It’s no secret flights have become more expensive than ever.
Particularly when it comes to international destinations -- whether it’s Bali or the Bahamas -- it’s more than likely by the time you reach your exotic location, you’ll have less money to play with than in previous years.
But the good news is there are certain times to book throughout the year that will ensure you get the best deal -- without having to live off street vendors and the buffet brekkie all trip.
According to Expedia, the cost of flights from Sydney to either Los Angeles or San Francisco are expected to stay flat for the rest of 2015, while flights to popular destinations like Bangkok, Denpasar and Honolulu are due to increase.
Honolulu will see an increase of seven percent, while Denpasar will see four percent and Bangkok two percent.
Case in point -- stick to booking these destinations well in advance if you plan on an end of year trip, and if you’re swapping the Australian summer for an American winter -- you can get away with booking flights later in the year.
“The reason for such increases comes down to demand and capacity,” Georg Ruebensal, Managing Director of Expedia Australia and New Zealand said.
“Bali is a hugely popular destination for Aussies and despite weather conditions, demand continues to remain high,” Ruebensal said.
Due to the Australian dollar being considerably lower than last year, South East Asian destinations remain attractive to travelers despite hefty flights costs, since the on-ground cost once you arrive is so low.
Expedia -- which recently celebrated 10 years of operation in Australia -- said on average Aussies are booking 16 days ahead of their travel dates, however according to Ruebensal, in order to bag the best deal domestically we should be booking 57 days ahead.
“Always book ahead. Of course, there are some last minute deals however it’s generally not the case with long-haul flights,” Ruebensal said.
If it’s those cheap last-minute fares you’re after, Ruebensal said you shouldn’t discount holiday packages.
“If airlines need to fill seats they are more likely to offer the low rate fares within holiday packages -- rather than publishing them at a low cost,” Ruebensal said.
This enables airlines to gain more control of their price point as there is generally a domino effect with competitors when flights are heavily discounted.
Ruebensal also recommends taking advantage of the earlybird flights released from September until November by airlines for travelling in the Northern summer (June, July and August).