7 Tips for Booking Cheaper Flights
November 19, 2015
“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.”
– Lao Tzu
Planning travel can be a
stressful process, especially with fluctuating costs of flights. Well, travel does
not have to break the bank. There are plenty of ways in which you can save
money and travel cheap. This post will give advice on ways to find and book
cheaper flights to take the stress out of getting to your dream destination.
These simple steps will make finding cheaper flights a piece of cake. So read on and discover the science behind flying cheap.
These simple steps will make finding cheaper flights a piece of cake. So read on and discover the science behind flying cheap.
Here are my 7 tips for booking cheaper flights:
1. Do your homework
Savings are always
available online to those who take the time to look for them. Deal websites
like Secret Flying, The Flight Deal, and Holiday
Pirates offer information about fare sales. There are also sites you may be
more familiar with like Kayak and Orbitz. Kayak allows you to compare prices
from airlines and other travel websites offering flights to your desired
destinations and then lets you link directly to those sites. I love Kayak’s
price alerts and purchase advisor, which tells you if you should buy or wait.
The decision to purchase or not to purchase can be the most nerve-wracking part
of the process so eliminating that can definitely reduce travel planning
stress.
2. Buy tickets
directly from the airline
It may not seem like it,
but buying directly from the airline can sometimes be the cheapest option. Sign
up for airline mailing lists so you’ll be the first to know about special
discounts on flights. Also, sign up for airline rewards programs to get perks
and earn miles that can be used to purchase flights.
3. Don’t overlook
budget airlines
I travel quite often for
work and play. Delta Airlines has been my airline of choice for my business
travel since I live in Atlanta (their hub) and they offer direct flights to
most of the destinations where I travel. But, when I am not flying Delta my new
go-to airline for fun travel domestically is Frontier. I cannot tell you how
happy I was to discover Frontier! My most recent cheap flight score was for $60
round trip to Miami, Florida. I’ve also heard great things about Norwegian Air
for discount deals on international flights.
4. Buy tickets during the sweet spot
Did you know that buying
tickets too early could be just as expensive as buying them too late? You need
to find a balance, the sweet spot. The sweet spot for booking flights differs
based on if you are flying domestic or international. According to various
travel websites the best timeframe to get a deal on booking a domestic flight
is if you book between three and eight weeks in advance.
CheapAair conducts a
yearly study of the top 15,000 markets where their customers live and then
watch the fares between those cities and where they like to fly. CheapAir’s
2014 study found that for domestic flights, travelers should purchase their tickets 47 days in advance.
However, for people traveling abroad the best time to book can drastically
differ based on the country or region you are visiting.
5. Be flexible
“Where” matters just as
much as “when,” and I’m not only talking about where you are traveling to;
where you are coming from can also matter. According to Travel + Leisure, “Airlines are really good at
knowing when an airport’s local school districts are on spring break, and will
adjust airfares accordingly.” It is also important to be flexible when choosing
the airport that you depart from and arrive into.
6. Travel Light
Did you know that airlines make billions on baggage fees? According to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, airlines made reported an after-tax net profit of $3.1 billion in the first quarter of 2015 alone, up from $241 million in the fourth quarter of 2014.
7. Be open to giving up
I don't mean giving up
on travelling, but giving up your seat. If you are flying at a popular time or
to a popular destination, the airline may oversell seats on their flights. If
you are open to giving up your seat to fly on a later flight, you could get the
value of your ticket or greater in an airline voucher. What does this mean? In
exchange for a little inconvenience, your next travel adventure is free!
Now that you know how to book cheap flights, get to it! Don't be the person who missing out on seeing the world because of the cost of flights and don't be the one on the flight who paid the most.
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