When is the best time to travel to find the cheapest flights at Malaga Airport?

September is a good month to travel with lower prices than July and August and internet searches are showing some amazing bargains departing from Malaga Airport, thanks to the offer of low-cost airlines. One of the best offers this week is Copenhagen. A one-way ticket can be bought for as little as 34 euros and a return from 73 euros, as long as you travel light, with a small bag under the seat and no cabin baggage.

Some of the cheapest flights are between 25 and 30 September. On Thursday 25 for example, Ryanair operates flight FR647 which takes off from Malaga at 3.40pm and lands in the Danish capital at 7.15pm. The return flight on Tuesday 30 September can be booked from 73 euros with a single stopover at London-Gatwick, combining a Norwegian Air Sweden leg (departure 3.25pm, arrival 4.20pm) and a Vueling leg to Malaga (8pm-11.55pm). The connection at the London airport takes around 3 hours 40 minutes and the total duration of the journey is 8 hours 30 minutes. With these combinations, the five-day trip starts at 107 euros for the basic fare and without extras.

There are yet more cheap flights from the gateway to the Costa del Sol. Flights to Palma de Mallorca are around 30 euros each way on direct flights. A departure at 8.50pm lands at Son Sant Joan at 10.20pm, and the return can be set at 7.45pm with arrival in Malaga at 9.25pm (Ryanair).

If you fancy a city trip, London starts at 44 euros with direct flights to Gatwick and Luton with easyJet. Take-off at 6.10am and landing at Gatwick at 8am; return, departure from Luton at 7.45pm and arrival in Malaga at 11.35pm. All amounts quoted are for basic fares with a small bag: no seat assignment, no priority boarding and no cabin baggage.

In the first half of the year, 12.4 million passengers used Malaga Airport, making it one of Spain's major tourist hubs and top one in Andalucía.

To pay less money for flights, it often helps to use some tricks. Using private browsing or clearing cookies in your internet browser helps to avoid 'phantom' surcharges when repeating searches. Looking at the price calendar and allowing flexible dates often reveals the best day, usually on weekdays. Activating alerts also allows you to purchase the ticket as soon as the fare drops.

Separating outbound and return flights can make it cheaper when return flights go up, and combining airports at the destination (e.g. Gatwick outbound and Luton return) opens up more options. Early morning or late evening flights tend to have the best fares. Travelling alone with a small bag is key: adding cabin baggage usually costs 20-40 euros each way, depending on the airline. Checking in online without extras and paying with credit or debit cards without exchange fees also cuts the total.