Skyscanner reveals the best time to book flights from NZ

Skyscanner reveals the best time to book flights from New Zealand

New infographic shows how Kiwis can save up to $277 on flights in 2016 with November pegged as the cheapest time to fly

SYDNEY, 04 February 2016 – The world’s travel search engine, Skyscanner (skyscanner.co.nz) has released new data showing the best time to book flights to top destinations from New Zealand in 2016. The findings also revealed that travellers should book 29 weeks before their departure date if they’d like to snag the best prices.

According to the data, which is the result of analysing more than 250 million flight prices over the last three years, the cheapest month to travel this year is November with 8% savings on flights, compared to the overall average price paid.

Travellers might be surprised to discover that booking further in advance is not necessarily always the smartest approach to get the best prices. The latest Skyscanner data showed that users who searched for flights to international hot spots like Fiji and Japan managed to bag the cheapest fares around 10 (2.5 months) and 16 (4 months) weeks before departure respectively.

Fiji offered the biggest proportional savings for smart travellers who booked 10 weeks in advance saving about 15% when compared to the average flight price paid for the route.

For longer haul international flights, there’s still huge savings to be claimed. Kiwis looking to bag discounted airfares to the US should book 30 weeks (7.5 months) before departure to save 12% on flights. With the average cost of a return flight to New York sitting at $2040, this could mean pocketing a tidy $245 towards the holiday fund; more than enough for some duty free and a few souvenirs.

Emily Callahan, Senior Marketing Manager at Skyscanner for Australia and New Zealand said: “With the Kiwi dollar fluctuating rapidly against the Euro and US dollar in 2016, smart travellers may see an opportunity to safeguard additional travel budget by booking cheaper airfares. By saving a few hundred dollars on flights to international hotspots like Japan and the US, Kiwis can stretch the travel budget a little further, despite economic conditions.

“At Skyscanner we know that prices for popular destinations can vary wildly between airlines, months and days of the week, causing a headache for even the savviest of travellers. While the findings give travellers a good indication of when to book and travel, we still recommend using a range of Skyscanner features so that Kiwis can find the best deals. Travellers with flexible dates can search by month view to easily identify the cheapest days to travel while setting Price Alerts will help inform you of the rise and drop in fare prices.”

Unsurprisingly, December is the most expensive month to travel with the holiday period spiking average flight prices up by 15%. Historical data from Skyscanner shows that booking early for all trips in December is advisable, as flight prices are known to skyrocket in the months approaching.

Skyscanner’s top tips to bag the best flight at the right price:

1. Sign up for Skyscanner Price Alerts to monitor the flight fares when they rise and fall and get the best deal. Find out more here

2. Be flexible with dates. Search for the cheapest month, or by month in chart view and find out when’s the cheapest day to fly

3. Use Skyscanner Map view, filter by direct or multiple stops as well as price, to quickly identify destinations that are within your budget

4. Make use of the filters to easily find the flight for you, whether you have a preferred airline or the time you’d like to depart and return

5. Always check for extra fees. Prices on Skyscanner always include an estimate of all mandatory taxes and charges, but some airlines and agents charge extra for baggage, insurance or use of credit cards so keep a look out for these charges when you make your payment

Read more about the best time to book for Kiwis in 2016 and get the infographic at:
http://www.skyscanner.com.nz/bttb/best-time-to-book-nz

ENDS

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