Whether you want to book flights from Durban to Johannesburg or Cape Town to Mauritius, you willno doubt be on the lookout for specials, discounts, and cost-cutting deals.
While comparison shopping seems to be the norm for travellers looking for the cheapest possible flights, sometimes knowing the best days to fly and the best days to book flights can actually help to cut back on costs even more.
Days and Times to Travel & Book Flights to Cut Costs
Below are a few tips we have picked up along the way that could help you to get the best possible flight price for your next local or international trip.
- Timing is everything – plan your booking date.
Some avid travellers claim that timing is everything. If you book your flights well in advance, you might expect to get the lowest possible price, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes booking too early can work out to be just as expensive as booking too late (or last minute).
When it comes to finding cheap flights from Durban to Johannesburg, you could stand to gain by booking at least a month in advance. Most of the low-cost airlines offer low rates on domestic flights in South Africa between one and three months of departure, although there can often be flash sales that you should look out for.
International flights are usually priced at their best between one and fivemonths prior to departure.
You will also find that the time you choose to fly can have an impact on the cost of your ticket. Flying to the UK, for instance, may be far more expensive on the 22nd of December, but extremely cheap if you opt to fly on the 25th of December. Public and religious holidays seem to be a great time to potentially cut back on costs – depending of course on your destination. You wouldn’t want to be planning to visit Mecca during Ramadan, and of course, school holidays are flat out busy from start to finish!
- Choose the unpopular days to fly.
If you know which days of the week are the most popular to fly, you can avoid them and opt for the cheaper flights. Airlines will charge more for flights on days when there is high demand. Generally speaking, when booking flights from Durban to Johannesburg, Friday and Sunday will be the most expensive. Most people fly on these days if they are travelling for a weekend away, a concert, a short holiday, or an event.
For international flights to the UK and USA, you will find that weekday flights are cheaper than weekend flights. Daytime international flights will also prove to be cheaper than late night flights. Local daytime flights are not unpopular, but you might find the very late night or very early mornings less popular than those considered a more “reasonable” time to get up and travel somewhere.
- Slow things down and take one step at a time.
If you are booking flights for the whole family, it’s only natural to want to book all your tickets at the same time. This can sometimes set you back. Booking systems will always cost a family or group booking at the same price. If you have the time to book your tickets one at a time, you may get one or two of them at a lower price. Before you go this route, make sure that you have checked the availability of seats on your preferred flights – you don’t want to end up with your partner or teen travelling a day before the rest of the family!
- Take the scenic route.
Most people prefer to travel direct, and fortunately, domestic flights in South Africa such asflights from Durban to Johannesburg, or Cape Town to Durban, unless you make a ‘rookie’ booking error usually are direct. However, if you are travelling overseas, you could save quite considerably on the cost of your tickets if you have some time in hand.
Travellers can save thousands randby routing to their destination via another country. For instance, you can travel to Madagascar direct for just under R10 000 (price is just an example), but you could also save a few thousand rand by routing on a connecting flight via Nairobi before continuing to Madagascar. Stopover times vary but can be anything from two to 24-hours. If time is not your enemy, take the longer route!
Put the Above Cost-Cutting Tips to the Test
If you are ready to book cheap flights from Durban to Johannesburg, or anywhere else in the country (or world for that matter); put the above tips to the test. You might be pleasantly surprised at just how much you can save. To search, compare and book the best-priced flights in the country and beyond, use our quick flight search feature above.
