How to get 2024’s best airfares? Book early, leave on Thursdays, look out for ‘dupes’

The difference in price can be as high as 14 per cent depending on the day you decide to book – an estimate based on average round-trip ticket prices for flights originating in Hong Kong.

Expedia says the optimal time to book flights is between five-and-a-half and six months before your date of departure. Ticket prices are highest two to five months before take-off, according to the travel group, as people refine travel plans and drive demand.

But Google Flights, another popular online travel tool, told This Week in Asia that, according to its historical data for trips departing from Hong Kong, prices bottomed out around four to five months before departure, and “planning and booking early is usually a good idea”.

Plan to leave on a Thursday

For those who are flexible with their dates and do not mind making a last-minute booking, tickets bought between just two and 28 days before departure cost 21 per cent less, on average, compared to those booked two to five months out.

When it comes to which day to depart, those who left on a Thursday saved 16 per cent on average. Expedia said to avoid leaving on Sundays, which were the priciest days to start a trip.

Google Flights agreed that it was cheaper to fly in the middle of the week than on the weekend – especially Sundays.

Airfares will still be high

As anyone who has travelled around the Asia-Pacific knows, the cost of flying remains high. This is caused, at least in part, by high fuel prices and operating costs, but also by airlines seeking to claw back revenue they lost during the pandemic.

There may be fewer travellers, but those who can afford it are paying a premium, according to veteran travel industry expert Lily Agonoy, managing director of Jebsen Travel, who said the luxury travel market had exceeded pre-pandemic levels.

She said airfares would remain high through until at least the second half of 2024.

“This is due to the demand exceeding the supply, and operating costs for carriers have increased as airports are charging higher fees,” she said.

Mass-market and group travel had yet to recover, Agonoy said, likely due to increased air and hotel expenses compared to pre-pandemic levels.

According to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium, an economy class ticket from Hong Kong to London Heathrow is now 18 per cent more expensive than it was in 2019. Tickets to Sydney, meanwhile, cost 11 per cent more, while airfares to Singapore are about six per cent higher.

2024: year of the ‘dupes’?

Flexible travellers seeking a deal should be open to more affordable alternatives to their first choice of destination.

The top destinations of choice for 2024 are likely to be “dupes”, according to Expedia. Global searches this year for Taipei, a “dupe” for Seoul, were up 2,785 per cent, the travel agency said.

Searches for Pattaya in Thailand, an alternative to Bangkok, rose 250 per cent globally, it said. Those for Paros in Greece, a “dupe” for nearby Santorini, jumped 195 per cent, while searches for the island of Curaçao, a stand-in for St. Martin in the Caribbean, were up 185 per cent worldwide. Searches for Perth in Australia, a substitute for Sydney, jumped 110 per cent.

Lavinia Rajaram, Expedia Group’s Asia head of public relations, said that “hot” destinations for Asian travellers were cities such as Bangkok, Seoul and Taipei. For international travellers wanting to come to Asia, she said Japan continues to be a big draw “month on month” thanks to a weak yen.

Pop culture destinations

A global survey of 20,000 travellers from Expedia found that more than half researched or booked a trip to a destination after seeing it on a television show or in a film.

Searches to Paris increased 200 per cent after the debut of Netflix hit Emily in Paris’ latest season.

Travelling to see live music will also continue to be a trend in 2024. For example, 80 per cent of Hong Kong respondents said they would travel out of the city to catch their favourite artist.

“There’s a desire for people to get those experiences, to not be stuck at home and to go out there and discover new things,” said James Marshall, Expedia vice-president, global air account management.

“They want to spend on experience and travel is a big part of that.”