‘Outside the box’: Travel expert’s easy tactic to save money on flights
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Booking flights is usually the most significant expense of a holiday, especially when heading to Europe. But while getting to your destination is major part of the planning, a travel expert is urging Aussies to “think outside the box” to save cash.
Switching between different airlines can save you money on a trip Getty Images
Skyscanner Travel Expert Jarrod Kris said as well as obvious money-saving moves like travelling outside busy periods like Christmas and Easter, there are simple ways to cut the cost many fliers don’t consider.
“There’s a mindset that ‘I’m going to search, and I’m going to look for the most direct route possible’,” he told nine.com.au.
But he said that’s not normally always the cheapest way to travel.
Rather than sticking to the common way of flying out and returning on the same airline, mix it up. Think about stopping on the way, too.
And forget about loyalty, look at different airlines and one way tickets.
“You can consider one way flights, you can consider mixing and matching with different carriers, stopovers and layovers,” he said.
All of those things can add to savings. That’s especially true with Aussies flying to Europe.
“There are a lot of ways in, you can fly halfway through, have a one night stop over from Australia,” he said.
“Places like Singapore, Malaysia, Jakarta, they have great connectivity, where you can spend a night and probably save hundreds if not thousands.”
Air Asia is a low-cost airline. AirAsia
Low-cost carriers like Scoot and Air Asia connect from those hubs into Europe, which could be a good budget option for getting the rest of the way, too.
Jarrod said setting up price alerts on websites like Skyscanner can also help you identify the cheapest flights.
The Aussie, who now lives in Singapore, also has a simple list of things he never travels without.
Getting to Europe can be expensive but there are ways to save. Getty Images
“A powerbank. That’s a must for me. Lucky most of the fleets are upgraded to have USBs in the seats,” he said.
“I also love my eye mask, and headphones are an absolute must – I’ve got my AirPods. And I always bring a travel adaptor.”
Jarrod just got back from Vietnam and is going on holiday to trending hotspot Sri Lanka next.
