Departure preparation for your working holiday (the full guide)

Your plane ticket will probably make a big dent in your travel budget. Don’t worry, we’re here to help. Read these tips on how to find a cheaper plane ticket.

1. Where to buy your ticket

The fastest way to compare prices and buy your plane ticket is online.

Comparison sites vs. airline websites

Start by using a flight comparison website like Skyscanner, Google Flights or Kayak to get a rough idea of general flight costs and find the best deals. If you aren’t tied down to a specific arrival date, use the “cheapest month” filter on these comparison sites to determine the best time to fly.

When you’ve found your flight, we recommend booking directly with the airline. In the event of a change or problem, it will be easier to communicate with the airline than through a third-party booking site. If you have multiple airlines to choose from, remember to check reviews, especially on how helpful their customer service is.

Make sure you check our special deals page, as we have offers on flights to Canada, Australia and New Zealand. You must book using the link on our website to receive the deal with the airline.

Travel agencies

Booking via a travel agency is a possible cost-saving solution for travellers wanting to break their journey up. Contrary to popular belief, your ticket won’t be more expensive because you’re booking with a travel agency. In fact, they may have great deals for working holiday makers on routes with stopovers, and they are easy to communicate with in case of issues.

Beware of IP tracking

Top tip—clear cookies or use a VPN when searching for plane tickets! Airlines and third-party websites can track your IP and create a false sense of urgency.

Let’s say you compare airfares on Monday and decide to consider your options overnight before buying the ticket the following day. When you return to book, your search has been saved but your ticket is suddenly more expensive. You may logically assume that prices will continue to rise rapidly and rush to buy. Don’t do this!

Clear your cookies and use incognito browsing mode, a VPN or a different device to be considered a new client. Without the saved search history, you may be able to find the original price again.

Beware of hidden fees

Some booking sites (usually price comparison sites) may have an “added fees” trap. The price initially quoted is attractive but the checkout price is different because of last-minute booking, card or baggage fees. Make sure to read the fine print!

Generally speaking, budget airlines are more likely to hit you with hidden fees. By the time you’ve added the cost of checked baggage, another higher-end airline might work out cheaper. Booking fees are more commonly found if using a price comparison website.

2. When to buy your ticket

It’s hard to know when is actually the best time of year, week and day to book, but we recommend avoiding researching during times when you know a lot of other people are online researching as well. This is because airlines and search engines may adjust their prices in real time to account for increased demand if they detect lots of people checking flight prices at the same time.

For this reason, try to:

• Avoid looking on weekends and holidays
• Check on Mondays or Tuesdays, either early in the morning or late at night

It’s impossible to predict the pricing algorithm, but it doesn’t hurt to try these strategies.

Should I book as soon as possible or wait until nearer the time?

Start looking for flights as soon as your visa is approved. This will depend on the conditions of your WHV, but many allow you to arrive as late as 12 months after the date your visa is approved, giving you plenty of time to research options.

Research any available deals or sales. For example, if a sale is coming up shortly with the airline you want to fly with, try to hold off on booking until the sale begins.

Note that low-cost flights are generally added after regular flights from full-service airlines. If you start looking for plane tickets too far in advance of your departure date, you may miss out on budget options (if you are willing to compromise and sacrifice comfort for a budget flight!).

Even if there’s always a way to find last-minute deals, it’s advisable to book no later than 2-3 months before your preferred departure date. Prices can get very high closer to the date of departure.

3. When to travel

Avoid peak season

Travelling during peak season (usually summer and Christmastime) will be more expensive than travelling during the shoulder or low season, no matter how far in advance you book.

Research when the school holidays are in your WHV destination—prices can be higher if you arrive when the locals are taking their holidays!

Flexibility is key

If you don’t have to travel by a specific date, be flexible about your departure dates and the route you take:

• Consider a layover or stopover.
• Fly on weekdays instead of weekends.
• Take red-eyes or early morning flights instead of flying in the daytime.
• Look at flying to/from smaller, nearby airports instead of the main international hubs.
• If your WHV destination is a landlocked country, you might even find it cheaper to fly to a neighbouring country and finish the journey by train or bus, instead of flying direct.

Layovers vs. stopovers

It’s important to know the difference between a layover and a stopover. A layover is also called a connection. Most layovers involve changing gates and planes but you generally stay within the airport. A stopover is basically a longer layover—often 24 hours or more, depending on the airline’s definition of a stopover.

If you do book a layover, make sure it’s long enough to change gates, and reduce risk of missing your connecting flight if there are any flight delays. Allow at least a few hours between flights for major airports.

If you are flexible with your arrival date and route, you can choose to travel non-direct for two reasons:

• the ticket is generally cheaper (since it’s a less convenient flight)
• you can break up the journey

We recommend stopovers over layovers for the second reason. Make your WHV adventure even more exciting by discovering a new city and country on the way! Some airlines can book you a hotel room for free if your stopover is long enough. Other airlines and/or airports offer free or cheap organised tours to help you discover your stopover city.

Round trip or one-way flights

Unless you are bound by a return date, you may be able to buy a one-way flight. Available options will depend on your country of departure and WHV destination. Many WHVs allow you to arrive without proof of a return ticket. Note, however, that you must show additional proof of funds proving you have enough money to buy a flight out of the country at the end of your stay.

If you have a set date you must return home by (e.g. if you know you have to come back for a wedding or for Christmas), a round trip might make more sense. A round trip is usually cheaper than buying two separate one-ways.

4. Final tips

Credit card perks and loyalty schemes

Check the perks of your credit card—some credit cards offer points that you can put towards the cost of a flight.

You might also be able to make use of a loyalty scheme with an airline to earn points if you plan to use the same airline regularly. See which airlines are popular in your WHV destination, especially if you plan to take domestic flights during your stay.

Flight cancellation insurance

Most airlines and websites offer flight cancellation insurance during the checkout process. It’s up to you to decide whether or not you need it.

Generally speaking, the flight cancellation insurance offered by airfare booking websites only offers coverage in the event of an emergency (death, serious illness, accident, etc). If cancelled for any other reason, you’ll probably lose the money you spent on the booking.

Pro tips:

• Even if your flight is cancelled for a reason not covered by insurance (or if you haven’t taken out insurance), you may be able to get some of your money back by claiming airport and security taxes.
• If you purchase travel insurance (highly recommended for all travellers, whether it’s mandatory for your WHV destination or not!), flight cancellations are usually covered by your policy. Check the T&Cs of your travel insurance policy before committing to any insurance offered by the booking website. Learn more about travel insurance.