air travel
PHOTO: UNSPLASH
As we head into the highly-anticipated year-end holiday season, many Singapore travellers have started expanding their travel plans and aspirations. The recent announcements on the further easing of travel restrictions for crowd-favourite destinations – Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan – continue to further reignite the travel excitement among vacation-deprived Singapore travellers.
As travellers embark on their trips, they might notice that travel today requires more additional planning than before. To help travellers make the most of their time and money, Expedia has partnered with Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) to release its eighth edition of the 2023 Air Travel Hacks Report, providing data-backed tips to maximise their travel planning.
Travel’s big comeback
Singapore’s gradual reopening for international travel in 2021 saw the long-awaited return of air travel, leading to the high rebound in demand among Singapore travellers. Following the announcements to expand the Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTL) in Q4 2021, flight ticket sales for international destinations gradually picked up and reached 85% of 2019 levels in May 2022.
As overall capacity remained subdued over the past two years, air ticket prices for economy class flights saw a surge and peaked in mid-2021 before returning to current levels (as of September 2022), on average 30% higher compared to 2019.
Knowing the best days to book and the best times and dates to travel is key to unlocking savings on travel while avoiding unpredictable travel disruptions for the year-end holiday season and beyond. Some key tips to help travellers get the best out of their travel planning, and uncovered in the report include:
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Best day of the week to book
For Singapore based travellers, Sunday is the best day to book flights, with tickets generally more than 30% cheaper than Friday, the most expensive day to book.
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Best day of the week to travel
Singapore travellers might want to consider departing later in the week – the report unveiled that Thursdays are the cheapest days to depart. Travellers can unlock an average of almost 25% savings compared to the most expensive day (Sunday). Friday is also a great alternative and can cater to more than 20% savings on average.
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How much in advance to book tickets
Travellers planning their 2023 trips should consider booking their flight tickets as early as possible to secure a good deal and booking ideally 4 to 6 months in advance. According to the report, average air ticket prices usually peak around 2-3 weeks prior to the date of departure.
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Avoiding flight disruptions
Flight cancellation rates in Singapore significantly improved in 2022, dropping from total cancellation of 0.8% in February’s peak to around 0.3% in August.
So lastly, while flight cancellation rates in Singapore are currently lower compared to other markets, there remains the possibility of unexpected disruptions. Consider booking a day-time flight to lower your chances of cancellation as flights departing during the night (9pm to 3am), has double chances of being cancelled than that of flights earlier in the day.
“This report does more than save people money,” said Jon Gieselman, president of Expedia Brands. “It’s about the time savings and peace of mind that comes with knowing you have industry leading data-based tips at your fingertips to inform booking decisions.”
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