Travelling on a budget can be stressful, but there are ways you can ensure you’re getting the best deal on flights as the holiday season approaches.
A report from the Flight Centre Travel Group earlier this year found travellers are paying significantly more to fly within Canada during the peak tourism season compared with last year, as limited capacity and competition outweigh softening demand to push up airfares.
Prices for domestic flights from July through September stood about 14 per cent higher on average than they did one year ago, according to the report.
Experts say while cheap travel can be complicated as airlines recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, there are still strategies you can use to maximize your savings.
Travel expert Lorraine Simpson shared several tips to remember when searching for flight deals with CTV Morning Live Ottawa on Wednesday.
Be flexible with dates
Simpson says to look for a “flexible date” option in your booking website’s search bar, as there might be some days that offer cheaper fares than others.
“Avoid weekend, weekends are always more expensive,” Simpson said.
Being flexible with where you fly out of may help you find deals. Someone from Ottawa might want to search for flights out of Montreal or Toronto, for example.
“A little bit of a drive might save you hundreds of dollars,” she said.
Set price alerts
Google Flights and other booking platforms offer the option to set “price alerts” that will notify you when the price of a flight has dropped for your desired destination.
Once you are notified, you should be quick to snag the deal, Simpson said.
“Jump on that right away, that’s your best bet.”
Using incognito windows: Useful advice or myth?
Many experts have suggested switching your browser into “incognito” mode to prevent airlines from gathering data and charging extra for fares.
Simpson says while it’s a common piece of advice, it’s “a bit of a myth” to suggest that airlines are tracking the internet activity of each potential traveller.
However, Simpson recommends using incognito windows regardless, as airlines may promote a higher price when customers are constantly searching for a particular destination.
“What does happen is, it knows that you are looking for a flight to that destination, so if there is a higher price, then you will automatically be bumped to a higher price,” she said.
“So, it is often a good idea to try incognito, but it could also be more to do with when you’re looking for your flights, what day, what time and how you’re browsing.”
Book in advance
Simpson recommends looking for flights in advance to maximize your chance at a discounted fare.
Airlines allow customers to book flights up to 191 days before the date of departure, Simpson said.
“You don’t want to start looking six weeks prior, because flights are going to be at their maximum price closer to the time that you’re going,” she said.
Checking the prices for several weeks before booking will allow you to look out for any sales or discounts that may appear.
Air Canada was recently offering discounted fares after a looming pilot’s strike was called off.
With files from The Canadian Press