How to save on spring break vacation

Experts offer a slew of tips on how to save on your spring break vacation. – AFP/Relaxnews pic, February 27, 2016.This year, spring break will be a tricky affair for some, with the school break coinciding with an early Easter weekend. But travel experts have a few insider tips on how to save a few bucks for your winter getaway.

According to analysts at flight tracker Hopper, the best days to book a flight are Monday to Wednesdays, when flyers can save up to 25% on their airfare, compared to flights scheduled for Thursday to Saturdays. And though tempting, budget-conscious travellers are advised to forget Friday departures, which are the most expensive.

Here are a few other tips:

Spring break shoulder

If you can, try booking a trip in early March or late April to avoid the most expensive times to travel. March breaks that spill over to Easter are, predictably, the most expensive, posting a 45 percent premium. The week of March 23, and April 6 are the second and third most expensive weeks.

Book now

The longer you wait, the more expensive the flight will be. How much more? Booking less than two weeks in advance adds 33% to the ticket price. Booking within three days? That will cost you 66% more.

Monitor prices

In addition to the Hopper app which predicts drops in airfare, other flight tracking apps and sites include Airfare Watchdog, Skyscanner, Momondo and Google Flights.

It may also be worth signing up for alerts to low-budget airlines such as JetBlue, EasyJet, AirAsia, Ryanair, and the newest players on the block, Norwegian Air and WOW Air, which have been selling transatlantic one-way airfares for as little as US$99 (RM415). – AFP/Relaxnews, February 27, 2016.