What is the best time to book TUI Airways flights?
The best time to book international TUI Airways flights is between 2 to 8 months before your travel date. The prime booking window (the most likely time to find the bargains) is 4–6 months before takeoff. For TUI domestic flights within United Kingdom, making a reservation from 4 to 8 weeks in advance is recommended.
Why do prices fluctuate?
Airfare prices fluctuate due to demand, seasonal trends, and competition, causing numerous price drops and increases as your departure date approaches. Airlines such as TUI Airways use sophisticated revenue management systems to adjust pricing for optimal seat sales. Generally, as seats are sold, prices tend to become more expensive.
Don’t book too early
TUI start selling their flights 9–12 months in advance. However, booking a ticket too early in that window can be an expensive mistake – the airline typically starts by setting prices at a relatively high level to capture early demand from those willing to pay more to secure their seats.
Prime Booking Window
For long-haul flights with TUI Airways, the best time to book your ticket is around 4–6 months before departure. It is the “Prime Booking Window” – after some seats have already been sold, the airline starts dropping prices to stimulate demand. It may also offer promotions and sales (especially for flights departing from its hub in Luton Airport LTN
). This is the ideal time for bargain hunting.
Fly on weekdays
It makes a difference which day of the week you board the plane. Midweek travel (especially Tuesdays and Wednesdays) is less busy and likely cheaper than flying on weekends. The British airline charges higher prices for weekend travel due to the high demand from people going on short getaways or visiting family and friends.
Opt for early morning flights
Select a late night or early morning (1–5 am) flight to save on airfare. TUI Airways often offers discounts on their first flight of the morning (up to 15-20%) simply because of lower demand – most people are not willing to go to the airport so early. Moreover, morning flights tend to have fewer delays, and airport queues are usually shorter.
Set alerts
Track flight price fluctuations for your desired routes using email alerts on search sites like Google Flights to catch price drops. These drops will be your chance to book the flight at its best price.
Avoid last minute
Avoid booking flights less than 30 days before takeoff. Prices spike sharply then, as TUI is taking advantage of any last-minute travelers who have no choice but to pay up (learn more about last-minute pricing).
Peak seasons are expensive
Peak travel seasons are always expensive – due to higher base prices set by TUI for dates it expects to be popular. Try to avoid the high season during summer and major holidays, including holidays in the country you’re flying to.
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