Expedia.co.uk answers some of the most frequently-asked money saving questions, helping make the most of a budget when booking the trip of a lifetime
1. Is there a cheapest day of the week to fly?
The middle of the week tends to be cheaper, especially flights later in the day. Anyone that combines their flight with a hotel booking, especially if they include a Saturday night stay in a hotel, will have access to the best package rates.
2. Is there a cheapest week of the year to travel for particular destinations?
There are always low season/low demand periods of the year. These tend to be outside of peak weather seasons, Christmas, Easter and key festivals. Travel the month before or after any big peak season to a destination and you’ll likely get the benefit of decent (if not perfect) weather without the crowds.
3. Should you always book a family holiday in December/January to get the best deals?
Holiday costs always depend on the levels of supply and demand. Benefits of booking early are, of course, ensuring you get the holiday of your choice based on more availability and special deals with airlines. The argument for leaving it late: deals. Especially if the weather or market conditions have meant there is inventory left. We really saw that come in to play this summer with the warm weather we experienced in the UK – Expedia’s data showed that many Brits were choosing to take a holiday in the country, pushing down the prices of popular abroad destinations such as Spain and Greece.
4. What sort of deals can you get last-minute and what should you book way in advance?
Look well in advance if you have a specific destination, hotel or area in mind. However if you are more flexible on your destination and dates, your spontaneity can be rewarded with last minute deals, especially when it comes to hotels. At Expedia for our mobile app, we work with suppliers who are specifically targeting people who are looking for a hotel in the next day or two. So often you can find a deal with up to 40% off on mobile, for example. And people are starting to take advantage of it – just over a quarter of UK travel booked on Expedia via mobile is now taking place 1-3 days in advance of a trip taking place.
5. What are your top tips for getting the best-value flights/hotels/holiday?
- Don’t wait until the last minute to book flights – in the vast majority of cases, flight prices go up rather than down the closer you are to travel
- Fly early – early morning flights are often cheaper and there are fewer chances of delays and it can be worth the early alarm
- Look for deals at business hotels over weekends, when they are less in demand
- Book your travel together and save money – last year Expedia.co.uk customers saved more than £200 on average just by booking their flight and hotel together
- Take advantage of mobile technology – Expedia’s mobile app offers up to 40% savings on hotels booked via the app
- Sign up to the Expedia community to receive great deals and exclusive offers directly to your inbox and make use of our ‘deals’ section which features the very best in travel savings
- Take advantage of the strong pound in some countries - Expedia’s research shows that 81% of Brits haven’t booked an international break based on getting the best value for our local currency