Travel search site and app Skyscanner has compiled data out of Saudi Arabia from the past year to list together the best tips and tricks that will help the Saudi traveler make smart choices in holiday bookings in 2019.
Fly on a Thursday
Over the last year, Skyscanner flight data has shown that the cheapest day of the week to fly out of Saudi Arabia is a Thursday, with Saturday being the most expensive. Travelers could save on average 10 percent by switching from a Saturday departure day to a Thursday departure day. Skyscanner’s Month View search tool can help to find the cheapest flights for their destination.
Book flights on a Tuesday
Skyscanner data shows that Tuesdays tend to be the best day to jump online to book a cheap flight, whereas Wednesdays tend to be the most expensive day to book a flight. The jump between the two is not huge though — only 1.5 percent.
Avoid the rush
Friday Aug. 16 was the busiest day for outbound flights from Saudi Ara bia in 2018 and typically Friday is the busiest day for travel, whereas Monday is the quietest.
Best value destinations
Cairo and Istanbul led the way for most popular destinations from Saudi Arabia in 2018. The top destinations with the biggest drop in average flight prices over the last year include: Mauritius, Bucharest, Vancouver, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Goa, Ankara, Jizan, Bengaluru, Tbilisi and Varanasi.
Consider a nearby airport
Travelers from Saudi Arabia should also consider flying out of a different airport nearby to save money. Travelers just need to click on “add nearby airports” when creating a search on Skyscanner and see if a short drive, bus or train journey could save them money.