The two-minute practice that can save hundreds on flight bookings
Every week, 9Travel shares a top travel tip from our readers or something our writers find. Have something to share? Email us at travel@nine.com.au for a chance to be featured in an upcoming story.
Everyone has heard the legendary stories of travellers scooping up unbelievable flight deals, whether it's through a perfectly-timed sale or an online error.
It feels like those stories are the stuff of myth, though, and not something that could ever happen to you.
Here's how to change your luck.
A little research can save you a lot of cash. Expedia
One of the UK's leading search engine specialists, Luca Tagliaferro, has revealed the top search hacks to help travellers unlock hidden discounts and cheaper flights online.
He says that one of the simplest things you can do is one of the most beneficial: set up a Google alert.
READ MORE: The best destinations in the world if you love street food, according to travel experts
Say you're planning to take a holiday to Vietnam.
You can set up a personalised alert on Google that will notify you via email any time new deals appear on flights to Vietnam.
READ MORE: One thing travel agent would never do when booking flights: 'Make sure to avoid'
Vietnam is a popular spot for Aussie travellers right now. Getty Images/iStockphoto
It's easy to set up:
- Go to Google Alerts.
- In the box at the top, enter the search term you want to follow, for example, "Sydney to Vietnam flight sale".
- To change your settings, click 'Show Options' and edit how often you'd like to receive notifications, etc.
- Click 'Create Alert',
Now, you'll get emails whenever Google finds matching search results. The email will contain links that look something like this:
Then you can just click through, get the details, and book your holiday.
"These aren't loopholes – they're straightforward strategies that the average traveller doesn't know about," explained Luca.
You can save hundreds if you're able to be flexible with your dates. Getty
Google also has a Flights website, where you can set up a bot that tracks flight prices on certain routes, and will notify you when there's a drop.
You can track flight prices for specific trip dates, or any dates if your plans are flexible.
This is great if you're planning to take a trip soon, but don't have the specifics nailed down yet.
In 2023, Google Flights launched a tool that allows users to see in what time frame prices have typically been lowest. Users can then better decide whether to book now or later.
Don't leave your bookings too late. Getty
At the time, Google said the best time to book flights for Christmas vacations is around early October.
"Average prices tend to be lowest 71 days before departure – a big change from our 2022 insights, which found that average prices were lowest just 22 days before departure," Google said in a press release.
Drop us an email with all your wisdom to travel@nine.com.au, and your tip could be featured in an upcoming story on 9Travel.
Supplied
