Nearly half of Saudi travellers have yet to book their summer holidays, and new data from Skyscanner suggests those still searching may benefit from holding out a little longer.
The platform’s Summer Travel Insights report finds that the week beginning August 31 offers the best overall value for summer flights, a finding that cuts against widespread assumptions: 41 per cent of Saudi travellers believe July is the cheapest month to fly.
The savings can be substantial. For families travelling to Denpasar, Indonesia, one of the most popular summer destinations among Saudi travellers, average return fares sit at approximately SAR 2,544 per person across the summer period. During the cheapest week, starting August 24, that drops to approximately SAR 1,512, a saving of SAR 1,032 per traveller or SAR 4,128 for a family of four.
Milan offers a similar opportunity. Return fares during the week beginning August 31 average approximately SAR 1,379, against a summer-wide average of SAR 1,730, saving a family of four around SAR 1,407.
Skyscanner notes there is no single cheapest week that applies universally: the optimal window shifts by destination. What the data consistently shows, however, is that comparing prices across a broader range of dates before booking makes a measurable difference, especially for families buying multiple tickets.
| Destination | Cheapest Week / Flight Price | Avg. Flight Price | Savings | Savings for a family of four |
| Cairo, Egypt | August 31/ SAR 666 | SAR 1,142 | SAR 476 | SAR 1,905 |
| Kochi, India | August 24/ SAR 1,343 | SAR 1,516 | SAR 173 | SAR 692 |
| Bangkok, Thailand | August 24/ SAR 1,478 | SAR 2,084 | SAR 606 | SAR 2,423 |
| Milan, Italy | August 31/ SAR 1,379 | SAR 1,730 | SAR 352 | SAR 1,407 |
| Denpasar, Indonesia | August 24/ SAR 1,512 | SAR 2,544 | SAR 1,032 | SAR 4,128 |
The timing challenge is real for many travellers. Only 33 per cent of Saudi travellers say they have flexibility around when they can take their summer break.
Some 27 per cent are constrained by school holidays or other fixed commitments, and 15 per cent cite fixed travel dates as one of their main planning challenges.
Saudi travellers estimate spending an average of SAR 1,312 per person on flights for an overseas summer holiday, making the choice of week one of the more consequential decisions in planning a trip.
“Summer travel planning has become increasingly complex, particularly for families balancing school calendars, budgets and changing flight prices. Our data shows that travellers do not necessarily need to compromise on their preferred destination to find better value. Checking a wider range of dates and comparing the cheapest weeks can uncover substantial savings, which can then be put towards accommodation, experiences or simply making the overall holiday more affordable,” Ayoub El Mamoun, Travel Expert at Skyscanner said in a statement.
Skyscanner advises checking live fares regularly, as prices shift with availability and demand, and reviewing prices across an entire month rather than anchoring to a single date.
