Many of us are eager to go on vacation again, but this time we want to do it cheaply. The numerous hidden costs and financial hurdles make travel difficult even when the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t an issue. At the end of the day, Keep reading if you’re afraid you won’t be able to afford flights but would really like to travel more.
No matter where you’re going, we’ve gathered some of our finest advice on how to get the cheapest plane tickets here. It’s true: these travel tips will assist you in finding the most affordable airline options, regardless of whether you’re planning a domestic or international trip.
Common airline fallacies to avoid
While the internet is a treasure trove of useful information, it is also home to many urban legends. That is, among the majority? First, Tuesdays are always the best days to book a flight. Second, if you’re using Google Chrome, you may find even better deals by searching in “Incognito Mode” (or your browser’s equivalent privacy settings). The folks over at Travel + Leisure, though, say that these urban legends are exactly that: urban legends.
On top of that, airlines may try to sell you offers that sound legitimate, but you should be wary. For example, it’s not uncommon to receive an overwhelming number of flight discount offers on Black Friday. Even these deals are deceiving, as Thrifty Traveler shows; airlines are always adjusting their fares and seldom provide their lowest rates.
On the flip side, other myths contain truths. For example, flights on Wednesdays and Saturdays are often less expensive than on Fridays and Sundays, when airfares are typically at their highest. The same holds true for the United States: costs are lowest in January and May and skyrocket around major holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving.
Make Your Travel Dollar Go further by being adaptable
In order to save a ton of money on travel, being flexible with your trip itinerary is key. If you can be flexible with your travel dates or destinations, this can be a wonderful option for you. Visit Google Flights if you know when you want to travel but aren’t sure of your destination.
Just enter your departure airport and travel dates; don’t forget to leave the destination field blank. You can even limit your search to flights within a certain budget. Then, to view inexpensive flights to locations worldwide, just click the search button. This is also a fantastic option if you’re trying to snag a last-minute vacation deal.
This can also be helpful if you know where you want to go but aren’t sure when you want to go. Momondo allows you to search for flights by city or nation. With a little flexibility in your schedule, you may find the best rates on plane tickets by searching for the months that currently have the lowest costs.
Research Stopover and Layover Programs
While it’s natural to prefer nonstop flights, you shouldn’t automatically rule out layover choices. Layovers are annoying, but they can really help you save money. This is particularly true when flying internationally, as changing planes en route can literally save you hundreds of dollars.
Similarly, make sure you investigate stopover packages, which allow you to visit two cities simultaneously. A stopover gives you the opportunity to spend many days in a place before moving on to your final destination, in contrast to a typical layover, which may only be a few hours long.
Taking advantage of the stopover programs offered by airlines in their hub cities is a fantastic way to save money or perhaps get free tickets to local attractions. Such programs aim to increase tourism in the area surrounding the airline’s headquarters and might be a fantastic opportunity to add another location to your holiday. For a fantastic compilation of airlines offering first-rate stopover programs, be sure to visit The Points Guy.
Create a flight alert to keep an eye on costs
Are you considering a flight but are still unsure? Consider using Google Flight’s price alert feature if you’re not comfortable entering your credit card details at this time. You may test it out by going to Google Flights and entering your departing airport, destination airport, and trip dates. When the available flights appear, simply activate the “Track Prices” option. This will allow you to receive alerts whenever the price changes.
In addition, Google Flights will also provide you with future price forecasts, along with their confidence level, indicating whether the price is likely to go up or down. Those who want to stick to a strict budget before taking to the skies will find this particularly helpful.
You should also look for the “date grid” button, which is located across from the “Track Prices” option; it contains some useful information. The grid format will display the days surrounding your travel dates and flight price information. You may now easily find the most affordable flight dates without having to guess; in fact, you might save hundreds of dollars by just switching up your departure and arrival dates.
You can also find comparable services on platforms like Hopper if you’re interested in comparing rates or predictions.
Broaden Your View on Departure and Arrival
It goes without saying that things can get expensive very quickly if you’ve ever flown internationally. Is there a way you can cut costs? Even if it’s not from your neighborhood airport, you should prioritize finding the cheapest way to cross the ocean.
To illustrate, let’s pretend you wish to go by plane from the nation’s capital to London. Try looking for offers at other nearby airports rather than limiting yourself to the D.C. airports for your departure alternatives. It could be worthwhile to make the additional trip if, for example, you could save a few hundred dollars by taking a flight out of New York City, which is easily accessible by bus or train.
It may be more cost-effective to look for the lowest overall flights to the United Kingdom rather than limit your target airport to Heathrow. There are a surprising number of airports in and around the London metropolitan area. (Also, quite near a train.)
In some cases, the price difference between these airports is small, but in others, the extra travel time is well worth it. If you’re willing to be flexible and inventive, you may find some of the lowest-fare tickets and drastically reduce your airline bills.
