Make your trip that little bit sweeter by knowing you’ve found a real deal on your flights.
How do you do that I hear you say? Don’t despair, we have all the answers. Here you can learn about airline pricing strategies and how to get the best flight deals. We’ll cover how airlines determine ticket prices based on factors like demand and supply, route popularity, seasonality, and operating costs. Let's start!
How do airlines calculate flight prices?
What tips the scales?
The airlines evaluate several factors including route popularity given certain routes are inherently more expensive due to higher demand. They look at seasonality. As we all know, travel during peak seasons always shoots up. Competition is another factor if multiple airlines fly to the same destination, as well as fuel costs – which can significantly impact airline operating costs and ticket prices. Prices are also dependent on which sort of aircraft you fly on, and ancillary fees, such as baggage and seat selection. And of course, whether you fly in economy, business or first.
- Consider seasonality: Flying out of season can save you plenty of cash.
- Try somewhere new: Head away from the main tourist areas for your next vacation.
- Use Skyscanner tools: Price Alerts means you know immediately when flight prices drop.
Four top travel hacks on how to bag a bargain
Naomi Hahn, Skyscanner’s VP of Strategy:
Dynamic pricing alerts: “Setting up price alerts will ensure you’re the first to know as prices drop with any additional discounts or added supply. You can mark a flight you’re interested in and Skyscanner will email you whenever the price goes up or down.”
Fly on a Friday and make the most of demand and supply: “Flight prices are all based on supply and demand. Because some dates are more popular than others, prices will vary. Skyscanner’s ‘whole month’ search tool allows you to see cheap flights immediately and pick the right deal for you. Consider traveling a day before or a day after your original departure dates — flying on less popular days of the week is always cheaper.”
Keep an open mind on destinations: “2023 and 2024 saw new destinations rise in popularity as corridors shone a light on some surprising gems. Swapping your usual break in Cancun for Portugal could be an unexpected delight. So let Skyscanner’s algorithm decide with a search to ‘Everywhere’, which will present a plethora of options based on your travel dates, all ranked by price. ”
Mix & match to cut costs: “Not just a summer fashion trend, mix-and-matching the airlines and airports that you choose to fly with and from can seriously cut costs. Fares do not have to be booked as returns — look at flying out with one airline and back with another.”
Frequently asked questions
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