Six ways to slash your airfare

Hoping to jet off somewhere soon? Follow these top tips to keep the cost of your airfare to a minimum...

The Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull has been in the news yet again this week, after flights to some European desinations were cancelled due to yet another ash cloud.

But while some of us may have had a little giggle about airlines losing money, the bad news is, it’s now set to come back and hit us where it hurts the most – our wallets.

In fact, because airlines have lost so much money over recent weeks, air passengers are set to be hit with an 11.5% hike in air fares by 2012, according to a report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research. The first phase of this will begin this year, with fares rising by 5.2% - adding an extra £48 onto the cost of the average air ticket.

So if this has filled you with rage, what can you do to fight back against these increases, and slash the cost of your airfare?

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Do your research

It’s always worth sitting down and doing a bit of research before booking a flight. Prices can vary from place to place, so you need to shop around to ensure you’re getting the best deal.

If this sounds like too much effort, take a look at websites such as yahoo travel which do the hard work for you and hunt out the best deals.

You can then book your chosen flight through a selected agent or from the airline’s official website.

Consider a package deal

You may also want to consider using a flight broker such as Expedia or Lastminute.com to find cheap package deals they’ve negotiated with airlines and hotel chains. Sometimes you will find it works out cheaper to book your flights, hotel, and even car hire, all in one go.

Of course, this won’t always be the case, and ultimately it depends what you’re looking for in your holiday. But it’s still worth researching these options and checking whether this will help you to save the pennies.

Don’t forget the hidden fees

As I explained in The five worst Ryanair rip-offs, budget airlines don’t necessarily work out to be cheaper than airlines such as British Airways thanks to the additional fees they charge. In fact, while I’ve been booking my flight to Jersey for the summer, I’ve found prices are pretty much the same for both British Airways and flybe.

As well as the cost of the ticket itself, you need to watch out for online check-in fees, baggage fees, and payment fees. And don’t forget that if you want to have something to eat on the flight, you’ll also have to pay for this on budget airlines – usually at inflated prices. So make sure you include these charges in your calculations when you’re shopping around to ensure you’re definitely getting the cheapest price.

That said, it's not just budget airlines that add on charges – British Airways charges £4.50 per person if you pay by Visa credit card, Mastercard, or American Express. Outrageous!

• Watch our video: The top five airline rip-offs

Be flexible

If you can be a little more flexible about when you fly, you’re more likely to get a cheaper deal. Very early morning flights and late evening flights are likely to be cheaper than those in the middle of the day. Similarly, if you choose to fly midweek, you may get cheaper fares than if you fly during the weekend.

Generally, you’ll be better off if you book your flights in advance as prices can rise nearer the departure date. That said, you will find that some airlines will slash the price of seats nearer the time if the flight isn’t full.

Use your airmiles

Several credit cards allow you to collect airmiles which you can then put towards a free flight! The Lloyds TSB Airmiles Duo Card, for example, comes with two credit cards – one American Express and one Mastercard – and these are part of the Airmiles scheme.

The American Express card won’t be accepted everywhere (which is why the Mastercard is there for back-up), but you’ll receive greater rewards for using it. You’ll receive one airmile for every £10 you spend on the American Express card, and one airmile for every £50 you spend on the Mastercard. You’ll also get double airmiles when you spend on your cards abroad.

Plus, if you sign up before 30 June, you can earn one airmile for every £1 you spend on the American Express card for the first three months.

Once you’ve collected enough airmiles, you’ll be able to put them towards the cost of your flight - 750 miles, for example, will get you to Amsterdam, Brussels or Dublin, and 1,500 miles will get you to Berlin, Ibiza, or Venice. You can find a full list here.

• Watch our video: Great credit cards for frequent flyers

You could also consider the American Express British Airways Card which allows you to earn one British Airways mile for every £1 you spend. You’ll also receive 1,000 bonus BA miles if you spend £500 in the first three months.

And if you choose the Premium card, rather than the standard card, you'll earn 1.5 BA miles for every £1 you spend, and 6,000 bonus BA miles when you use the card for the first time. You'll also receive double BA miles on British Airways flights and BA holidays.

To give you an idea of how many BA miles you’ll need, 9,000 BA miles will get you to France, Germany or Ireland, while 15,000 BA miles will get you to Austria, Italy or Sweden. You can find the full list here (some options allow you to pay partly in cash and partly with BA miles).

You can find out more about these rewards credit cards and others in Bag a free holiday with your credit card!

Stay in the UK

Of course, the very best way to cut the costs of your flights would be to simply not fly at all. And after all the chaos caused by the Icelandic volcano and aircrew strikes, this really might be a preferable option!

Thanks to the credit crunch, staycations are becoming increasingly popular. So if you fancy it, make sure you have a read of Slash the price of this year’s holiday to find out how to have a cheap UK holiday.

Alternatively, why not head over to Europe and travel by Eurostar and then make the most of the European train network? You can find out more about how to keep the costs down in Cut the cost of travelling in Europe.

More: Your travel rights when a natural disaster strikes | Avoid these travel rip-offs