Spontaneous travel booking adds excitement to everyday life, but it comes at a cost. Analysis by leading travel search engine Kayak shows that Singaporeans risk paying up to 38 per cent more for last-minute flight bookings. The research also shows that 13 per cent of Singaporean travellers have paid extra flight costs to top destinations by booking less than a week in advance, higher than the APAC average of 9 per cent.
Kayak has analysed data from millions of searches to help travellers understand how much they could save if they avoid booking at the last minute for the top 10 most-searched and trending destinations of 2018.
What are the top 10 most-searched destinations by Singaporean travellers for 2018? And how much more is it likely to cost travellers if they book last-minute?
Kyak’s analysis shows that Singaporeans could risk paying up to 24 per cent more than the average flight prices for flights to their top destinations in 2018 by waiting until the last minute to book. Flights to Tokyo, Taipei and Seoul, the top three favourite destinations of Singaporeans on Kayak, cost an average of 23 per cent, 19 per cent and 31 per cent more, respectively, during the final week before travel.
Popular Japanese destinations Sapporo and Osaka, which are also in the top 10, could cost a significant 31 per cent and 26 per cent more, respectively.
Which trending destinations are Singaporean travellers planning to visit next year? Are they wallet-friendly?
Kayak’s data shows that some eager Singaporeans have already been searching and planning their 2018 trips to long-haul destinations such as Rome (-35 per cent average prices year-on-year), Amsterdam (-20 per cent average prices year-on-year) and Dubai (-13 per cent average prices year-on-year), and these hot-spots are showing significant price drop compared to last year’s average prices, giving travellers greater value for money and even more incentive to visit.
Amy Wei, Senior Director (APAC) at Kayak said: “We have seen a significant percentage of Singaporean travellers making last-minute bookings at higher-than-average flight prices to destinations Tokyo, Taipei and Seoul. In order to help travellers avoid costly last-minute flight price increases, we’ve developed smart travel tools such as Price Alert and Price Forecast so that travellers can save that 24 per cent they would have spent on flights and instead spend it on creating lasting travel memories.”
Kayak does all the hard work for travellers in one App, from planning to itinerary management. As well as Price Alert and Price Forecast, travellers can rely on Trips to manage all their itineraries – no matter where each booking is made.
For more information, visit www.KAYAK.sg
