Want to know how to score cheap last minute flights to Europe this summer? We’ll show you how! If you’ve had enough of the UK and need a holiday then get in line. Thousands of brits all over the country have been plotting their great escape with a flight during their days off. However, with so many people wanting to book flights at the same time, they can be much more expensive than anticipated. In fact, booking a flight last minute can to be fatal for your bank account if not done correctly. Well, don’t fret, we’ve come up with some tips and tricks to help you score cheap last minute flights to Europe.
Skyscanner
Wouldn’t it be awesome if they were some of sort search engine that could highlight cheap flights? This is where Skyscanner comes in. This is the place to find cheap last minute flights to Europe. You can search by destination e.g London to Paris, or even just by date. These are great features as it means that you can find the cheapest dates to travel to and back from a specific destination. Alternatively, you can find the cheapest place to travel to during a specific time frame by picking your chosen departure airport and setting your destination as ‘everywhere’. You’ll be surprised as what fantastic deals you can get. Don’t forget that some airports are cheaper to fly from than others. For example, fights leaving from London Stansted can be half the price of those departing from Gatwick. For some inspiration, read about 8 cheap city breaks in Europe here!
Newsletters
Additionally, newsletters are a great way to scope out cheap flights. Airports are constantly trying to incentivise their flights at awkward times. You can find dozens of insane deals using newsletters such as Travel zoo, Eurocheapo and Smart travels Skyscanner also boasts a popular newsletter full of exciting, affordable flights. Securing travel buddies won’t be a problem once they see the prices! Likewise, you can sign up for Jack’s Flight Club to get cheap flight deals and alerts sent directly to your email.
If you’re planning on travelling with a friend for the first time? This article will tell you everything you need to know!
Flying on less popular days of the week
Nothing beats going to Amsterdam on a Tuesday! Avoid packed planes and with luck the noisy family cohorts who are unleashed during the school holidays.
Airports are acutely aware of this and spike their prices to match. Avoid this and become an outlier by flying out mid week and avoiding public holidays.
Fly on less popular times
Anyone else suffer the comedic trauma of your parents you waking you up at a ridiculous time to get to a flight? Turns out there was a reason for this. Taking a flight at a less popular time is a sure way to gain a cheaper last minute flight to somewhere in Europe. It’ll all be worth your while when you’re relaxing on a beach somewhere hot. Just make sure that you don’t book a flight that’s so early, there’s no way of getting yourself to the airport via public transport. Airport hotels don’t come cheap.
Looking to catch a few sun rays for a few days? Here are our top beach party destinations in Europe!
Hand luggage
Budget airlines make most of their money by charging for the added extras like checked baggage. Therefore, you can save a good amount of money minimising your packing and travelling with hand luggage only. This is an underrated tip and save loads of time and money. When packing, be practical and try to just bring the essentials. Remember that there will be a liquid limit so you’ll have to just bring small sized bottles of things like shampoo and toothpaste. Items like swimwear won’t take up much space in your suitcase whereas shoes will so you’ll have to pack strategically.
Choose your airlines wisely
Following on, when trying to score cheap last minute flights to Europe, you’ll want to pick your airline wisely. While some flights like Easy Jet may be slightly cheaper, they have now changed their policy meaning that you have to pay for hand luggage. Therefore, while some other airlines like Vueling may be a little bit more expensive, with the added extras factored in, it may work out to be the better option.
Search Incognito
Hands up, who had heard of cookies? No, we’re not talking about the edible kind. Airlines and flight comparison websites use data on how many people are searching for the flights and adjust their data accordingly. Likewise, they know if you have repeatedly searched for a flight or location and can sometimes, start raising the fare. To avoid this, delete your search cookies and look for flights by going Incognito on Google, or even using a VPN if you have one.
Everyone knows that the fun and excitement of a holiday can be ruined because of expenses. However, as you have seen there are plenty of ways to avoid financial stress so that you can focus on planning your trip itinerary instead. So, simply follow our guidelines and you’ll be able to find cheap flights to Europe even if they’re last minute! For ideas of where to go, check out the best clubbing holidays in Europe that you can go on this summer.
