Cheap flights as airline ticket prices slashed in grab for cash – but think before you snap up that deal

Dollar Flight Club reports cheap long-haul flights available now to cities including New York, Paris and London as airlines come up with tempting deals

But before you book tickets, check your travel insurance and airlines’ cancellation policies. Read our guide to whether you should click ‘buy’

Reading Time:5 minutes

Why you can trust SCMP

Airlines around the world are offering cheap long-haul flights to generate vital cash flow, but with the coronavirus and travel restrictions still going strong, is it wise to buy? Photo: LightRocket via Getty Images

Jamie Carter

Published: 5:00am, 7 May 2020Updated: 6:11am, 7 May 2020

Is it time to plan for when the world will be open for travel again?

The global Covid-19 pandemic has effectively put the aviation industry into hibernation, with travel restrictions and quarantine requirements in Hong Kong and around the world. Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon recently reported carrying 90 per cent fewer passengers in March than normal.

Eager for crucial cash flow, airlines are producing some very tempting deals for anyone who has got the stomach to book ahead.

Here’s what you need to know.

Planes on their stands at Los Angeles airport. Flight and passenger entry restrictions to curb the spread of coronavirus has slashed global travel. Photo: Getty Images

How low will prices go?

For the rest of 2020, demand for flights is impossible to predict. When, where and how travel restrictions will be lifted in the short term is anyone’s guess, but for those happy to make plans slightly further into the future there are already some very low prices being offered for long-haul flights.