To celebrate the newly announced one-off public holiday, KAYAK.com.hk reveals the best long-weekend combinations to save money on flights.
Here are some hacks for Hong Kongers to get the most out of a long-weekend getaway in Asia.
Plan smart and savvy: Avoid the weekend rush
Hong Kongers planning a short break in Asia can combine days off with the weekend and save up to 43% on the airfare by avoiding the popular “depart Friday, return Sunday” itinerary.
When travelling to short-haul destinations, such as Seoul, Taipei and Tokyo, flying back on Sunday instead of on Monday can cost you up to a whopping 76% more than returning a day earlier or later in the week.
Jet off on “thrifty Thursdays”
Even if there are no mid-week public holidays to take advantage of, it’s well worth taking Thursday and Monday off to make the most of a short break, this gives you extra time to enjoy your trip and allow you to save money on airfares and do more activities once on site.
For travels to Tokyo from Thursday to Monday, instead of Friday to Sunday, Hong Kongers can save on average up to 43% on the airfare. Flights to family-favourite Singapore over the same period are on average up to 19% cheaper while those deciding to travel to Taipei can save up to 13% on a roundtrip from Thursday to Monday.
Make the most out of your weekend, check the best time to travel from Hong Kong and save on the airfare* at the same time:
Beijing, China
| Average price in HK$ | Fri-Mon | Fri-Sun | Thu-Mon | Thu-Sun | |
| 2,264 | Fri-Mon | – | -1% | -1% | -13% |
| 2,233 | Fri-Sun | 1% | – | 1% | -12% |
| 2,248 | Thu-Mon | 0.01% | -1% | – | -12% |
| 1,969 | Thu-Sun | 15% | 13% | 14% | – |
Seoul, South Korea
| Average price in HK$ | Fri-Mon | Fri-Sun | Thu-Mon | Thu-Sun | |
| 2,589 | Fri-Mon | – | 7% | 0% | 14% |
| 2,783 | Fri-Sun | -7% | – | -7% | 6% |
| 2,589 | Thu-Mon | 0% | 8% | – | 15% |
| 2,961 | Thu-Sun | -13% | -6% | -13% | – |
Singapore
| Average price in HK$ | Fri-Mon | Fri-Sun | Thu-Mon | Thu-Sun | |
| 1,543 | Fri-Mon | – | -1% | -20% | -5% |
| 1,527 | Fri-Sun | 1% | – | -19% | -4% |
| 1,233 | Thu -Mon | 0.25% | 24% | – | 19% |
| 1,465 | Thu-Sun | 5% | 4% | -16% | – |
Taipei, Taiwan
| Average price in HK$ | Fri-Mon | Fri-Sun | Thu-Mon | Thu-Sun | |
| 1,760 | Fri-Mon | – | 8% | -6% | -10% |
| 1,907 | Fri-Sun | -8% | – | -13% | -17% |
| 1,667 | Thu-Mon | 0.06 | 15% | – | -4% |
| 1,589 | Thu-Sun | 11% | 20% | 5% | – |
Tokyo, Japan
| Average price in HK$ | Fri-Mon | Fri-Sun | Thu-Mon | Thu-Sun | |
| 3,946 | Fri-Mon | – | 8% | -39% | -6% |
| 4,240 | Fri-Sun | -7% | – | -43% | -13% |
| 2,411 | Thu-Mon | 0.64 | 76% | – | 53% |
| 3,698 | Thu-Sun | 7% | 15% | -35% | – |
Data is based on direct flight searches made on KAYAK.com.hk for flights departing from Hong Kong between Thursday to Sunday, Thursday to Monday, Friday to Sunday and Friday to Monday in 2015.
*The tables compare the different periods of travel over a weekend to highlight the saving potential in comparison to the other travel periods respectively. Savings are based on historical searches. Savings are not guaranteed and may no longer be available
Image ©iStock.com/pat138241
