Great Tips for Booking Cheap Flights: The process of booking cheap flights is as simple as an art. It is possible to see a low price in the morning; however, within a couple of hours, it will triple in price. In reality, airlines frequently change their daily rates to take up seats.
I am a frequent traveller, and having managed corporate travel reservations in my previous position, I’ve picked up a few tips for travelling and money-saving tricks throughout my travels.
Here are 23 Tips to Finding Cheap Flights
1: Making plans and being patient
Great Tips for Booking Cheap Flights: plan ahead is the initial step to finding cheap flights. You will get last-minute discounts; however, there are more choices and flexibility to find cheap flights if you plan.
If you want to travel in the spring, it is best to research prices during the winter or fall.
Planning tips:
- Find travel websites for prices before you get up in the morning (around 9:00 am) and later in the evening (after 6:00 pm).
- Join our email list to receive alerts. I love using Skyscanner to use this tool because it lets me view how the price changes (up and down) and know when the best deal is available.
- Begin your search three months before your departure date. As a general rule of thumb, the most affordable flights can be booked within 47 days of departure.
2: Search in private
Always search for flights in private browsing or incognito mode to obtain the lowest cost. There is often no price difference when using private browsing mode, but I suggest comparing prices before booking your flight.
If you are looking for airfares via Skyscanner, my favourite travel website, You don’t need to worry about doing it in incognito mode. Skyscanner does not implement cookies, nor does it use any flight tracking system.
They display prices according to the information that travel companies (online airways and agencies) inform them. This means you receive the most competitive price every time you search for flights on Skyscanner.
3: Find tickets one at one time
Some airlines offer different airfare classes for different prices if you’re travelling in an entire group.
Great Tips for Booking Cheap Flights: For instance, if you’re travelling with a couple and there’s just one seat remaining in the lowest class for both of you, the website typically shows the course with the highest price that both seats are in.
However, searching for each ticket on the website might show a lower cost. This will help at most one person – or both of you save money on flights.
4: Clear the history of your browser and all cookies
It’s not a coincidence if you’ve observed the cost of a flight alter after searching for it several times. Travel sites and airlines will recall your search, and this could cause prices to increase. Increase.
Permanently erase your history of browsing and cookies before searching for flights. It is best to browse in incognito or private browsing mode (as described in tip number 2).
But you don’t have to worry about clearing out your browser’s history and cookies while searching for flights using Skyscanner since they don’t employ cookies or any other tracking system. This is why I always suggest you use Skyscanner for flights to locate the cheapest flight cost.
5: Visit the airline’s official website
Although third-party travel sites are sometimes great, the most affordable, unpublicized deals are by visiting the airlines’ website.
6: Join the mailing list of your top airline and travel website
Great Tips for Booking Cheap Flights: Sign up for emails from your preferred airline or third-party travel website. This lets you get special offers immediately after they become available online and exclusive deals for subscribers to emails.
7: Find departures and arrivals at alternative airports
Many major cities also have several airports in the vicinity. For instance, New York City has three significant airports where travellers can pick between LGA, JFK and EWR.
Prices vary wildly depending on your chosen airport, so it’s essential to check prices.
The most important thing to remember is whether flying to another air terminal will be worth the cost.
For instance, if you’re travelling towards New York City and fly into EWR, then you’ll need be able to purchase New Jersey transit (or taxi) to travel to Manhattan.
The savings you derived by flying into EWR will soon disappear once you consider the cost of ground transportation to get to Manhattan.
8: Follow airlines as well as third-party sites for travel on Social Media.
One of the best things about social media platforms is that airlines can utilize them to promote special travel deals to their fans.
Sometimes, airlines will provide a promo code via their Facebook or Twitter page, which is why it’s essential to keep track of the page on social media.
9: Bundle your hotel, flights and car rental
Great Tips for Booking Cheap Flights: Bundling your travel plans with websites such as Expedia can save as much as $300. This can make money for entertainment, sightseeing eating out, shopping and dining out.
10: Refrain from bundling your hotel stay, flight and car rental.
While some great discounts are available in the event you combine your travel, this is only sometimes the situation. Always check prices to decide if booking a bundle or separately is cheaper.
Skyscanner offers the possibility to see hotel rates.
Regarding hotels, I prefer booking through hotwire to search for cheap rates. If I’m going to a foreign country, I’m a massive fan of Airbnb. I’ve used them a few times while travelling across Europe and love their services!
11: Airlines that mix and match
Sometimes booking a round-trip or multi-city journey with the same airline can help you save money, but it’s only sometimes the case.
Always look at prices and compare them to determine if you’re booking the most affordable flight you book with one airline instead of—several airlines. The easiest way to compare prices is by using an external website such as Skyscanner, which lists the most affordable flight combinations with your preferred dates.
12: Fly at the most affordable time of the week
Great Tips for Booking Cheap Flights: Travel days on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays are usually the most reasonable times of the week. Searching for mid-week flights can yield the most affordable prices also.
From personal experience, I’ve also discovered that sometimes Thursdays can be a good day to buy too.
The most expensive days are Fridays, Mondays and Sundays. Airlines are aware that the majority of business trips are scheduled during the week between Monday and Friday. That is why it can be more costly to leave on Monday and return on a Friday.
However, business travellers are beginning to depart on Sundays instead of Mondays to get the best flights. However, that’s rarely the situation.
13: Fly outside of peak hours
You already know that flying after 8:00 pm is generally cheaper than taking a flight in the daytime. But you could also score savings by booking an earlier morning flight (between the hours of 5:00 am and 7:00 am).
14: Fly in indirect
Although nonstop flights are typically preferable, there are times when you can save money by taking a one-stop flight.
A one-stop flight could offer additional options.
Great Tips for Booking Cheap Flights: For instance, last week, I booked flights for Victoria, BC, and the only direct flight to Toronto departs late at night. Instead, I chose a one-stop flight that arrived in Victoria around noon. This also saved me about $100.
It is also possible to take a flight that has an extended layover. This allows you to wander around the city as a benefit.
15: Fly in the shoulder season or off-season
The off-season or the shoulder could result in significant savings.
I secured an excellent 7-day getaway package for a trip to Paris in February for CAD 1000 (which included hotel, flights and tax).
This was considerably cheaper than travel during summer, and travelling in the off-season is usually less crowded. This is a win-win situation for me.
The main takeaway is that you should be flexible about your travel dates as prices fluctuate greatly depending on the time of year.
16: You can save money on checked luggage.
Most airlines charge an amount of $25 to $60 each way to carry your luggage. They can also charge extra when it’s heavier than your weight allowance. You can reduce this cost by packing your bags light and wearing heavier luggage when travelling.
When travelling with your close person or partner, consider sharing a suitcase with them. It could save you more than $50 on your baggage expenses.
A different option would be to take luggage that you can carry but only if you’re planning a trip of a shorter duration, like an escape for the weekend. Most hotels provide basic amenities for toiletries, and you can bring small items for travel to the airport (provided they’re in compliance with TSA regulations for liquids).
17: Bring your food items.
Great Tips for Booking Cheap Flights: Many airlines charge for food items on the plane. You can save money on food costs by taking your food from your home instead of purchasing snacks during the flight. I can assure you that your home-cooked food will taste better as well.
18: Compare travel and health insurance
I recommend that you have an insurance policy for travel and (extra) medical insurance to cover your trip, but the insurance you get when you book your flight sometimes offers a better price.
Sometimes, your workplace may offer health or travel coverage as part of an employee benefits program. You can also buy insurance from your financial institution during the year. This is what I am currently doing.
If you’re older than 40 (or have had any health problems in the past), I recommend buying additional health insurance (even if you’re already insured through your employer).
We can’t know what could happen when we travel, so it’s essential to be well-prepared.
19: Do not pay for seats (if you can)
Although advanced seat selection may be included in your flight, certain airlines charge a fee for choosing your seats.
If you need more information about your airport seat, I suggest not doing this when booking your flights. Instead, ensure you check in at least 24 hours before your flight, and you can choose your seat at no cost.
20: Join an occasional flier program
Frequent flyer programs are ideal for getting upgrade flights or free flights.
Sign up for the airline rewards program even if you’re not a frequent flyer. There are many ways to earn points shopping at partner stores, using email promotions (sign up to receive their monthly newsletter) and flying, of course.
21: Take advantage of a travel credit card
Great Tips for Booking Cheap Flights: If you are a fan of travelling, please sign up for an account with a credit card that provides travel rewards. There are a variety of cards to pick from that do not charge an annual fee, allowing you to earn points on everyday purchases. These points can then be used for the chance to fly for free.
I always make use of my credit card for travel to pay my monthly expenses. This assists me in earning points quicker as opposed to paying in cash.
There are many advantages to having a travel credit card. Some of them offer special discounts on rental cars as well as hotels, as well as insurance coverage for your travels.
Contact your bank and conduct some research to find the travel credit card that is right for you.
22: Use the 24-hour rule
When you have booked your flight, be aware of airfare prices for the following 24 hours. If you see a price drop, make sure you contact the airline to cancel your trip, and then you can rebook at the current price without charge.
23: You can take your chances by booking your last-minute getaway
Planning is crucial to finding a cheap flight; sometimes, last-minute deals are more expensive.
If your travel dates are flexible and you can make a last-minute getaway take a look at the prices to find out what’s on offer.
There are usually a few options; however, a genuine gem can sometimes be discovered at the last second.
Leave a Reply