Inaugural study from Skyscanner reveals Singaporeans' travel quirks and the most wallet-friendly getaways for second half of 2017.
SINGAPORE – Oceania cities dominate a new list of ‘price drop’ destinations that are cheaper to fly to from Singapore than they were a year ago. The list was released today as part of a report into flight price changes and Singaporeans’ travel habits from global travel search engine Skyscanner.
The Skyscanner Singapore Travel Report analysed the browsing and booking habits of thousands of Singaporean holidaymakers* on skyscanner.com.sg across three years** to better understand how Singaporeans are traveling. It also looked at changes in the average ticket prices of flights to more than one hundred of Singaporeans’ most popular destinations***.
‘Price-drop’ destinations that bargain hunters need to take note of
Continent Winner: Oceania
Whilst the average flight prices to most of Singapore’s favourite destinations have increased year-on-year, Oceania appears to be bucking the trend with average flight prices to eleven Oceania cities cheaper than they were in 2016. In particular, the average ticket price of flights to Cairns is now 28% cheaper than it was last year and flights to Christchurch are 15% lower.
City Winner and Runner-up: Osaka and Shanghai
Asian destinations also made the ‘price drop’ list. The report found that the average price of flights to Osaka are 65% cheaper, and flights to Shanghai are down 44% on last year’s prices, meaning now may be a good time for Singaporeans to bag a bargain to these hot spots.
‘Price-drop’ Rankings
Most affordable points of entry to each continent
The Skyscanner Singapore Travel Report also revealed the cheapest destinations to fly to on each continent, based on average ticket prices in the first five months of this year:
EMEA: Although London has retained its crown as Singaporeans’ favourite destination to fly to outside Asia, the report reveals that the German capital, Berlin, is typically the cheapest entry point to Europe. On average, Singaporean travellers save S$400 if they choose Berlin over London. Average ticket prices to Paris, Barcelona and Madrid are also significantly cheaper (around S$250 less) than a return ticket to the UK capital.
Americas: In the US, Skyscanner’s study suggests that Los Angeles is often a cheaper entry point compared to Singaporeans’ favourite destinations of New York and San Francisco, whilst now could be a good time for any Singaporeans who are interested in South America to book their tickets, with flight prices to Quito and Cartagena down 57% and 71% respectively, year-on-year.
Asia: Out of Asia’s most popular destinations, Kuala Lumpur is the cheapest for Singaporeans to fly to, followed by Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City, Penang and Manila.
Oceania: Darwin emerged as the most affordable destination for Singaporeans to fly to in Oceania, beating its more visited counterparts Melbourne and Sydney (around S$170 cheaper).
Cheap Tuesdays Myth
Skyscanner found that Tuesday is consistently the most popular day of the week for Singaporeans to search and book flights, followed closely by Mondays.
According to Skyscanner, there are two likely causes – vacation planning is becoming a popular pastime for Singaporeans to stave off the post-weekend blues, and there is an enduring myth in Singapore that there are more flight deals released on Tuesdays.
While there is no concrete evidence to prove that Tuesday is the cheapest day to buy tickets, Skyscanner’s data reveals that the best times to book tickets are usually 21 – 25 weeks in advance.
Every public holiday counts
We know everyone loves public holidays, and the report finds that Singaporeans are strategic about how they use them. The most popular public holiday for Singaporeans to travel in 2015 was National Day, in 2016 it was Christmas and for the first half of 2017, it was Chinese New Year.
Family holiday hacks
According to search data based on the four school holiday periods in the year – March, June, September and December, the Skyscanner Singapore Travel Report found that the week before Christmas is typically the most popular school holiday week for Singaporeans to fly. Families who wish to avoid the crowds should aim for the first two weeks of the holidays instead. For those who prefer to spend more on food and activities than flights, March is the best bet to save on flights.
Unpredictable destinations taking off
A number of off-the-beaten-track destinations saw a significant surge in popularity amongst Singaporeans in the first five months of 2017.
Skyscanner recorded a sharp increase in search volumes for Sapporo (up 127%), Kaohsiung (up 118%), Kathmandu (up 106%), Okinawa (up 121%) and Amritsar (up 217%) in Asia, whilst in Europe the ancient capitals of Rome and Athens also enjoyed a spike in popularity amongst Singaporean holidaymakers, both up by 105% year-on-year.
Interest in Iceland as a destination appears to have slowed this year. Reykjavik exploded as one of the must-visit destinations for Singaporeans in 2016, recording a 325% year-on-year increase in searches. However for this year, whilst Reykjavik remains a hot destination, search volumes saw a more modest 10% year-on-year increase.
*Research based on anonymised analysis of flight search, price and exit data on skyscanner.com.sg between 1 January 2017 and 31 May 2017
**Comparing the first five months of the year
***All price data is based on average ticket prices of all journey types from Singapore, based on one adult traveling, and based on searches and bookings made between 1 January 2017 and 31 May 2017
Photo caption: Cairns, city in Queensland, Australia
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales. She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
