With the half-term break just around the corner – October 26 to November 3 – parents across the country are looking to book last-minute getaways without breaking the bank. Whilst it may feel like time is running out, ticket experts have advised that there’s still a sweet spot to secure affordable flights and family-fun holidays.
According to the experts, the best day to find and book your last-minute half-term break for maximum savings is October 13 . Oliver Brendon, CEO of AttractionTickets.com, explains: “Contrary to what many travellers believe, industry data suggests that booking flights within a window of 8 to 23 days before departure can offer some of the most competitive prices for international travel.”
“We also know through historical external data that travellers can sometimes save up to 24% on flights if they book them on a Sunday, particularly within this 8 to 23-day window. Given this timeline, October 13 falls perfectly within that range, making this the optimal date to secure those last-minute more affordable family holiday bookings ahead of this half-term.”
Not only are there strategic days to book, but there are also specific days that are often cheaper to fly. Research also shows that families who have departures on a Friday can save up to 26%, especially when it comes to popular locations such as Universal Orlando Resort or Disneyland Paris.
Based on this data, Oliver recommends booking your flights on October 13 and actually flying on October 25, after school finishes.
Best dates to book last-minute Christmas holidays:
For those that are already looking ahead to Christmas, the ticketing experts have delved into the data to discover the best times to book a last-minute Christmas holiday flight. Oliver says: “Following the same 8-23-days prior to travel formula, and honing in on the Sunday bookings and Friday flights rule, we can already identify that the best dates to book a last-minute Christmas holiday.
“There are December 8 and 15 , and flying on either December 13 or 20.” The expert added: “In my experience, prices at Christmas almost always tend to spike the week before, so you can avoid this by making sure you book ahead of December 17.
“Remember, it’s a risk to book things last-minute, so opt for using ticketing sites with fixed pricing models like ours and always do your research to get the best deals.”