consumers find the best deals out there.  When we were comparing our Best Time to Book results against consumer understanding it was clear there was a gap in knowledge and we wanted to help inform UK travellers so that they can book at the best time and save money”

In addition to considering the Best Time to Book, Skyscanner has more smart travel tips to help you get the best deals this Summer:

• Tweet to Save!
• Travellers who are keen to know when is the best time to book for the top 40 most popular routes from their local airport can tweet @skyscanner between 5.30pm and 6.30pm on Monday 20 June, using #bttb.

Example: @skyscanner when should I book a flight from London to Faro? #bttb

• Monitor prices - The best way of getting a good fare is to keep track of the prices by setting up a price alert so that you are notified when prices rise or fall on a specific route.

• Consider travelling on a week day rather than the weekend – If possible, be flexible and fly on less popular days of the week. It pays to do your research by using Skyscanner's Month View search tool. For example, a recent search for return flights over two weeks from London Gatwick to Malaga on the first Wednesday of the school summer holidays (27th July 2016), instead of the first Saturday (23rd July 2016) could save a family of four £3485.

• Mix and Match: Fares don't have to be booked as returns, instead you can save money by flying out with one airline and back with another.

• Nearby airports – Just click on 'add nearby airports' when creating your search and see if a short drive, bus or train journey could save you pounds  
• Search Everywhere – For those with a limited budget but an unlimited imagination, Skyscanner recommends using its Search Everywhere tool, which will find the cheapest destinations to travel to for a specific date period. 

For more travel tips visit https://www.skyscanner.net/news/20-money-saving-travel-tips-and-secrets

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For more information, please contact Emma Wiseman on 07747 343233 or emma.wiseman@skyscanner.net

Notes to editors:

₁ OnePoll survey of 1,000 UK adults between 1st June 2016 and 2nd June 2016.

₂ Skyscanner data looking at the average flight costs of top 20 most popular destinations (based on exits between 1st July and 30th September 2015)

₃ According to OnePoll survey, 58% of adult UK population (data from ONS) are expected to travel this summer (30million), with each saving on average £38 if they book 8 weeks in advance. Total saving £1.14billion

4 Skyscanner data based on three years of exits on www.skyscanner.net from the UK

5 Prices correct at time of publication

6 Prices based on average flight costs from London Gatwick to destinations in August 2016.  Prices correct at time of publication

7 Prices based on average flight costs from Edinburgh to London Gatwick in August 2016.  Prices correct at time of publication

About Skyscanner:

• Skyscanner is a leading global travel search company providing free search of flights, hotels and car hire

        around the world.

• Founded in 2003 Skyscanner helps over 50 million people each month to find their travel options.
• Skyscanner is available in 30 languages.
• Skyscanner's highly-rated free mobile apps have been downloaded over 40 million times.
• The privately-owned company employs over 700 staff and has nine global offices in Edinburgh, Singapore,

        Beijing, Shenzhen, Miami, Barcelona, Glasgow, Sofia and Budapest.

For more information, please visit www.skyscanner.net