Last-minute flights can be stressful and costly. Most travellers believe that price increase with the booking date approaching is automatic. It can happen that way, but it doesn’t always have to translate into high fares. While there certainly may be unfilled seats and last-minute ticket sales on any specific flight, you have no reasonable way to know whether prices will be low a week before the departure date.
We’ve finally found the answer. It’s purportedly using flexibility and strategic planning to your advantage and still manage to score an awesome deal on a plane that’s almost ready for takeoff. This guide, courtesy of BookMyTrip, can help you find affordable deals without breaking the bank on your trip to Christchurch.
Why Last-Minute Flights Are So Expensive
Ticket prices are set in relation to how popular a flight is and how many seats are available. For a busy destination like Christchurch, there can be little inventory available and seats go fast, with many of the lowest pricing buckets gone before cheap fares are released to sales channels only offering higher fare classes. This is even more so for flights into Christchurch on peak flying hours such as holidays or school holidays.
But if you know how the pricing is determined and are flexible, your chances of booking cheap Christchurch flights even at short notice are still high.
Be Open to Travel Dates
If you need to book late, flexibility is probably the single most effective tactic to keep costs down. The price of a flight can be dramatically influenced by what day of the week you book, the time you book and also when compared to peak travel periods.
For instance, mid-week flights (like that on a Tuesday or Wednesday) are often less expensive than traveling on a weekend day. Flights in the early morning and late at night are often cheaper because fewer people want to travel then. This is good news for domestic as well as international flyers wanting to find some of the cheap flights to New Zealand Christchurch and other destinations.
Changing your arrival and departure days by just a day or two can allow you access to cheaper options.
Consider Alternative Routes or Stops
Direct flights will be easiest but not always the cheapest, and particularly so at the last minute. And don’t just look for nonstop, see if you can creatively find a routed that stops or connects.
But layovers can even be longer than a nonstop flight and are usually cheaper. They’re a great budget saver if you’re thinking of going to Christchurch. For example, direct flights might be beyond your budget; but a layover at a large hub may cost you less in airfare.
The same holds true for tourists wanting to book a seat on an Air NZ flights to Christchurch because direct seats are either not available or very expensive. By checking connecting options, you can expand your selection and find even lower prices.
Look for Alternative Travel Dates
A good tip when booking last-minute flights is also to try and avoid peak season if you can. There are peak seasons say, for school holidays or specific holidays, or during the summer months that generally have higher flight prices.
On the other hand, flying during shoulder seasons (the time between high and low travel times) often yields more affordable options and a nicer experience that one with fewer crowds. Instead of booking just a couple weeks before your trip date, try and plan your travel during these quieter times to help ensure you snag yourself any cheap flights New Zealand Christchurch deals.
Look for Nearby Airports and Alternate Chains
One hack that could save you a lot of money, depending on where you’re flying out of or back to check flights in other airports close to your city; these may be cheaper than sticking only to the biggest hub. In still other cases, smaller or secondary airports often assess lower fees and have more capacity, so prices are frequently cheaper.
Christchurch travel can be reached directly by flying to Christchurch or taking an indirect route, which requires you to make a brief train ride in the other airports. This can be quite convenient if you have only a limited time to travel, but flights into Christchurch are costly.
Combine One Way Tickets or Multi-Carrier Fares
At the last minute, booking round-trip flights is not the most cost-effective choice when organizing your travel. Occasionally, one-way tickets on separate airlines wash out as less expensive.
It might be cheaper, say, to book a flight to a destination on one carrier and another on the way back than it would be to purchase one round-trip ticket. This method can uncover flight pricing opportunities that wouldn’t be as obvious if you were strictly searching for round trips.
This trick is especially useful for people buying international travel or piecing together carriers to make up a trip.
Think Beyond Flight Prices
Keep in mind that airfare is just one component of your travel costs. And booking last minute while keeping additional costs in mind can save you money overall:
- If you can get away with it, pack nothing but carry-on to avoid a fee for any checked bag.
- Book travel that isn’t prime holiday season, when hotels and services are also cheaper.
- Watch for lodging deals or package offers at times, the combo price is less than booking each element separately.
These extras make that cheap Christchurch flight go even farther with your travel budget.
Final Thoughts: Be Smart and Ready to Act
Scoring a last-minute flight without spending a premium is within the realm of possibility, however it’s not just you saying that you need to get away. Frequently it’s a matter of flexibility of welcoming various routing options and rejiggering plans to get the best price.
Whether searching for cheap flights to Christchurch Airport, a smart booking plan makes all the difference. Sometimes canceled flights, huge swings in seasons, and yes even airlines overbooking flights will result in lower price points for the thrifty traveler who is ready to pounce.
At BookMyTrip, we make you explore all flight options including those that provide the best value for money at the very last minute. Begin your search today, and you are on your way to getting cheap service to Christchurch that matches both your itinerary and price range.
Frequently asked questions:
You can see what flights are available on Air NZ to Christchurch by typing in Christchurch as a destination and the flight search page will show your options. Air New Zealand flies to Christchurch non stop from many popular domestic locations making it easier for you to choose your travel itinerary, and search by price so you can see the cheapest dates we fly.
The best strategy to get a cheap ticket is to book as far in advance as you can and avoid traveling at rush hour. You will see flights to a handful of domestic cities and some international destinations. You may also find lower rates if you can be flexible with alternate travel dates and destinations.
Generally, yes. There is often greater demand for flights at these high-traffic times, which means higher base prices (prices not set high by smoke and mirrors), as there are more people flying then. If you’re looking to keep costs down, flying a little outside of prime dates (like shoulder seasons) usually does the trick.
A second flight from a hub can be cheaper than a direct flight sometimes. Though it might be more convenient to fly direct, taking a flight with one or two stops especially on long-haul and international flights can positively affect the price of the ticket versus a nonstop service
