Secure that bargain holiday by laybying your flight or tour with these websites.
The fact that payday hasn’t arrived yet shouldn’t mean that you have to miss out on snapping up a hot holiday deal. If you’ve got the time and can come up with the dosh by a deadline, these websites will let you book for free, or with a small deposit, to let you secure that holiday.
Genius, right?
1. Flight Centre
It’s all about interest-free holidays when you book your dream trip with one of Australia’s leading travel agencies: Flight Centre.
It’s no secret that holidays can put a dent in your wallet and if you have to borrow money with interest attached to pay for it when the price is right, that’s extra cash you could be spending on a mojito on the beach. Flight Centre has the answer.
- Airlines you can book with: Tigerair, Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin Australia, Emirates, Air New Zealand, Etihad, Qatar and more.
- Deposit: Varies.
- Book-now pay-later policy: Interest-free holidays are for purchases of $999 or more. Applicants must be credit approved and must pay the loan in full by the end of the agreed upon term. Weekly, fortnightly and monthly payment agreements are available.
Go to Flight Centre website View coupon code for Flight Centre
2. Contiki
Featuring tours for 18-35 year old travellers, Contiki offers flights specified on individual trip itineraries, which you can secure with a deposit.
If you have your eye on a Contiki tour then you don’t have to shell out the full amount straightaway to look forward to it. Be an early-bird and you can lock in your place on a tour for a fraction of the price.
- Airlines you can book with: Contiki specialises in tours and while internal flights are included, flights to and from your start/end destinations are not. If you would like to book flights for these legs, contact Contiki for your options.
- Deposit: Varies per tour
- Book-now pay-later policy: A deposit is often required within seven days of booking. Full payment is often required 45 days prior to departure. Book-now pay-later options are often available on early-bird tours and on select bookings.
3. Luxury Escapes
Affordable and luxury rarely go together, but that's just what Luxury Escapes specialises in. This is a site where deals up to 65% off upscale holidays or more are a regular occurrence.
The site offers a short list of curated deals that are usually just available for a few days with a selection that's always changing. But no need to worry if you need a few days to gather the cash to pay for your holiday.
- Destinations you can book: Bali, Thailand, Australia, Fiji and more
- Fees: $4.95 per month while you're still owing money
- Price-hold policy: Interest-free payment plan for the first six months, plus the admin fee. An interest rate will apply to any balance remaining after six months.
Go to Luxury Escapes website View coupon code for Luxury Escapes
4. Virgin Australia
Need a few days to submit your annual leave before committing to that holiday? Virgin Australia has the answer.
It’s called the Hold This Price option and lets you secure the price of your flights for up to 72 hours so you can figure out your finances/annual leave/group situation before committing to purchasing your ticket.
- Airlines you can book with: Virgin Australia.
- Fee: Varies per flight.
- Hold this fee policy: The Hold This Price option is available for select flights only and lets you hold the price of a flight for 48 hours for an Elevate fare or 72 hours for a Freedom or Business fare. Fee must be paid in full via credit card.
Go to Virgin Australia website View coupon code for Virgin Australia
5. STA Travel
The student life is hard, but STA Travel makes it easier by letting youths and teachers layby flights.
Even if you don’t fit the bill STA is targeting, you can still buy flights for a good price. If you’re not ready to pay for your adventure upfront, STA’s layby program gives you the chance to delay most of the payment until eight weeks before you fly off.
- Airlines you can book with: Qantas, Scoot, Etihad, Thai Airways, Royal Brunei and Emirates.
- Deposit: $99. This is a non-refundable deposit which includes a $10 service fee.
- Book-now pay-later policy: Layby is only available on STA Exclusive tickets, includes select multi-stop and round-the-world routes and select flights may require you to be under 30, a teacher or a student. Full payment must be made eight weeks prior to de
6. G Adventures
Gear up for an active, marine, expedition or budget adventure with one of the best in the tour business.
G Adventures specialises in small group tours so if you wait too long you could miss a spot on one! Thankfully the company lets you book tours for a $250 deposit, so you can avoid the disappointment of missing out.
- Airlines you can book with: G Adventures specialises in tours and while internal flights are included, flights to and from your start/end destinations are not.
- Deposit: $250 per booking, per person.
- Book-now pay-later policy: Deposit must be paid when booking to secure your spot and price. Full payment is required 60 days prior to your trip or 90 days prior for expeditions. Deposits are non-refundable.
Go to G Adventures website View coupon code for G Adventures
7. Hawaiian Airlines
Considering a an Hawaiian island getaway, road trip around The States or Asia/South Pacific getaway but need some extra time to think it over? Hawaiian Airlines has your back.
While it doesn't have a layby option so to speak, the airline does offer a generous fare-hold period. Seven days to be exact. That's enough time to convince the crew to go on a well-deserved, don't you think?
- Airlines you can book with: Hawaiian Airlines
- Fees: $6-11 depending on your route.
- Fare-hold policy: Fare-hold is only available for flights book directly with Hawaiian Airlines. Fee is non-refundable and does not go towards your ticket fare. Flight must be purchased by the expiry date provided during the reservation process or the rese
Go to Hawaiian Airlines website View coupon code for Hawaiian Airlines
8. Student Flights
Catering to students and the under-26 crowd, Student Flights can lay-by your flights because it knows that money can be a bit tight, but travel is always a must.
Although offering a lay-by option, Student Flights does limit the airlines to just a few and doesn't offer the service on domestic flights. You'll also need to be a full-time student or younger than 26 to take advantage.
- Airlines you can book with: Etihad, Virgin Australia, Air New Zealand, Malaysian Airlines and Qatar.
- Deposit: $100
- Book-now pay-later policy: Available on Black Market flights only that are booked at least 60 days in advance.
9. Qantas
This airline understands that planning a holiday can take time, so it gives you more than enough to pay for your flight with the carrier.
When it comes to book-now pay-later options, Qantas has some of the best. This option is available on select flights from Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. These flights include domestic Flex, Business and Jetstar Max flights and select inter
- Airlines you can book with: Qantas.
- Deposit: $25
- Book-now pay-later policy: Available on select flights. Not available on Saver fares, Red e Deal fares, round-the-world tickets, flights purchased with points and Jetstar and Qantas combined trips. When insurance or carbon offset are chosen you must add these extras after full payment has been made. A holding deposit applies for book-now pay-later bookings.
10. Jetstar
When there are so many bargain flights to be had it can be hard to resist snapping them up. That’s why Jetstar has its Price Lock guarantee – to let you save your seat before paying in full to fly.
Any budget flyer will know that Jetstar constantly tempts us to impulsively purchase a cheap-as-chips flight, but if you’re unsure whether it’ll work out or not, the carrier’s Price Lock guarantee can bring you peace of mind. For a nominal fee
- Airlines you can book with: Jetstar.
- Fee: Varies per flight.
- Price Lock policy: Available on select bookings only. Not available on flights less than 30 days away. After you choose Price Lock you have 96 hours to complete your booking. The Price Lock fee is non-refundable and must be paid immediately to guarantee the flight price.
11. Tigerair
Secure those cheap-as-chips flights with a "fare freeze" that is literally the cost of a packet of chips.
Tempting Tigerair fares can often be met with impulse purchases that are left unfulfilled. Tigerair's fare freeze lets you lock-in a flight price for up to 48-hours to give you the time to confirm your travels with friends.
- Airlines you can book with: Tigerair
- Fee: $3 per person, per sector
- Fare freeze policy: Available on select bookings only. Not available on flights less than 27 days away. Excludes special sale fares. After you choose fare freeze you have 48-hours to complete your booking. The fare freeze fee is non-refundable and must be paid immediately to guarantee the flight price.
Which airlines let me book now and pay later?
Qantas Australia allows you to book now and pay later via its interest-free finance option. Airlines such as Jetstar and Virgin Australia let you hold the price of your flight for a certain period for a small fee.
Which tour companies let me book now and pay later?
Most tour companies will allow you to book now and pay later or in instalments with final payment being around 60 days prior to departure. It’s common for deposits to be around $250. Tour companies that offer these or similar payment options include Intrepid Travel, G Adventures, Geckos and Contiki.
What hotel sites let me book now, pay later?
Many hotel sites allow you to book your hotel stay and pay later or pay when you arrive at the hotel. These include hotels.finder.com.au, lastminute.com.au, wotif.com, hotels.com and booking.com. Choosing this option may incur a greater charge than choosing to pay when booking. Book-now pay-later hotel options may also include a free cancellation period within a certain number of days prior to your stay.
Best flight deals
Valid on flights between 13 January - 28 March 2017 and 27 September - 22 November 2017. Sample fares include Brisbane to Istanbul for $2,011 economy, Brisbane Belgrade for $2,022 economy, Brisbane to Rabart for $2,025 and more. Other destinations include Brussels, Venice, Milan, Zurich etc. Conditions apply.
