Flying mid-week could save holidaymakers a small fortune on flights, with Tuesday emerging as the best day for travellers to take to the skies with British Airways, EasyJet and Ryanair.
An analysis of 1,174 September flights to Alicante, Barcelona and Dublin by consumer champion Which? has revealed that, on average, Tuesday is the best day to bag a bargain flight for holidaymakers departing from UK airports.
For British Airways passengers, Friday and Saturday were the most expensive days to fly, with weekend departures also proving the costliest for EasyJet (Friday) and Ryanair (Sunday).
Booking the inbound leg of a flight on Sunday proved to be the most expensive aspect of the process for travellers. Flying home mid-week proved to be the most cost-effective solution for holidaymakers, with lowest average prices available from Tuesday to Thursday.
The research also revealed that significant savings on flights could be made depending on the day of departure. As an example, customers travelling from Alicante to Gatwick on Sundays with easyJet would pay, on average, 45 per cent more (an extra £56) than if they travelled on Tuesday.
Flights to Alicante on a Friday were, on average, 35 per cent more expensive (an extra £28) than flying on Tuesday.
Travellers could also save more on their holiday spend by being savvy about the specific time of day they select for their flights. Outbound flights from 5.45am to 11.50am proved to be the most expensive period for passengers travelling with easyJet, while the most expensive return flights were in the afternoon (between 2pm and 3.55pm). Inbound flights departing in the evening proved to be the cheapest for passengers travelling with easyJet.
Richard Lloyd, Which? executive director, said: “With household budgets squeezed, holidaymakers will want to make sure they are getting a good deal on their flights.
“We found that people can save a significant sum of money if they shop around and can be flexible, changing the day or time they choose to travel.”
Eighty-six per cent of British Airways’ cheapest outbound flights were in the morning (before 7.30am), while 86 per cent of its cheapest return flights were in the evening.
(Images: Drewski2112)
