With the holiday season fast approaching, it’s that time again to start looking for cheap airline tickets. In fact, in our Seedly personal finance community, many fellow Singaporeans were discussing what were the best times and days to book the tickets. For the kiasu travelers out there, this article is for you!
Cheapest days – Tuesday, Thursday and Friday
Airlines such as Jetstar, Scoot and Tiger Airways may be cheaper than their non-budget counterparts but did you know there are days that their already cheap tickets get even cheaper?
| Airline | Day |
|---|---|
| Scoot | Tuesday |
| Tiger Airways | Thursday |
| Jetstar | Friday |
The reason for such random days would be because airlines tend to review their sales on Mondays and would implement their new marketing strategies the following day. At this point fellow competitors would have dropped their prices to remain competitive which gives you the opportunity to get good deals.
Also, try to fly at times not many people would choose like early in the morning or lunch and dinner hour. Booking through budget airlines would not give you the benefits you would usually receive from regular airlines but this does mean that you get to save money!
Cheapest months – April to May & Sept to Oct
The year may be coming to an end but this does not mean you can’t look for flights in the upcoming year! Try to book flights around April to May or September to October because those are the off-peak seasons which definitely means lower prices.
An analysis done by Skyscanner shows that customers who book flights 5 to 6 months in advance save up to 32% however, those who book it closer to the date will experience price increases from 10% and may be required to pay premiums up to 24%.
Cheapest modes of payment – AXS, iBanking, SAM
In a previous article, we talked about how we should ditch the credit card when paying for airfares because of hidden costs which could go up to additional $20 or makeup 10% of your airfare. So you ask, how can I pay for my ticket? There are other modes of payment which absorbs lesser fees such as AXS, iBanking or SAM.
| TigerAir | AirAsia | Scoot | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flight Details | SG to Boracay | SG to KL | SG to BKK |
| Total Flight Price | $189 | $58 | $103 |
| Credit Card Fees (A) | $18 | $18 | $20 |
| Alternative Payment Fees (B) | $5 (AXS) | $4 (iBank) | $0 (SAM) |
| Savings (A-B) | $13 | $14 | $20 |
Conclusion:
Now that you are armed with these useful tips, go out and scour the internet but do not forget to check out the budget airline promotions on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday! While you’re at it, look out for tickets to holiday destinations you would like to travel to next year and book them as soon as you but be sure to look for other payment alternatives because you do not want to pay for any hidden costs.
Check out our other travel articles which cover topics like buying SIM cards overseas or locally and traveling tips from Singapore travel influencers. Additionally, join our community where we discuss topics surrounding finance such as saving money and investing!
