This little-known hack can help you secure free flights - or even get paid to travel

We're constantly seeking out ways to get the most bang for our buck on holidays - whether that's bagging a free upgrade on a flight, or finding a killer deal on the hotel that was on our bucket list - but there's a little-known hack gaining traction that could slash the price of your holiday dramatically.

Juurnee is a website set up to pair travellers who are in need of companionship with people who want to save some mega money on their flights by helping out.

You could get paired with someone with accessibility needs, an anxious flyer, an elderly person, or a young person needing supervision. You just need to ensure they get from A to B with no hiccups - a pretty good trade.

Rachel Crampton, founder of JuurneeJuurnee

The site was launched by Rachel Crampton, who found herself needing assistance on a flight from London to Sydney with her three young children - but had no one to help out. Instead of ditching her plans, she posted on social media offering for someone to come along.

"Anyone heading from London to Sydney who wants to make $1,000??" she posted on Facebook at the time, before connecting with a young Australian girl, Sarah, who couldn't afford to fly back home.

Helping Rachel meant she got to visit her family at a heavily-reduced rate, and make new connections along the way, marking the birth of Juurnee.

Pexels

If you're looking for a companion, you can list on the site for free, with the recommended compensation being between 50 to 100 per cent of the flight's cost.

Those advertising can also request key credentials, like having a DBS check, before accepting your offer.

If you're looking to apply to a listing and bag yourself a cheaper getaway, you'll need to subscribe for £15 a year.

The most popular routes are between Sydney, Dubai, and London.

At time of writing, some of the listings include a £100 fee to help an elderly woman travel from Melbourne to Delhi, and a free flight (worth £500) to help another elderly passenger from Bangkok to London.

Sara, one of Juurnee's users, and her companion, EllaJuurnee

"I was so relieved to discover Juurnee ahead of my 4 month old’s first long haul flight to the UK and back. I had assumed that an ‘In-flight babysitter’ was a luxury afforded only by the business class travellers of the world", Sara, one of Juurnee's users wrote in a testimonial.

"As soon as we connected via FaceTime, I felt confident that the lovely Ella would be a warm, sensitive and helpful ally for the whole 25 hour journey. I didn’t want to say goodbye when we landed safely back home!"

Around 12,000 people have signed up since it launched as a trial in Australia in October, and it'll soon be available to use in the UK.

The perfect way to save money without compromising on your travel experience, if you ask us.

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