It’s no surprise Aussies love to travel. But a new report has revealed that wanderlust is being put to the test with 65 per cent of Australians feeling holiday deprived due to cost of living inflation and labour shortages making taking leave from work a challenge, according to Expedia’s annual Vacation Deprivation Report.
But Aussie travellers are fighting back by making travel a top priority. One in five Aussies plan to travel “no matter what” and Expedia flight data shows searches for a winter getaway are up by 250 per cent.
Aussies are making travel a top priority.
Here are three tips guaranteed to save you money:
Try to book everything upfront: Agents have access to fares, deals, added bonuses and a reservation system that you can’t see, says Anna Shannon of Travel Agent Finder. “Some fares allow multi-stop add-ons within the existing fare, so if you book your flights in and out of Australia upfront, then book your internal Europe or USA flights a few months later, they can cost you almost as much as the international flights,” she says as an example. “If you speak with a professional about all the flights you need upfront, it’s possible there was a fare that allowed the internals to be added for not much more than the international flight.”
Travel agents have access to fares, deals, added bonuses and a reservation system that you can’t see. Picture: iStock
Compare the price: Searching on a website like Expedia can help you see the difference in price when you compare different days, airlines and stopover cities. “Some Asian carriers are offering great Europe deals to help entice visitors on route to Europe to stop over in destinations including Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong,” says Expedia’s Daniel Finch about carriers like Japan Airlines, Thai Airways, Cathay Pacific and Air India.
Know when to book: We often hear the ‘book early’ mantra and here’s why. “With demand never being higher for travel these days, the absolute best way to snag the best deal is to plan well ahead, the moment availability is released,” says Flight Centre senior agent Dominic Michaelis.
The best way to snag the best deal is to plan well ahead. Picture: iStock
“Traditionally for airfares and hotel packages this is 10 months out, for tours it’s 12 months, and cruising between 12 and 18 months.”
Shannon adds that a colleague who booked an Italy flight last year to travel in June this year paid $1742, but that same flight is now $4571.
DITCH SCHOOL HOLIDAYS TO SAVE ON FLIGHTS
When Rachel and Chris Sadler planned their first trip home to the UK after the Covid lockdowns last year, they knew airfares for their family of four were not going to be cheap. But they also knew they could find savings by flying outside of school holidays and being flexible with their dates.
Rachel and Chris Sadler with daughters Evie (left) and Lucy.
The couple from Sydney’s northern beaches applied to take their daughters – Evie, 14, and Lucy, 11 – out of school for the special trip in June last year and saved hundreds of dollars. While they say they won’t make a habit out of taking the girls out of school to travel – it’s generally discouraged by schools and education departments – flying outside of school holidays to see family for the first time after Covid saved them hundreds of dollars.
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“We prioritise holidays over a lot of other expenses,” says Rachel, a national business manager. “We have very busy lives, like a lot of people, and being able to have that time away together and see family back in the UK is important for us.
“Flexibility is the biggest benefit when looking at saving on flights, not just on dates but also the airline you fly with and time spent in stopover cities.”
Originally published as Three tips to help Aussies save when making travel a top priority