This just in: travellers who shop around get better deals. Skyscanner, a metasearch engine and booking platform, has created a Savings Generator to reveal the best time to book flights and hacks to score the best deals for key cities.
Skyscanner lifts the lid on the value of shopping around
How much can you save by travelling on the cheapest day of the week or booking at the best time? The savings generator reveals savings potential and more data, including:
- How much travellers stand to save (on average)
- How far in advance travellers should book flights
- The cheapest / most expensive days to fly
Skyscanner crunched tens of thousands of data points for travellers in ten countries around the globe to reveal how and where the most significant savings can be made, to ensure our travel dollars can go further. They compared two key – and often combined – travel hacks: when to book, and when to travel:
- Booking and travelling at the right time can save US travellers on average $180 USD for optimum booking timing and $157 USD for travelling on the cheapest day per person.
- Currently, the overall best time to book flights from the US is, on average, 23 weeks before departure, and the cheapest day of the week to travel from the US is a Tuesday.
- Canadians can see a savings of $310 CAD per passenger (on average) when booking 23 weeks ahead, and Saturday is the cheapest day of the week to travel from Canadian departure points.
However, Skyscanner notes that from crunching millions of flight bookings over the last year, these results do not tell the whole story. Not only do these hacks change depending on the destination but also, travellers will find differing results for the same destination but a different month. For example:
- For New York departures, the cheapest day of the week to travel to Greece in June is a Monday vs Milan which is a Saturday.
- The best time to book a flight from Washington to London in September is 35 weeks ahead vs Reykjavik, which is 24 weeks.
- The cheapest day of the week to travel to Las Vegas from Boston in June is a Tuesday, but in September, it is a Wednesday.
Flight pricing algorithms have long been the source of much fascination, but this new data reveals that post-pandemic, the science behind pricing is more complex than ever.
Skyscanner’s Savings Generator: your new travel hack
“Most people aren’t aware of some of the simple tips and travel hacks that could open up vast savings for them, which is now more important than ever. These insights don’t have to be driven by industry hearsay: at Skyscanner we have access to thousands of data points powering our recommendations to unlock this intel for everyone.
We’re testing out sharing this insight via Skyscanner’s 2023 Savings Generator for US travelers to be able to calculate trip savings themselves, based on our top 15 most popular routes for each month of the year.
When searching for the right price, we know how powerful being informed is, so Skyscanner’s tools are designed to enable travelers to feel confident when they book. Signing up to Skyscanner’s price alerts is a great way to keep on top of price changes to your favourite destination, meaning you’ll be the first to know about any price drops.”
– Laura Lindsay, Skyscanner’s Destinations Expert
Skyscanner’s recent Travel Trends research revealed that consumers plan to still travel as much, if not more, in 2023 but will be looking to source the best value possible from their trips. The best way to guarantee a good price is to compare your options across operators, dates and destinations.
Use Skyscanner’s travel smart tools, including ‘calendar view,’ ‘Everywhere’ search, ‘nearby airports’ filter, mix and match airlines, as well as setting up price alerts.
How are the flight savings calculated with Skyscanner?
Skyscanner has analyzed tens of thousands of booking data points from 2022, drawn from 10 origin countries to their top 15 destinations, looking at metrics such as average seat price, best and worst days to travel and the associated cost and the best time to book.
The data used includes:
- Average seat price
- Best time to book
- Best time to book saving (average price minus best time to book price)
- Cheapest day of the week to travel
- Cheapest day of week saving (most expensive – cheapest day)
- Alternative destination (suggested best value alternative destination)
- Alternative destination average flight price
- Alternative destination cheapest day of the week
- Cheapest destination
About Skyscanner
Skyscanner is a popular online travel agency and metasearch engine that helps travellers find the best deals on flights, hotels, and car rentals. Founded in 2003 by Gareth Williams, Barry Smith, and Bonamy Grimes in Edinburgh, Scotland, Skyscanner has since grown into one of the leading travel search platforms, serving millions of people in 52 countries and over 30 languages.
The main feature of Skyscanner is its flight search functionality. Users can enter their travel details, such as origin, destination, and travel dates, and Skyscanner scours multiple airlines and online travel agencies to present a comprehensive list of flight options. The platform compares prices, itineraries, and availability across various sources, making it easier for travellers to find the best flights based on their preferences and budget.
Skyscanner offers several useful features to enhance the flight search experience. These include:
- Price alerts: Users can set up price alerts for specific flights or routes. Skyscanner notifies them when prices change, allowing travellers to book at the most opportune moment.
- Flexible search options: Skyscanner provides flexibility in searching for flights. Users can search for specific dates or opt for flexible dates to view prices across a range of dates, helping them find the cheapest or most convenient flights.
- Everywhere search: This feature allows users to search for flights from their departure point to “Everywhere.” It presents a list of destinations sorted by price, giving travellers inspiration for their next adventure.
In addition to flights, Skyscanner also offers search options for hotels and car rentals. Users can find and compare hotel prices, read reviews, and book accommodations directly through the platform. The car rental search feature enables users to find the best rental car deals from various providers.
Skyscanner is available on desktop and mobile web, and its highly-rated app has 110 million downloads, making it convenient for users to access its services from different devices. The platform is free to use, and it generates revenue through referral fees when users click on the provided links to book flights, hotels, or car rentals.
Working with 1200 travel partners, Skyscanner’s mission is to lead the global transformation to modern and sustainable travel.
