If you’re a bit confused when it comes to the notion of charter flights, rest assured that you are not alone. The meaning has shifted significantly over the past several decades, but what it is important for you to understand now, is that budget charter flights could be a great option if you’re looking to get away for a bargain holiday.
As more and more travel companies tap into the savings potential of charter flights, it is becoming an increasingly accessible way to save time and money when planning your next getaway.
1. What exactly is a charter flight?
Cutting out the complication of involving another party in the process, charter flights are made to order flights by package holiday operators. Used for getting holidaymakers to their chosen destination, these flights go directly to popular hotspots. You can take advantage of these flights even if you aren’t doing an entire tour though.
Due to the fact that the holiday operator ends up booking the entire plane, there’s often spare capacity on the flight which they can offer very cheaply to flight-only customers.
2. Are they only for resort destinations?
Although it is true that many charter flights are indeed heading for sunny destinations, there are also exclusive direct flights headed to popular city break options all over the world.
Depending on where you’re located, you can find great deals to places like Rome and Barcelona, the Caribbean, and even India. London and Paris are also possibilities, not to mention the more predictable tropical locations like the Canaries and the Spanish Costa. Charter flights can help open your mind to possible destinations you hadn’t considered before.
3. So how do I get in on the action?
In order to find a cheap and convenient flight, the truth is that you need to be flexible and also willing to do a bit of shipping around. There is no fool proof method, but depending on how open your schedule is, you can benefit from considering both options of leaving it late or booking ahead. With charter airlines, good late deals are often available due to the fact that when a when a charter airline has sold the majority of its seats, it then decides to sell the spare seats at cheaper prices.
If you’re in the know and are a bit web-savvy, this can translate into big savings for you. Think of it this way, the travel operator has already booked and paid for the flight, so you’re really the one holding the cards in this situation. They want all the seats filled, and therefore will be happy to see them go, even at a significantly discounted price. Once you’ve done some research to figure out which travel operators service your area and the airlines they fly through, you can set up price alerts so that you will be informed as soon as the price drops and can take advantage of the situation.
4. Any advice before embarking the trip?
Try to avoid having your heart set on a particular date, the more flexible you can be, the more likely you are to benefit from big savings. Also be open to considering new holiday locations. If you see a real good deal but aren’t especially familiar with the destination, do some research to see if there are other places in the surrounding area that also appeal to you.
You don’t have to stay exactly where your plane landed for the entirety of your trip. Also look into smaller or reginal airports, these don’t make it onto many people’s radar and often offer the best bang for your buck.
