Business Traveller offers tried-and-tested tips on getting more for your money. This month: cutting the cost of flights.
1) Join a loyalty scheme
Sign up to frequent flyer programmes (FFPs) to earn miles for free flights and upgrades. Small or medium-sized companies can join tailor-made schemes such as British Airways’ On Business or Star Alliance’s Company Plus – employees can earn individual points simultaneously, so won’t lose out.
2) Upgrade with miles
If you’ve built up miles with a particular airline, buy a premium economy ticket next time and upgrade to business class with the miles. Similarly, use miles to pay for expensive routes – it’s a more efficient way to purchase them.
3) Flex your friend
Use airline-branded credit cards for everyday purchases and buying flights to build up miles. Keep more than one card and book flights with the one that incurs the lowest administration fee – for example, use Visa if Amex is more expensive.
4) Book in advance
Airlines will typically only sell a certain number of seats at a particular price before raising the fare, so book as early as you can. Key in a large number of passengers when searching online to get an idea of how many seats are left at the price quoted.
5) Pick your time
If you can plan meetings around it, you can save money by flying at particular times of the day or week – for short-haul, for example, book a late morning trip and fly home after rush hour. For long-haul, incorporate a Saturday-night stay – it can be a third of the price.
6) Downgrade by day
Flying business at night is important if you are to arrive refreshed for work at your destination, but do you really need to travel in a premium cabin during the day? Consider booking economy or premium economy. If you’ve built up enough miles to be a higher-tier FFP member you should still get lounge access.
7) Try ‘economy plus’
If space is what you’re after, carriers such as KLM, Delta and United have introduced quasi-premium economy products – essentially, economy with extra legroom – while others sell seats in exit rows at an extra charge. Consider booking this rather than paying for the next cabin up.
8) Go indirect
If time allows, fly indirect rather than nonstop – on some routes you can make vast savings. You may also get a better rate by travelling with an airline that is less well-known on a route.
9) Try another airport
Using a city’s secondary facilities could be cheaper, though make sure your travel to and from the airport, and any extra time incurred, do not nullify the savings.
10) Wait for the sales
Many airlines hold seat sales during off-peak periods. Sign up to their email newsletters, follow them on Twitter and join their groups on Facebook for news on special offers. Websites such as Travelzoo also send out alerts about flight sales. Be aware that these tickets are usually inflexible.
11) Book from beyond
If you travel to a particular city regularly, see if it is cheaper to buy your tickets from there.
12) Restricted or flexible?
Flexible rates can be more than double the price of restricted fares, depending on demand and how far in advance you book, so book only if you really need to. If you’re not sure when you’ll be coming home, it may be cheaper to buy a couple of flight options (for example, two one-way returns at different times) than a flexible fare.
13) Circle the globe
If you need to visit several places around the world, consider booking a round-the-world ticket with one of the three main alliances – Oneworld, Star Alliance or Skyteam. It could cost little more than one long-haul return.
14) Avoid big events
Try not to visit somewhere at the same time a major event is taking place, as prices will be high.
15) Fly budget
Do you really need to fly short-haul with a full-service airline? Low-cost carriers such as Easyjet now have a wide number of business routes and fly at work-friendly hours.
16) Avoid ancillary fees
If you’re flying with a budget airline, remember to print your boarding pass in advance, travel with hand baggage only, don’t book priority boarding, and bring your own food and drink on board. If you use them regularly and there is a payment card that is exempt from administration fees, apply for one.
17) Search online
Use price comparison sites to find the best deal. Business Traveller’s sister website, seatplans.com, has a booking engine powered by Travelocity. Businesstraveller.com’s Global Travel Market searches fares offered by hundreds of travel websites. Visit businesstraveller.com/plan-and-book for details.
18) Try an agency
Travel agents specialising in a particular destination or region can be useful in finding cheaper fares. Travel management companies may also get you better rates.
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