How to snare the best overseas flight deals this summer

Data crunched by booking site Expedia for AFR Weekend showed that in November, average airfares dropped faster than in October.

Europe early-bird deals for 2024 also look promising. Airfares next May are from about $1800 to $2000, compared with last May when they were sitting at about $2000 to $2200.

But here’s the catch – we’re now well into the traditional festive season price spike.

Commonwealth Bank economist Stephen Wu says there’s been a 12 per cent drop in the cost of overseas holiday travel (including flights and accommodation) from Australia in October.

But much of that drop stemmed from heat coming out of the peak European summer season of June to September.

“Travel prices fluctuate a lot – it’s been particularly volatile post-pandemic, and more sensitive than ever to seasonal swings such as school holidays and summer in Europe and the United States.”

Mr Wu tipped “large increases in travel and accommodation prices in December”. For example, a return ticket in economy Melbourne-London-Melbourne starts from $1911 with Skyscanner, compared with $1284 in March.

How you can fly for less

So, how to still snare a deal? Opting for a low-cost carrier is one option.

Adam Kelly, the Australian head of Singapore Airlines’ low-cost subsidiary, Scoot, says the carrier is adding six more flights a week around Christmas, taking the total to 38, in response to strong demand for value-focused travel.

“Some people are choosing to reduce their amount of travel with cost of living pressures,” Mr Kelly said.

“We provide a value proposition as such – people might shift their behaviours to look for a carrier like us that’s value-orientated because they’ll effectively get more options and the ability to still travel for a great price.”

Mr Finch said savvy travellers usually booked to travel in either of the shoulder seasons – April-May or September-October.

Price-tracking alerts and apps are also useful to snaring the best deals.

In general, booking Sunday flights can save as much as 20 per cent on domestic flights and 18 per cent on international flights, while departing on a Friday could save you up to 23 per cent – just not necessarily at this time of year, Expedia booking hacks say.

If all else fails, consider flying on Christmas Day. Recent data from Skyscanner’s Australia office says you can save about $430 by flying on December 25 or New Year’s Eve. The site has a handy series of flexible search functions, including “cheapest”, “best” and “fastest”.

Skyscanner data shows Sydney to London on December 22 at $1356 v $1163 on Christmas Eve, dropping to $1035 on Christmas Day, before reaching the low of $921 on New Year’s Eve.

Additional reporting by Ayesha de Krester