When booking holidays online or through a travel agent, many people opt for package deals that arrange everything for you, so you don’t need to worry about anything. This is a great option; however, many package holiday websites don't show you the price of the same holiday if you were to fly from an alternative airport without searching for that information yourself. You will be surprised at how much money you can save if you choose to travel a bit further and fly from a different airport. Here are some tips on choosing which airport to fly from for your holiday.
When comparing the cost of travelling from two or even three different airports, look at the entire cost of travel, not only the cost of the flight. If you need to drive further to get to the airport with a cheaper flight, you should add in the cost of petrol. Alternatively, you might need to get a train to save money on your flight; make sure you add in the price of your train ticket to work out the cheapest option.
Flight times vary at each airport; if you have specific needs or prefer not to fly through the night or early in the morning, you may need to compare flight times between several different airports. Those who need to get the train to the airport and home again may need to do this; trains only run until a certain time to most destinations, and then they start up again in the morning. Most trains don’t run through the night. You will need to coordinate your flight times with your train times to ensure you can get to and from the airport, leaving enough time to check in and collect your luggage before the last train. Also, make sure you take into account possible flight issues and delays.
Airport parking has become more expensive and should be considered as part of your holiday cost. Ensure you know how much parking will cost at the airports from which you are considering travelling. This could help you to make a decision about which airport and flight to choose. You might find a deal for cheap Manchester airport parking that could save you enough money to make it worth using Manchester rather than a closer airport option.
Money might not be as important if you struggle to travel and prefer to use an airport located closer to your home. Going on holiday always means many hours of travelling, there is invariably a decision to be made between saving money and spending more time travelling. Many people prefer to spend a bit extra money to travel from an airport located closer to their home.
If you have additional needs or require certain facilities, flying and navigating your way around the airport can be even more stressful. You might want to choose to fly from an airport that has a good reputation for helping customers with additional needs. Some airports are known for their accessibility, and others have very poor reputations in this area. You can check online for reviews on airport accessibility and their facilities for those with additional needs; this can help put your mind at ease when travelling.
If you choose to take public transport, get a taxi or a lift to the airport, it could be cheaper to fly out of one airport and fly home to a different airport. Some people choose to do this on a regular basis to make the most of cheap one-way flights or deals on last-minute flights. Make sure you don’t opt for this option if you want to drive to the airport and use the car parking facilities available.
If you open up your options and look at different airports, you can save a huge amount of money on flight and parking costs. You may also have a better experience as all airports have different facilities. In addition, only the largest airports in the UK fly to some destinations; choosing an alternative airport could allow you to travel to new, exciting destinations.