Millennials are known for planning budget-friendly travel destinations, always seeking the best deals for their money. With the rise of online travel agencies and flight aggregators, young and cost-conscious travellers now have the best tools to prepare for their trips.
Singaporean millennials are especially known for being deal-seekers that prioritize value for money in preparing for their trips. These youths are fine with flying on budget airlines but prefer booking unique and relatively more expensive hotel accommodations.
Thus, Singaporean millennials are also more likely to use flight aggregator apps and websites when planning for their trips. Flight aggregators use search engines that comb through all available sites that sell airline tickets in order to suggest a comparison of rates to users.
But, are flight aggregators really the best method to find the cheapest prices? A research study by the Hong Kong Consumer Council suggested that travellers look closely before they book that flight.
The Hong Kong Consumer Council searched for flights using the most popular and most widely used flight aggregator websites: Skyscanner, Kayak, Cheapflights, Momondo, DuckDuckLook and Google Flights. The research concluded that Skyscanner produced the best results while Google Flights was the worst in providing suggestions.
Even though flight aggregators make searching for prices much easier, the council added that the suggestions may be skewed. Prices are also affected by the time in which users search for tickets. Flight aggregators may show cheap prices but hide additional fees, such as those for checked baggage, which can greatly increase the cost of the ticket.
Some online travel agencies (OTAs) allow direct bookings for flights in addition to organising travel itineraries. However, there is the possible risk of losing the booking in the airline’s system.
Netizens suggested tips on finding the cheapest flight without using flight aggregators. Booking flights during the midweek and opting for late evening or early morning flights are cheaper options than choosing to fly on weekends.
Despite having these sites scouring the internet for the cheapest available deal, travel experts advised that the best tool is still personal research.
Other expert millennial travellers prefer booking flights directly using the airline’s website. Direct bookings allow travellers to choose their own seats, collect frequent flier miles, contact the airline’s customer service, and have the priceless peace of mind that comes with knowing your flight is in good hands./TISG
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