More than a third of British travellers have been identified as booking flights as early as possible.
They are unwilling to risk holding off in case flight prices rise or flights sell out, according to research by Skyscanner.
The 38% were described as ‘safe bet bookers’ followed by 29% seen as “competitive bookers’ who will book if the price looks reasonable. However,once booked, they check every day to see if they made the right decision.
Just 12% are categorised as ‘efficient bookers’ – once they know where they are going, they will just want to book, regardless of whether they are getting a good deal as they do not have time to check prices. Efficient bookers are identified as cash-rich but time-poor.
Only 11% would be happy to hold off until nearer the time, identifying themselves as ‘gamblers’. They want to get the very best price, and if that means waiting until the last minute they are happy to take that risk.
Ten per cent saw themselves as ‘spontaneous bookers’ – if they see a flight that looks good value, they will simply book it.
A Skyscanner spokeswoman said: “This study shows that we all look at booking our flights in very different ways with some competitive types almost seeing it as a game or a challenge while others have a far more laid back approach.
“Of course, those who have to travel at a particular time are more likely to want to book in advance and we understand that – however our advice would be to track fares by signing up for price alerts, allowing them to see when lowest fares become available.”