Money blog: How to get ridiculously cheap flights - by someone who does it professionally (2024)

By Megan Harwood-Baynes, cost of living specialist

A £200 flight to the Caribbean sounds almost too good to be true, but for seasoned flight finder Katy Maclure, moments like this are just another (really great) day at the office.

Katy has worked for Jack's Flight Club for almost three years and spends her day researching cheap flights and finding deals - and she's given Sky News some of her best tips.

JFC was started in 2016 by Jack Sheldon. Jack had worked for a large data company but had a knack for finding budget airfares and, after spending time doing this for his friends and family, he decided to turn it into a business - first starting as a newsletter and then a website and company that employs a dozen people.

Katy was one of those. She began as a flight finder and now edits The Detour, the company's weekly travel inspiration.

She says one of the best ways to find a steal is to look at places you might never have thought to go.

"I knew I wanted to go to the Caribbean, and I knew it was expensive - then I saw these cheap flights to Martinique from Paris.

"And Paris is easy to get to, you can just jump on an EasyJet flight or take a train."

So, for just over £200, a train (and the cost of their Airbnb), she and a friend spent two weeks in the overseas French region situated in the eastern Caribbean Sea.

The trick, she says, is going off the beaten track. Last year, she spent £175 on a return trip to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

"It's like the Scottish Highlands, but more extreme," she says.

"We stayed in a yurt and it was absolutely phenomenal. It would be amazing for nature lovers - we did a trek into the mountains.

"And it wasn't just nomadic and wild, when we got to Bishkek, it was so modern."

JFC operates a two-tier system for members - you can sign up for free and, each week, a roundup of deals will land in your inbox. If you sign up for their paid tier (which costs around £48 a year) you'll get those emails more frequently.

What's the deal with error fares?

They're the golden goose of airfares, and they are quite literally what they say on the tin - someone made a mistake when putting the price into the system.

Among some great error fares found by JFC was a return flight from Manchester to New York City in the low £200s, and a return to Tanzania from the UK for just £280. That deal was so good that eight of the JFC team booked a trip.

When this happens, the JFC team scramble to get them into subscribers' inboxes as fast as possible, because they can be withdrawn at any time.

Airlines don't have to honour an error fare (they can just refund you), so Katy says it's worth waiting a few weeks before booking any accommodation, just in case - and the rules are slightly different for online travel agencies.

"We've heard many stories of online travelling agencies calling up afterwards or emailing after saying 'oh, sorry, that fare's no longer available, please provide your card details and we'll charge you X amount more'.

"So just be aware that you don't have to pay, that you're not obliged to pay, that you can back out if they try and charge you more."

Katy's top tips for discount travel

1. If you have a specific date and destination in mind, set up alerts on Google flights - you will then get an email when the price changes;

2. Have an idea in mind of what you are willing to pay. If you want a direct flight, it will cost more - as will baggage, so research what these will cost ahead of time to know if you are getting a good deal;

3. Be flexible. If you can't be flexible about the dates, be flexible about the destination.

Jobs data published tomorrow could have a significant impact on the money in your pocket.

As we mentioned in our hello post, the average earnings growth figure published by the ONS is likely to set next year's state pension rise.

The triple lock commits the government to increasing pensions every April by whichever is highest - inflation (the figure for September, published in October), average wage growth between May and July (published tomorrow) or 2.5%.

It is estimated wage growth will come in at around 3.7%, which is very likely to be higher than inflation (currently 2.2%).

This would result in an around-£400 rise to the full state pension in April.

It is sometimes forgotten that, regardless of the political commitment to the triple lock, the government is legally required to raise pensions by at least average earnings growth.

Aside from pensions, tomorrow's jobs market data could also influence the path of interest rates.

Any noticeable shift in the supply-demand dynamic - ie fewer vacancies and more workers looking for jobs - could push down wage growth.

This, in turn, could ease any lasting pressure on inflation.

Gabriel McKeown, head of macroeconomicsat Sad Rabbit Investments, told industry news wire Newspage: "With inflation fears still simmering, the forthcoming UK labour market data could be the cold water that extinguishes the Bank of England's hawkish fire.

"The latest projections paint a picture of a cooling labour market, as vacancies have fallen for nine consecutive months, while the availability of workers has increased.

"This shift in the supply-demand balance has begun to exert downward pressure on wage inflation, suggesting a trajectory towards target.

"Consequently, Tuesday's labour data is critical for the BoE's monetary policy decisions.

"A September cut seems unlikely, with the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee wanting more evidence of sustained cooling in the labour market and a further moderation in wage growth.

"However, a higher-than-expected unemployment rate or a sharper wage growth decline could tilt the MPC towards a more dovish stance."

Customers who regularly return items to ASOS now face a £3.95 fee, unless they keep at least £40 worth of items.

ASOS Premier members (who pay £9.95 for additional benefits, including next-day delivery) will also be affected - although they will only need to retain £15 worth of items to bypass the fee.

ASOS says the changes only apply to a "small group of customers with a frequently high returns rate" and will come into force from 8 October.

One customer, who is set to be hit by the change, blasted the fast fashion giant for the move.

"If you actually made clothes that fit so I wouldn't need to buy multiple sizes we wouldn't have that problem, consider me no longer a customer," she wrote online.

Another said: "Love how asos are trying to make it feel like it's a me problem... If the sizes were consistent, maybe people wouldn't return so much."

The retailer has already altered its free returns policy in the US, with shoppers now charged $4.99 if they "constantly take actions that make providing them with free returns unsustainable".

It is not the first company to do so, amid an increase in items being sent back and the high costs associated in handling unwanted items. There is also a steep environmental impact when clothes need to be disposed of if they cannot be reworn.

Last year, ASOS said the behaviour of 6% of shoppers led to a £100m hit in profits because they regularly order discounted items and send back a high proportion. The company said it was improving sizing and how clothing and accessories were displayed, with a greater use of AI to decrease the amount of returns.

Depending on the retailer, up to half of the clothing bought on websites is returned, according to the returns specialist ReBound.

ASOS told Sky News: "We’re making this change so that we can continue offering Free Returns to all our customers (subject to our Fair Use Policy). For the vast majority of our customers, that means Free Returns on all orders – nothing’s changed.

"For a small group of UK customers with a frequently high return rate whose shopping habits make offering them unconditional Free Returns unsustainable, they can still get Free Returns when they keep £40 or more of their order. And if they’re an ASOS Premier customer, they only need to keep £15 or more."

Every Monday we get an expert to answer your money problems or consumer disputes. Find out how to submit yours at the bottom of this post. Today's question is...

I own a shared ownership property and would like to buy it outright. However, I'm confused as to how a remortgage would work. After searching, I can't find information on how this works properly.

Matthew

Instead of having to raise a mortgage and savings to buy a property outright, shared ownership offers the chance to buy an initial stake in the property and pay a below market rent on the remainder to the housing association, saysDavid Hollingworth, associate director atL&C Mortgages.

This provides more security than renting, as well as giving some stake in any potential house price growth.

As a buyer's personal circ*mstances change there is also the opportunity to build a bigger stake in the property and buy more shares. Or, as Matthew is planning, to buy the remainder to give full ownership. Buying additional shares is typically referred to as staircasing.

Hollingworth says: "You should talk to the housing association about the prospect of staircasing to full ownership if you haven't already. This will help you understand the necessary process around what you will need to do and how the property will be valued so you know the figures involved.

"When buying an initial share, or remortgaging an existing share, lenders will often offer specific shared ownership deals.

"As you will remortgage to release equity to pay off any existing mortgage and own the property outright on completion, it should open up a wider range of options and allow you to shop around for the best mortgage for you."

How much can you get?

Hollingworth says lenders will typically lend up to 85-90% of the property value, although some may be more flexible.

The maximum could also vary depending on the type of property and will be subject to you meeting affordability.

"There's also likely to be additional legal work involved in shared ownership, so there could well be some additional cost to factor in there," says Hollingworth.

"The right choice may also depend on the current mortgage position.

"If you have a tie-in period on the current mortgage, you may want to see if the existing lender can offer additional borrowing.

"If a deal is coming to an end then it's a good chance to shop around the whole market to find the best deal."

Speaking to an adviser about the specific amounts and circ*mstance will help you search out the best deal to complete your move to full ownership, Hollingworth says.

This featureis not intended as financial advice - the aim is to give an overview of the things you should think about.Submit your dilemma or consumer dispute via:

• The form above - you need to leave a phone number or email address so we can contact you for further details
• Email news@skynews.com with the subject line "Money blog"
• WhatsApp ushere

Young people are leading London back to office-based working - but their older counterparts are causing the city to lag behind its global counterparts.

On average, 18 to 24-year-olds spend 3.1 days in the office, according to the Centre for Cities, compared with 35 to 44-year-olds who go in just 2.5 days.

Here's how other age categories compared...

43% of younger workers told the thinktank they operate better in the office, compared with 25% at home.

This is despite 95% of workers recognising there are benefits to being in the office, including collaboration and building relationships.

London was found to have the second-lowest rate of office attendance - with Toronto in Canada being the only city to fall below it.

Paris in France had the highest rate of office working at 3.5 days per week, followed by Singapore (3.2), New York (3.1) and Sydney (2.8).

"There's no substitute for the benefits gained thanks to face-to-face interaction, particularly for younger workers," said Andrew Carter, chief executive of Centre for Cities.

"Having access to the wide variety of activities and experiences that offices in city centres offer is crucial for them, and the businesses they work for, to be successful.

"London has huge assets – world-class public transport, deep labour markets and lots of cutting-edge firms. Encouraging more people back to the office, to be in line with other global cities, will enable the capital to continue to play the important national and international roles in the future."

Topshop could soon return to the high street after Asos agreed to sell 75% of its stake in the fashion brand.

The online giant has agreed to sell three quarters of its ownership in both Topshop and Topman brands to Danish firm Heartland in a deal valuing them at £180m.

Heartland is owned by billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen, who already owns brands including Jack & Jones and Vero Moda through his Bestseller business.

Asoswill get £135m for its stake in the two brands, and it will have the right to sell a further 5% for £9m at a later date as part of the deal.

News of the sale sent shares in Asos soaring at the end of last week.

Jose Antonio Ramos Calamonte, the chief executive of Asos, said a dedicated Topshop site would be relaunched by next summer.

He added that Bestseller had "extensive experience" of operating its own high street stores, according to The Guardian.

"We might open stores. We will consider it for sure but we have no specific agreement to open a certain number," he said.

Topshop stores disappeared in 2020 after it fell into administration as part of Arcadia's collapse.

It was then relaunched as an online only brand by Asos in 2021.

A stronger performance for job creation in the United States appears to have eased financial market fears of a US recession.

Closely watched employment data showed that 142,000 net new jobs were created in the world's largest economy last month.

While that was below forecasts of 160,000, it represented a significant recovery on a downwardly revised total for July of just 89,000.

July's data has contributed towards a global shares sell-off, with the value of some of the biggest companies in the world taking a significant hit amid fears of a US recession.

Such a recession would send shockwaves through the global economy - and could quicken the pace of interest rate cuts both in the US and abroad.

Read the full story here...

By Jimmy Rice, Money blog editor

Welcome to the Money blog for another week of news and tips relating to your money. Here are a few reasons to keep popping back this week...

Key day for pensions - and other economic data

We'll hear jobs data - including the average earnings growth figure that is likely to be used to set next April's state pension rise. The triple lock means pensions rise each year by whichever is highest from inflation, average earnings growth or 2.5%. Estimates for 3.7% wage growth in the latest data published on Tuesday would make this the highest - which could translate into a £400 annul rise. We'll also get GDP figures on Wednesday and the Bank of England's inflation forecast on Friday.

Can you buy happiness?

This weekend's feature, published on Saturday, will seek to answer this question with the help of social scientists and psychologists.

Money Problem

Our regular Monday morningMoney Problemlooks at how you go about remortgaging a shared ownership property.

Cheap Eats

Every Wednesday we speak to top chefs from around the country to find out their favourite budget eats wherever they are in the UK. This week we're in the North East.

White Maltesers

Our finalBring It Back- published tomorrow morning - investigates whether an apparent childhood favourite of many Money blog readers, White Maltesers, could return. We have an answer from Mars...

Annuities

Our Basically... feature this week is about annuities - what are they?

We've got lots of others tips and features planned for this week, so bookmarknews.sky.com/moneyand check back from 7am each weekday - or 8am on Saturday for our weekend feature.

The Money blog is produced by the Sky News live team, with contributions fromBhvishya Patel, Jess Sharp, Katie Williams, Brad Young, Ollie Cooper and Mark Wyatt, plus additional reporting from cost of living specialistMegan Harwood-Baynesand sub-editing by Isobel Souster. It is edited by Jimmy Rice.

Instead of our regular Saturday long read, we've published our first ever Money blog spin off - a student finance special.

In it you'll find:

• All the best student discounts - food, clothes, beer and more
• Top 10 budgeting tips for starting uni
• What are the highest-paying jobs in the UK?
• The best bank accounts for students
• Eight things you need to know about renting as a student
• Student loans: How do they work and is it too late to apply?
• The towns and cities where it's cheapest to be a student

Check it out here - and we'll be back with live updates on Monday...

By Jimmy Rice, Money blog editor

Away from Oasis ticket prices, the news agenda in Money this week was dominated by pensions.

We learned on Wednesday that the state pension looks set to rise by just below 4% next April - equalling around £400 extra per year for those on the full state pension.

Pre-2016 retirees who may be eligible for the secondary state pension could see a £300 per year increase.

Because of the triple lock, each year the state pension rises by whatever is highest from inflation, average wage growth or 2.5%.

Officials did nothing to downplay a BBC report, apparently based on internal Treasury figures, that average wage growth would be the highest of these this year.

The figures that would be used to set next April's rise are released next week but the OBR forecast is for 3.7% - which would take the full state pension to around £12,000.

Whether or not pensioners would view this as good news is up for debate (see our last post), but there was definite bad news for older Britons earlier in the week, as Chancellor Rachel Reeves refused to rule out heavier taxation on pensions in the October budget.

How could pensions be taxed further? We had a look here...

Ms Reeves also confirmed on Tuesday that she'd impose a cap on corporation tax.

She said the tax would be capped at its current level of 25% to "give business the confidence to grow".

A final piece of news from Money this week that could have consequences for your bank balance was confirmation that the Household Support Fund would be extended until April.

Councils decide how to dish out their share of the fund but it's often via cash grants or vouchers. Many councils also use the cash to work with local charities and community groups to provide residents with key appliances, school uniforms, cookery classes and items to improve energy efficiency in the home.

People should contact their local council for details on how to apply for the Household Support Fund - they can find their council here.

On the Oasis ticket price story, which continued to make headlines through the week including today, a post in Money appeared to help prompt a U-turn from official reseller Twickets.

The company told us it would be lowering its fees after criticism online...

Unofficial resellers were also in the spotlight and, on an episode of the Daily podcast, Niall Paterson spoke to Viagogo - eliciting an admission that things need to change...

Here in Money, we published a few explainers that are well worth checking out...

We'll be back with live updates on Monday - but do check out our Money blog spin-off tomorrow, a student finance special.

Have a good weekend.