Your guide to getting the best flight deals online ✈️

We scour the internet for the best flight deals so you can take off on your next holiday for less. (And we’ll show you how we do it!)

But of course, if you don’t want to look for the flight deals yourself, that’s totally cool. That’s what this page is here for.

Latest flight sales worth writing home about

Our tips for getting the best flight deals

When is the best time to book a flight for the best price?

We know this isn’t the answer you want but… it depends. It depends on where you’re going, where you’re coming from and what time of year you’re hoping to travel.

If you’re going to Europe…

… … aim to book your flights at least six months in advance.

With some of the most cost-effective times of year to go being the European spring and autumn, you’ll want to book between September and November for travel in spring and book between March and May for travel in autumn.

To catch European summer, the earlier the better. Departing Australia, these flights just get more and more expensive the closer to summer you get.

If you’re going to Asia…

… aim to book your flights three months in advance.

Unless you’re going during a peak holiday period (December, January and April), three months should be early enough so that you don’t have to pay a last-minute premium for your fares.

For travel during the holidays, similar to Europe, the earlier the better. High demand during these times will hike up the prices.

Key flight sale dates you should know about

Add these dates to your calendar as they’re some of the best times to book a cheap flight:

– Easter: Unfortunately not for travel over Good Friday/Easter Monday but sales that are frequently on around the holiday
– End of Financial Year: Just like retail stores, flights are also discounted in late June/early July.
– Black Friday: Quickly becoming one of the best times to book a flight
– Boxing Day: Historically one of the biggest sale days of the year

Some airlines also have regular sales:

– Virgin’s Happy Hour: Every Thursday from 4-11pm
– Jetstar’s Friday Fare Frenzy: Every Friday from 12-8pm (Sometimes this gets extended for the full weekend)

When is the cheapest time to fly?

Travelling on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday afternoon/evening, on average, will generally cost less than flying on other days of the week.

Of course, flying during the off season generally also costs less as there isn’t as much demand for seats.

We did an in-depth look into the cheapest days to fly and it does depend a bit on where you’re travelling and with which airline.

Compare budget airlines to full-service airlines

A cheap fare isn’t always as cheap as it seems.

Budget airlines usually don’t include anything but the seat. But if you’re one that needs to check a bag, like to eat or drink on the plane and choose the perfect seat, you may want to consider comparing your options.

For example, we look at a Jetstar flight and a Qantas flight on the same route: Sydney to Auckland, New Zealand on the same dates. Jetstar’s fare is $339 return. Qantas is charging $655.

	Jetstar	Qantas
Fare	$339	$655
Luggage	$54 ($27 each way)	Included in fare
Seats	$16 ($8 each way)	$30 ($15 each way)
Entertainment	$20 ($10 each way)	Included in fare
Food	$24 ($12 each way)	Included in fare
Total	$453	$685

While Jetstar does still work out to be the cheaper of the two options, even with the extras, it does add a huge $114 to the cost of the fare — that’s an additional 33% of the original ticket price.

Now, let’s look at a Scoot flight and a Qantas flight on the same route: Perth to Singapore on the same dates. Jetstar’s fare is $339 return. Qantas is charging $841.

	Scoot	Qantas
Fare	$470	$841
Luggage	$106 ($53 each way)	Included in fare
Seats	$30 ($15 each way)	Included in fare for frequent flyer members
Entertainment	None available	Included in fare
Food	$38 ($19 each way)	Included in fare
Total	$644	$841

Like the Jetstar/Qantas comparison, again, the budget airline does show significant savings both before and after adding extras. But, beware of just how much those extras can cost — for this flight, it’s going to cost you 31% extra.

Consider flying into alternate airports to get the best flight deals

A great way to save money is to check for flights into nearby airports or cities.

For example, most people would check for flights into Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK). But there’s also Bangkok’s alternate airport, Don Mueang (DMK).

Both are roughly the same distance from where most tourists would stay in Bangkok, yet DMK has more flight options from budget airlines AirAsia, Scoot and Nok Air.

Alternate airports can be especially handy when travelling somewhere like Europe. With incredibly easy train connections and local budget flights available, you can save hundreds by just flying into the cheapest destination.

If you’re going on a multi-city trip and aren’t dead-set on the order of your itinerary, check flight prices for all cities you’ll visit. Say you’re going to the UK, and are visiting London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Check flights going in and out of each of those cities and see where you’ll get the cheapest fare and start or end your trip there.

Another way you can save money is by flying in and out of different cities. Not only will you save money on return transport to your original city, you may be able to get a lower fare out of a different city.

Don’t be scared of DIY connections for cheaper flight prices

Sure, there’s a comfort in knowing your second flight is aware of your first. But with enough time between flights, do-it-yourself connections can save you hundreds of dollars.

Before we get into it, we wouldn’t recommend doing this in a few situations:

• When the stopover destination requires visas or could be a complicated country to enter (DIY connections will require you to go through customs/arrivals for international flights)
• When there’s less than four or five hours between the flights
• If you’re a nervous traveller as there’s definitely an added level of stress here!

Put simply, a DIY connection is when you purchase two separate tickets rather than a single ticket with a stopover. They can be two tickets with the same airline, but chances are to get the best price you’ll need to fly on two separate carriers.

These can save you a ton of money if you’re travelling to a smaller city that has few international flights or somewhere that isn’t serviced by many airlines. It’s also really useful if a connection on one airline is available, but the times are unfavourable meaning you’d potentially have to add an extra night (including paying for accommodation and meals) to your trip.

Travelling from Australia to Europe has rather limited budget flight options, but once you’re there, carriers like Ryanair and easyJet can make from city to city cheaper than taking an Uber home after a night out.