There are many ways to decrease your travel expenses, but cutting your costs by finding a cheap flight is extra nice because flights are usually one of the biggest expenses when traveling. Over the years of traveling and hours spending of researching the best flights, I’ve collected some tips on how to find cheap flights. Here they are:
Be flexible with dates
It helps a lot, if you don’t have a fixed date in mind, because prices can vary (sometimes even extremely). Flexibility will allow you to find the cheapest time to travel.
Book on a Tuesday
If you trust the statistics, then Tuesday is the best day to book a flight.
Fly into alternative airport
Another way to save some money on flights is to arrive at an alternative airport instead of the main hub. This is especially true for short-haul fights. Regional airports are mostly further away from the city, so that you have to weigh out if the saving is worth it.
Clear your cookies
Every time you go back to check a flight, the price has increased slightly, right? Websites memorize that you keep on checking on a particular flight. To avoid these price hikes, you should clear your cookies before booking the flight.
Collect miles
I haven’t started to collect miles yet, but it’s a great opportunity to get upgrades, free flights and other advantages. There are plenty frequent flier programs to choose from, so it pays off to research, which would benefit your the most.
Avoid high season
Traveling off-season or during shoulder-season can save money on tickets (and hotels). Remember to also keep in mind holidays or big events at your destination.
Compare prices
The very first thing that I do, when looking for flights, is using flight search engines to compare prices. It will give you a great overview of the airlines that fly to your destination, the routes and the price range. It’s a great first step to explore your options.
Fly mid-week
According to research, flying on Tuesdays and Wednesdays is the cheapest.
Sign up for newsletter
I’ve signed up for several airline newsletters to be aware of sales or special offers that are being promoted. It’s the easiest way to have quick access to the best deals.
Buy in advance
To be honest I sometimes even book my flights only two weeks or so before departing, as I am often traveling quite spontaneously. However, booking your flight weeks (or even months) before you travel, can save you some serious money. Research suggests that booking your ticket 5-6 weeks before your flight is the cheapest.
Option for connecting flights
Although I am not big fan of connecting flights and try to always book direct flights, it is usually cheaper to option for connecting flights. If you don’t mind the little detour and added hours to your journey, then it is a good option to find cheaper flights.
How do you find cheap flights? Post your tips in the comments below!