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How airlines are bumping up the price of your flight — and how to stop it

EVEN frequent flyers can be suckered into spending more than they need to for their trips. Here’s how airlines are bumping up your final cost — and how you can avoid it.

Book Your Holiday Activities Before Taking Off

EVEN frequent flyers can be suckered into spending more than they need to for their trips abroad.

Want to book a summer holiday but worried you won’t be able to splash out on expensive flights?

From browsing deals in incognito mode to avoiding flying on the weekend, these simple booking hacks will prevent you from breaking the bank.

The websites know when you’re back. Picture: iStock
The websites know when you’re back. Picture: iStock

Clear your cookies

Returning to the same website to check-up on deals often leads to prices spiralling higher and higher.

Browsing in incognito mode or clearing your search history prevents airlines from knowing you’ve been looking into booking a trip abroad.

Check different airports

It’s all too easy to forget to check airports that are slightly further away than you would usually fly from.

Selecting the “all airports” option when searching for a deal online can bring up a wider range of options and prices.

Consider different airports and be flexible with flight times. Picture: iStock
Consider different airports and be flexible with flight times. Picture: iStock

Don’t overlook small carriers

In many cases, travel site comparison websites list smaller airlines at the bottom of searches.

Always scroll through all options because these could be a key to finding a cheap holiday.

Be flexible

Flights that takeoff on a Friday and Sunday are normally in the highest demand.

For this reason, it’s more difficult to get a competitive price on weekends compared to booking on a weekday.

Flying out earlier in the morning or late at night also tends to be less expensive.

Avoiding peak holiday times, such as school holidays, can drastically reduce the cost of travelling abroad.

Be creative — stopovers can work in your favour. Picture: iStock
Be creative — stopovers can work in your favour. Picture: iStock

Don’t rule out stop-offs

If you’re flying long haul, it can be more effective to take a connecting flight instead of travelling to your destination direct.

Sign up to alerts

Occasionally, airlines will send out messages detailing cheap flight availability.

Following different travel companies on social media can also be crucial in spotting tempting deals.

As long as you’re willing to take last-minute trips, you could make critical savings.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission.

Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-advice/money/how-airlines-are-bumping-up-the-price-of-your-flight--and-how-to-stop-it/news-story/96353d24e6526dff516d87bc1233bfdd