How to request flights when your dates are flexible

Separate fixed dates from preferences

A flexible request is most useful when it explains what can move. You may be able to leave a few days earlier but need to return on one specific day. Or your departure date may be fixed while the length of your stay can change. Describe these limits rather than simply writing flexible.

If you need to attend a family event, begin work or meet someone on a particular day, give the date by which you need to arrive. The departure date and the arrival date may be different, especially on a journey with connections.

Give the team a practical search window

In the form, enter a preferred date and use the notes to describe the alternatives. For example: preferred departure 10 December, can leave between 8 and 12 December, returning around three weeks later. Add any dates that cannot work for you.

It can also help to say whether you are willing to use another airport or accept a different number of connections. These are separate choices. You might be flexible about dates but want to keep the same departure airport, baggage allowance and cabin.

Compare like with like

When reviewing alternatives, check that you are comparing the same travelling party and the services you need. A lower fare on a different day may include less baggage, an extra connection or a less convenient arrival. Ask for those differences to be explained.

Moving a date does not automatically make a ticket cheaper. Availability and the terms of the offered fare determine what can be quoted. The travel team confirms the actual price and conditions before you decide whether to book.

Include these details

• Preferred departure and return dates.
• Earliest and latest dates you can travel.
• The minimum and maximum length of your stay.
• Any date by which you must arrive.
• Which airports, baggage needs and cabin preferences should stay the same.