Five things to know about flying for less

Travel data compiled by booking engine Skyscanner from itineraries in 2018 reveals how to score the best deal on flight tickets from the UAE.

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Fly on Thursday: It stands to reason that Friday would be the most expensive day of the week to fly considering it is the busiest at airports. However, by simply switching to a day earlier, on Thursdays, travellers can save more than 10 percent on average itinerary costs.

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Book flights on Saturday: Saturdays are the cheapest to fly, according to Skyscanner, while Wednesdays tend to be the most expensive days to book a flight. In fact, travellers could save two per cent on average flight prices by booking on Saturday over a Wednesday.

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Consider a nearby airport: A family of four flying to London in March could save over AED 3,000 if they switched their outbound airport from Abu Dhabi (AUH) to Dubai International (DXB). Also consider flying out of Dubai’s second airport at Al Maktoum International.

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Mix & match airlines: One way tickets tend to be more expensive in general. However, web booking engines are often able to scour for airlines looking to part with seats that would otherwise fly back empty. Instead of booked return itineraries on the same airline, try flying out with one carrier.

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Fly to value destinations: Manila and Kochi lead the way for most popular destinations, but for those looking for the best value flights, Salalah, Oman leads the list with a 40 percent price drop, followed by Las Vegas at 21 percent, Larnaca, Cyprus with 14 percent and Tashkent Uzbekistan at 13 percent.