Airlines are charging passengers up to five times more for flying at weekends rather than mid-week, it has been revealed.

Tourists leaving from Birmingham on a Wednesday in June 2010 on a bmi flight to Faro in Portugal pay a single fare of £27.04 each while those leaving on the following Saturday fork out £154.04.

A similar June mid-week flight from Gatwick to Malaga with easyJet is 138% cheaper than leaving the following Saturday, according to figures from travelsupermarket.com.

And a Ryanair Gatwick to Alicante flight in mid-July is 110% cheaper than travelling on the following weekend.

Peter Smith, of travelsupermarket.com, said: "As flying at the weekend often means not having to book time off work, flights tend to have most demand on these days. Airlines are of course aware of this and their prices simply reflect how popular these dates and times are.

"It is therefore a rule of thumb to avoid flying out of the UK on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday where you can. When flying back to the UK, bear in mind that there are often increased fares on a Monday as well as the weekend as it is a popular day to return to the UK after a short break."

He went on: "You can also get caught out during the week if you fly at the wrong time. Popular business routes can be pricey during morning and evening peak times.

"If you are travelling on business routes, which are mainly between cities, it is also worth remembering that during the week there is a 'rush hour' in the air as well as on the ground. If you find yourself flying on one of these routes, try to avoid these times so you don't incur rates targeted at business users."

"However, classic business routes don't tend to increase prices at the weekend to the same extent as some leisure routes. For example, we found the cheapest fares available on the following routes were the same Monday to Sunday on British Airways: London to Moscow, London to Geneva, London to Brussels and Manchester to London.

"My advice is to shop around and be as flexible as you can on the day you fly to ensure you get the best price on your flight."

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