The Costa del Sol is a firm British favourite for summer holidays. Not only is it graced with beautiful weather, stunning beaches and great cultural history, but it is also just a short two and a half hour flight from the UK, making it a convenient and captivating place to go on holiday.

Malaga Airport is the gateway to the Costa del Sol, with beautiful resorts in Marbella, Torremolinos and Cadiz. Getting yourself to a delightful holiday in the Costa del Sol therefore will usually involve booking cheap flights to Malaga.

In this age of consumer choice, there are more companies vying to sell you flights to Malaga than you could possibly imagine. Finding the cheapest flights is the key to a successful holiday on the Costa, and this article will provide you with the tips and hints you need to find the best deals on flights to Malaga.

The first decision you need to make is when you want to take your holiday, as this will influence when and where you buy your flights to Malaga. Summer season during the school holidays is when holidays to the Costa are most in demand, so if you can possibly avoid this time to take your holiday, you'll undoubtedly get cheaper flights to Malaga.

If you have kids of your own and are taking a family holiday to the Costa del Sol then you are more restricted in your choices. In this case, it is best to book your flights as early in advance as you can. With such high demand over the summer period, hanging on for last minute flights is simply not a smart idea as availability is likely to be extremely limited.

If you are more flexible with your holiday plans, then looking to catch a late deal is more preferable. Remember that flights to Malaga are also popular in the winter for travellers looking to escape the wet and windy British weather, so targeting October is one of the best times to strike for bargains out of season.

Look for flights to Malaga that fly out midweek - Tuesdays and Wednesdays are always the slowest periods in the airport week - and flights departing either very early in the morning or late at night will attract much lower fares. You can also save yourself a small fortune by restricting your luggage to one small bag. Not having to check-in luggage at the airport will save you exorbitant baggage handling fees, which can very quickly make your cheap flight very expensive indeed.