Most Brits try and book their holidays with plenty of time to spare.
We do this for a number of reasons from making sure we can get the time off work to avoiding higher air fares.
But, recent research by Skyscanner has found that booking last-minute does have some financial advantages.
READ MORE: Best day to travel if you want cheap flights – and you could avoid airport chaos too
Apparently, mid-short-term booking can bag you some great deals – which is especially important now that we’re all feeling the pinch.
By looking at bookings made on Skyscanner, the flight website found that booking economy flights two weeks before you plan to fly was 44% cheaper than booking 12 weeks out.
Skyscanner’s flight pricing data showed that being flexible with where and when you travel is the key to unlocking the best prices.
With 10 billion prices searched every single day, an ‘everywhere’ search on Skyscanner for October revealed great value flights from as little as £17 to Europe this weekend.
Some flights for later this week include London to Dublin from £28 and London to Palma from £42.
A search also showed Manchester flights to Beziers, in France, for £21 and Manchester to Zagreb, Croatia, from £28.
Skyscanner’s travel experts revealed their tips for booking a spontaneous trip away below…
Consider ‘Everywhere’
An ‘everywhere’ search on Skyscanner is a great starting point for your next spontaneous break away!
Ordered by price, an ‘everywhere’ search can inspire you to go somewhere you’ve never been before.
In fact, ‘everywhere’ is currently the most searched ‘destination’ for UK travellers on Skyscanner right now.
Flex the dates
A spokesperson said: "Searching by multiple dates and airports will give you the best chance of a bargain.
"Flight prices are all based on supply and demand, because some dates are more popular than others, prices will vary.
"The ‘whole month’ search tool allows you to see cheap flights at a glance and pick the right deal for you.
"Consider travelling a day before or a day after your original departure dates, flying on less popular days of the week is always cheaper.”
Mix and match to save
Skyscanner's travel pro noted: “Being flexible in mix and matching the airlines you choose to fly with can seriously cut costs.
"Fares don’t have to be booked as returns, look at flying out with one airline and back with another or out of one airport and back into another.”
Find a spontaneous friend
The expert said: “If you struggle to be spontaneous and you know that you need that extra push to get you out of your comfort zone, enlist the help of your partner, best mate or parent.
"Get them to plan some fun trips away and agree that they will only tell you where you are going a few hours before you need to set off!"
And, it seems Brits are in for a chance to win a trip abroad this month too.
Skyscanner’s NOMOFOMO campaign is the antidote to social media-fuelled fear of missing out.
Through a series of exciting giveaways, Skyscanner's social media followers have the chance to win a number of holidays this month.
Head to @skyscanner on Instagram and Facebook to find out more.
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- Flight secrets
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