How to Get the Best Price on Flights to Tonga
For many, the airfare is one of the most significant costs for a getaway to Tonga. You’d rather save money for a whale swim, snorkelling excursion or at least another refreshing Tongan beer! In this guide, we’ll show you how to shave off the cents on expensive airfares and teach you how to book a cheap flight to Tonga!
Want to save money on domestic flights in Tonga too? See the 10 Tips for Flying in Tonga.
10 Tips for Saving Money on a Flight to Tonga
Across the web, you’ll find tons of nifty tricks and hacks to save money on airfares for just about anywhere in the world. While the advice we give below is more concrete ways of saving money on a flight to Tonga, here are some other quick tips that are worth trying.
- Use private browsing to stop airfares from increasing as you browse
- If your flight involves a stopover, consider using two different airlines
- Check the airfares from all of your possible departure cities
- Book connecting flights separately
- Find and compare flights on comparison websites
- Book your flight exactly 47 days in advance
- Use your frequent flyer points
- Be aware of extra fees while you are booking, such as seat selection and meals
- Fly on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or a Thursday
- Fly in the Tonga low season, avoiding Christmas and New Year
For more details on each point, see 10 Tips for Saving Money on a Flight to Tonga.
(c) PixabayThe Cheapest Time of Year to Fly to Tonga
The best months for cheap Tonga airfares: February-May
When is the best time to fly to Tonga to save money on the airfare? The cheapest time of the year to fly to Tonga is during the wet season, which is Tonga’s summer. This is considered the tourist low season, due to a combination of it being favourable weather where most tourists are coming from (i.e. Australia and New Zealand), less favourable weather in Tonga which tends to be hot and humid, as well as the fact that it’s outside of the whale season.
When is the Low Season in Tonga?
The low season in Tonga is the months of December, January, February, March, April and May.
Airfares tend to be at their cheapest during these months, with the exception of December and January where an influx of locals fly to Tonga to be with family around Christmas and the New Year.
Learn more about what it’s like to travel to Tonga in the low season in The Best Time to Visit Tonga.
(c) PexelsThe Cheapest Day to Fly to Tonga
The best days for cheap Tonga airfares: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
Airfares for Tonga even mildly fluctuate between the days of the week. The most expensive days to travel to Tonga are typically Friday and Saturday, while the cheapest days tend to be Monday to Thursday. Look for mid-week flights to find the best deals on airfares for Tonga!
The facts behind the best days to book a flight to Tonga: According to a study of flight prices using flight metadata for a 5-year period, flights that depart on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday are the cheapest. It is on average 12% cheaper to book international flights to Tonga on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday than over a weekend flight for instance. When it comes to domestic flights the difference is minimal as the capacity of domestic planes is usually extremely limited.
Remember, no flights operate in Tonga on a Sunday under Tongan law.
(c) tongapocketguide.comThe Cheapest Airport to Arrive in Tonga
The best airport for cheap airfares in Tonga: Fua’amotu International Airport
Tonga is home to two international airports: Fua’amotu International Airport in Tongatapu and Lupepau’u International Airport in Vava’u. Both airports receive international flights from Fiji and Samoa, while Fua’amotu Airport also receives flights from Australia, New Zealand and American Samoa.
With the highest frequency of flights landing at Fua’amotu International Airport, this airport is almost always cheaper to fly to than Lupepau’u Airport. So when your airfare comparison website automatically selects “Vava’u– (VAV)” or “Lupepau’u International Airport”, you know to amend your search to Fua’amotu International Airport (TBU).
Learn more about the airports in Tonga in What Are the Airports in Tonga?
(c) PixabayThe Cheapest Place to Book Flights to Tonga
The best websites for cheap airfares in Tonga: Flight comparison websites and direct on an airline website
Now that you know what time of year to search for cheap flights to Tonga, what day of the week and to which airport, now you can start finding and comparing flights on flight comparison websites.
Flight comparison websites are a good place to start when searching for cheap flights to Tonga. They give you an idea of the possible routes to take from your departure airport, as well as prices.
Once you have found a desired route with the cheapest airlines used, we recommend going directly to the airline to see if they can beat the price of the comparison website. You’ll usually find that they are happy to beat or match the price in order to save on commission they would have to pay to the flight comparison website.
Top Tip: Use Private Browsing
Both airline websites and flight comparison websites use cookies to have your browsing information and, in turn, increase airfares the more you search to encourage a “panic purchase”. To avoid rising airfares when you search, set your browser to private browsing.
Which Airlines Fly to Tonga?
Because there is such a limited number of airlines flying to Tonga, it’s sometimes simpler to know which airlines fly to Tonga. That way, you can look them up, along with their airfares, directly!
Check out Which Airlines Fly to Tonga? for the complete list.
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