A travel expert has urged holidaymakers to try "airline shuffling" — booking outbound and return legs with different carriers — as a way to find cheaper flights in September, when demand typically eases after the school holidays.
Laura Lindsay of Skyscanner described the technique in an interview published by the Daily Mail on Sept. 9, 2025, saying fares do not have to be booked as round trips and that travellers can save money by flying out with one airline and returning with another. She also recommended shopping around for less popular nearby destinations and travelling outside school holiday periods to benefit from lower prices.
Lindsay suggested that a deal to a high‑demand city such as Naples might be more expensive than a flight to a lesser‑known airport like Bari in Puglia, and that flexibility on destination can produce better value. She said off‑peak travel reduces competition for seats, which can push prices down.
Other travel figures recommended different search techniques. Richard Edwards, head of Vibra Media, told Hello! that he uses Google Flights' Explore feature: enter a departure city, leave the destination blank and view the interactive map to see fares to multiple cities at a glance. The tool also allows users to set price alerts for specific routes.
The Daily Mail story said the guidance comes as shoulder‑season sales begin and cited other reporting that autumn travel dates can cost significantly less than peak summer periods. The article also noted that some consumers are turning to artificial intelligence to hunt bargains. A quoted example named Casper Opala, who said he used ChatGPT to find a flight he paid $92 for that he believes otherwise would have cost about $1,050, a claim he attributed to the AI's ability to surface options that traditional search tools may miss.
Industry sources cautioned that prices and availability vary by route and timing, and that mixing airlines may affect baggage allowances, seat assignments and protection if a connection is missed. Lindsay's comments focused on price‑finding tactics rather than the operational or contractual implications of booking different carriers for each leg.
Travel advisers recommend that consumers check the full terms of separate tickets, including baggage rules and change and cancellation policies, and consider travel insurance for multi‑carrier itineraries. They also advise monitoring fares and setting alerts to capture sudden drops in price during off‑peak windows.
The advice from Lindsay and other experts follows a broader trend of travellers seeking flexibility and using a mix of search tools — including airline websites, comparison engines and map‑based explorers — to identify lower‑cost options as demand softens in September. The suggestions are presented as tactical approaches rather than guarantees of savings, given the dynamic nature of airline pricing.