With the arrival of the budget airlines flying became much more affordable. Cheaper fares were available with the no fills operators and scheduled airlines were forced to lower their fares in the face of the competition. The traveller now has a choice which is great but finding the best flight options has become a major challenge!

Indeed finding the best fare can involve mental gymnastics and mathematical calculations that would challenge Stephen Hawking! Each airline has different charges for extras like luggage, fluid pricing means that fares can change by the minute let alone the day and it can even sometimes pay to fly to a different airport than the closest to your destination. To make matters worse, fares are available both directly from the airlines and from consolidators like Expedia and Opodo. The same flight could be on offer at a variety of rates! So where do you start?

Getting Started

You have to accept from the outset that finding the best option is going to take time and effort. Start by researching which destination airports you could consider. The closest to your resort may not be the cheapest and it could pay to fly to somewhere further away and then drive or take public transport to finish your journey.

Price Checking and Luggage

Once you have all the possible airports on your list, find out who flies to each of them. Check the prices with the airlines and the consolidators for each destination. Remember that baggage charges will inflate your costs so factor these in and consider how you can reduce the number of bags you travel with to mitigate the charges. Can you get away with one suitcase between two of you, can you get two pairs of skis in one bag, could you fit everything you need into a bag that will go as hand luggage? How much of your lingerie can you stuff in your pockets and how many clothes can you wear on the flight? It might all sound a bit extreme but dropping a bag could save you a fortune.

You should now be getting a sense of what is on offer. If you have any flexibility on your travel dates then check flight prices for different days whilst you are doing your research as sometimes moving your trip by just one day can make all the difference.

The Shortlist

Make a shortlist of the best deals and then check the prices for car hire, transfers or public transport from the airport. You must also consider that your arrival time could restrict your onward travel options and costs so you may have to reject some flights on this basis. A cheap flight isn’t such a bargain if the car hire charges are extortionate or if you would arrive too late to get the train to your resort.

Eventually the picture should become much clearer. If you are lucky one flight will clearly jump out as the best choice. If you are less fortunate you may find yourself having to prioritise cost or convenience because you may not have the benefit of both. When you have found a deal that suits book it immediately as it may not be there the next time you look.

Article by Sally Stacey