Dad reveals how to save hundreds on summer flights
A MONEY-SAVING dad has revealed how he manages to save £100s of pounds on flights without using price comparison sites.
Tom Church, Co-Founder of money-saving community , uses alert systems online to ensure he finds the cheapest available flights for wherever he wants to go.
His approach has so far led to him finding flights to Spain, Italy and Germany, all for less than £30.
He has also found bargain deals to popular destinations in both Portugal and Greece.
He revealed how, without using price comparison sites, he is able to track down the most affordable flights.
He said: "I wanted to go on a summer holiday abroad with my partner and son but we’re on a budget. At first glance, everything was so expensive.
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"I found flight price comparison sites aren’t very good at the moment. Lots of the prices they show are old or don’t include things so it’s always more expensive.
"Google Flights, which is free, has some nifty tools most people don’t know about to help you find bargains.
"You can set your budget and search for open dates to either specific or open destinations.
"Then, what I do is create free email alerts. These email alerts tell you whether the flights are below-average price, average, or a high price.
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"I’ve been a bit obsessed over the past year and have set up thousands of these alerts. You can then filter them so you only see the best deals. It’s like having your personal travel agent.
"The good news is that flight deals are out there, and I’ve found some great offers which result in savings of £80 on average."
Tom also provided some specific advice about when to visit certain places.
After finding flights to Milan from London for just £24 in August, he said: "Flying in late August can land you a cheap flight, with a big cluster of £20-odd flights in this time period.
"But fly just a day earlier, on 27th August, and pay £49 per ticket - that’s twice the price! You can grab this deal by booking separate tickets together with Wizz Air.
"Just be sure to choose your flight carefully - easyJet is the most expensive on this day, with a 9am flight priced at £45."
He also recommends flying to Dublin in August, when there are bargains to be found.
He said: "August is a great time to fly to Dublin, as there are £22 flights galore. If you can be flexible with your departure and arrival dates, check the Date Grid on Google Flights.
"You can see exactly when the best bargains are to be had.
"For example, when I looked, I saw that departing between the 8th and 11th August will get you a good price, as will returning between the 22nd and the 25th."
Tom isn't the only person to reveal how to get cheaper flights this summer.
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This airline employee revealed the cheapest days and times to book tickets.
Meanwhile, private planes could also be a surprising option to save money.
