Cheap holiday deals for 2020 travel: when to book flights

Being organised and booking your travels early not only gives you something to look forward to, it can also save you a lot of money.

Finding the best deals

Booking your holiday well in advance could help you to bag a cheaper bargain than taking a trip last minute, according to online travel agency, Opodo.

The travel firm assessed the average prices for return flights from the UK and Ireland for both short haul and long haul destinations to determine the best time to start booking your holiday.

Opodo looked at customer bookings made between July 2018 and June 2019 to identify trends and prices, providing a handy insight into how to land the cheapest flights and take advantage of the best deals.

Here are some top tips to bear in mind when booking your holiday next year.

The best month to book flights

January is the best month to book a holiday, with the average flight price costing just £241 for trips leaving from the UK.

That will give you a saving of £47 than if you booked in July, when the average price is £288.

Of course prices will vary depending on the destination and duration of the flight, along with seasonality and the weather.

Domestic vs long-distance flights

September is the best month to book for domestic flights, costing an average of £145, fluctuating to £174 for flights in July.

If you are heading to Europe, the winter months will bring you the cheapest fares, with January and February providing the best deals at around £143.

For those wanting to head across the pond to the United States, September is the best month to book, with flight prices averaging at £519.

January and September are the best months for travel to East Asia, at an average price of £475, compared with £540 in May and June, while January is the cheapest month for flights to Africa, averaging £441.

The best day of the week to book

It is not only the month that you travel that can impact the price of your flight - the day of the week you book can have an affect too.

These are the best days to book when travelling to the following destinations:

Europe - Prices fluctuate from £185 on a Saturday to a whopping £615 on a Thursday, but tend to be cheapest on a Sunday. Be sure to check the costs for different days before booking

America - Sunday is again the cheapest day to book, saving you around £57 compared with a Friday, which is the most expensive for flights to the States

Africa and Asia - Travelling to these destinations brings less variation in price from day to day, but you could still save around £30 by booking on Sunday compared with a Thursday, when average prices are highest

Australia - Average prices for booking flights on a Monday are much lower at £988, compared to £1,104 on a Wednesday

How far in advance should you book?

Booking in advance can save you significant pennies, but booking last minute can sometimes be a better option in some cases, according to Opodo.

Domestic flights - book 44 to 50 days in advance, saving you around £46 compared to booking just three weeks in advance

Europe - book 71 to 80 days in advance to get the cheapest flights, at an average of £198 compared to £242 last minute (up to two days in advance)

Africa - book two months in advance (62 days)

America - book one month in advance (31 days), saving you around £259 compared to booking just a few days before

Asia - book one month in advance (31 days)

Australia - book three weeks in advance (21 days), saving you around £392 than if you book three months in advance