Finding affordable airfare can significantly impact your travel budget. Luckily, with the right strategies and resources, you can often snag great deals. This guide outlines the best tricks and tools to help you find cheap flights.
1. Be Flexible with Your Travel Dates and Times:
- Mid-week Flights: Tuesdays and Wednesdays are often the cheapest days to fly, as business travelers tend to fly on Mondays and Fridays.
- Off-Season Travel: Avoid peak travel seasons (holidays, school breaks) when prices are highest. Consider traveling during the shoulder seasons (spring and fall) or even the off-season for lower fares.
- Fly Early Morning or Late Night: Flights at less desirable hours (early morning or late night) are often cheaper due to lower demand.
- Be Flexible with Your Trip Length: Sometimes shifting your trip by a day or two can result in significant savings.
2. Use Flight Search Engines and Comparison Websites:
These websites aggregate flight information from various airlines, allowing you to compare prices and find the best deals:
- Skyscanner: Excellent for flexible date searches, exploring multiple destinations, and setting price alerts.
- Google Flights: Offers a calendar view to see price fluctuations across dates and destinations. Their “Explore Destinations” map is great for inspiration.
- Kayak: Provides price tracking, hacker fares (combining one-way tickets from different airlines), and price forecasts.
- Momondo: Known for finding some of the lowest fares, often including smaller airlines.
Tips for Using Flight Search Engines:
- Search in Incognito Mode: Airlines and travel websites sometimes track your searches and may increase prices if they see you’ve been repeatedly looking for the same flight. Use incognito or private browsing mode to avoid this.
- Set Price Alerts: Most search engines allow you to set email or app notifications that will alert you when the price of a flight changes.
- Check Different Airports: Consider flying to or from nearby airports, as fares can vary significantly.
3. Consider Budget Airlines:
Budget airlines offer no-frills flights at lower prices. Be aware of extra fees for baggage, seat selection, and other amenities. Some popular budget airlines include:
- Spirit Airlines (US)
- Frontier Airlines (US)
- Ryanair (Europe)
- EasyJet (Europe)
- AirAsia (Asia)
4. Join Airline Loyalty Programs and Use Credit Card Rewards:
- Frequent Flyer Programs: Joining airline loyalty programs allows you to earn miles for every flight you take, which can be redeemed for free flights or upgrades.
- Travel Rewards Credit Cards: Many credit cards offer travel rewards, such as points or miles that can be redeemed for flights, hotels, and other travel expenses.
5. Look for Airline Sales and Promotions:
Airlines frequently offer sales and promotions, especially during off-peak seasons. Sign up for airline newsletters and follow them on social media to stay informed.
6. Consider Connecting Flights:
Direct flights are often more expensive than connecting flights. If you’re not in a hurry, consider a flight with a layover to save money.
7. Book in Advance (But Not Too Far in Advance):
While booking too far in advance isn’t always the best strategy (especially for domestic flights), booking at the right time can help you secure better deals. For domestic flights, booking 1-3 months in advance is often recommended. For international flights, 2-8 months in advance might be better. However, this varies depending on the route and season.
8. Clear Your Browser Cookies:
Similar to searching in incognito mode, clearing your browser cookies can help prevent travel websites from tracking your searches and potentially inflating prices.
9. Use a VPN:
Sometimes, flight prices can vary depending on your location. Using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) can mask your IP address and make it appear as though you’re browsing from a different country, potentially revealing lower fares. Use with caution, as this is not always effective and may violate some terms of service.
10. Be Patient and Persistent:
Finding the best deals on flights often requires patience and persistence. Keep searching, comparing prices, and using the tools and tricks mentioned above.
By using these tips and tools, you’ll significantly increase your chances of finding cheap flights and saving money on your next trip. Remember that flexibility is key, and being open to different dates, times, and airlines can lead to the best deals.