Koreans show growing preference for short-haul, value-for-money destinations

Flights departing from Korea tend to have their lowest average fares when departing on Thursdays.

Airfares account for a significant portion of travel expenses, yet prices fluctuate constantly, leaving travelers wondering when the best time is to book the cheapest tickets.

Against this backdrop, travel price comparison platform Skyscanner recently launched the Skyscanner Smart Travel Awards for Korea’s tourism industry, with value for money included as one of its award categories. The inaugural winners, announced on July 29, were Jeju Air for Best Value Short-Haul Airline, Korean Air for Best Booking Experience among airlines, and Hana Tour for Best Booking Experience among online travel agencies.

Jessica Min, a travel expert at Skyscanner, spoke about whether there are any reliable ways to find cheaper airfares.

Q. There are plenty of tips online for finding cheap flights, such as using incognito mode, searching on Tuesdays or looking for flights at 3 a.m. Are any of these actually true?

A. According to Skyscanner, using incognito mode does not affect search results or prices. Prices also do not change because of repeated searches or browser cookies. Search day is not generally a meaningful factor, either. In some cases, airlines have run promotional campaigns on Tuesdays, which may have led people to regard Tuesday as a general booking rule. Rather than the day you search, the day you fly is more important. Based on Skyscanner data, flights departing from Korea tend to have their lowest average fares when departing on Thursdays. In general, booking earlier also tends to result in lower prices.

Q. Some travelers choose more expensive flights because they want to earn airline miles. What do you think about that?

A. Personally, I think actively making use of airline miles is most worthwhile for people who travel frequently — for example, those who take at least five business trips a year in addition to personal travel.

Q. Have you noticed any notable travel trends recently?

A. In the first half of the year, we saw a growing preference for affordable short-haul travel. Korean travelers have consistently valued short trips and good value for money, but this preference has become even stronger recently. An analysis of search data from the past three to four months showed that Europe and other long-haul destinations were among the most searched destinations. However, the destinations that actually led to bookings were mainly short-haul destinations such as Japan, Southeast Asia, China and Jeju Island.

Q. Skyscanner’s newly launched Smart Travel Awards in Korea includes a value-for-money category. Is that related to this trend?

A. Yes. The importance Korean travelers place on value for money is particularly evident on flights of six hours or less. Internationally, short-haul flights are generally defined as flights of two to three hours or less. However, considering Korea’s geographical characteristics, we classify flights of up to six hours as short-haul.

Our own research found that short-haul travelers place the greatest importance on the lowest basic fare, at 49 percent. For long-haul travelers, the most important factor was a nonstop flight or shorter travel time, at 45 percent, while the lowest basic fare ranked relatively lower, at 28 percent.

Q. It is interesting that the other two award categories focus on the booking experience.

A. Eighty-eight percent of Korean travelers said their flight-booking experience affects their sense of psychological security when preparing for a trip. They spend an average of 14.7 days searching for and booking flights. The search and booking experience is also an important part of the overall travel experience. A satisfying journey starts with a convenient search process and easy, secure payment.

To assess the quality of the booking experience, Skyscanner uses its Partner Quality Score (PQS), an index that comprehensively evaluates factors including price accuracy, fee transparency and customer support. The PQS is displayed as a star rating so travelers can easily check it while searching. I recommend taking it into consideration when making a booking.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

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