How to save on school or college group flights
Are you in charge of arranging group travel for a school or college?
No matter the reason for the trip, whether it’s a class trip, chance to study abroad, sports competition or academic conference, booking flights, especially for a large group of students, is often one of the trickiest parts of travel planning.
And not only is it one of the biggest jobs, but it can also require one of the largest chunks of your budget.
The great news is, with careful planning and strategic decision-making, it's possible to save significantly on group flights for your trip. Here's how to make the most of your budget while ensuring smooth and safe travel for all students and staff.
Book as early as possible
The longer you leave it before booking your flights, the more the prices tend to increase. Airlines typically release their cheapest seats well in advance, so choosing your dates and destinations as early as possible will give you the best chance of securing a bargain.
If you can book six months in advance, that’s great - if you can give yourself more time, that’s even better.
Plus, early booking can also give you more options for flight times and seating arrangements, which is particularly important when coordinating a large group of students and teachers.
Be as flexible as you can
When you’re planning a school or college trip, you may be bound by a certain budget, timescale or destinations depending on the nature of the trip. However, if you can be flexible with the dates and times you fly, you are more likely to get a better price.
Flight prices can vary hugely depending on the day of the week and time of day you choose to fly. For example, flying mid-week, especially Tuesdays and Wednesdays, often results in lower airfares. Plus, early morning or late night flights can also be cheaper.
So, if your school schedule permits, you should consider adjusting your departure and return dates and times to take advantage of these lower-cost options.
Consider alternate airports or connecting flights
Bigger airports typically offer more regular flights, so these seem like the logical option. However, flying in or out of smaller, alternate airports could help you to save money on your group flights.
Not only that, but choosing connecting flights rather than direct can also be a good way to cut costs. Of course, this depends on how far you’re travelling, as this can be far less convenient if you’re travelling short haul.
Either way, it’s important to weigh up all of these options before you book to determine cost over convenience and which strategic move will be most effective for saving you money on your group flights.
Make the most of student schemes or discounts
Some travel providers will offer discounts specifically aimed at schools, colleges and other educational establishments to make this kind of group travel more accessible. Be sure to look out for and even ask about any concessions for students and make the most of these wherever you can.
Another alternative is looking at educational travel schemes and funding options to help pay towards your flights. For example, the Turing Scheme offers funding to schools for travel arrangements.
Alternatively, you could arrange and run local fundraising events that help to lower the final cost of travel per student.
Work with a group flight consolidator
Finally, perhaps the most effective way to save money on your flights is by working with a group flight consolidator.
Flight specialists like BTG Travel Management work directly with airlines to secure the best group airfares. By creating strong, lasting relationships with airlines, they often have access to rates that might not otherwise be available to the public - at least not right away.
Not only that, but they also make booking group flights much easier, dealing with all the logistics and arrangements so you don’t have to.
So, if you need help arranging your school or college trip and you’re looking for a group flight consolidator, you’ve come to the right place. Flying as a group doesn’t have to break your budget. Simply get in touch with our team today to unlock savings on your group flights.