Tips for Booking Cheap Flights
Often, the flight itself is the most expensive part of your travel experience. This is especially true if you are taking a major, long-haul flight to a far away destination. You can spend thousands just getting there, before your trip even really begins. Therefore, if you can get a significant discount on your flight, you will have a lot more of your travel budget left over for other expenses when you get there. So, if you want to save on plane fare and spend elsewhere, you will learn about some tips for booking cheap flights.
The Pros and Cons of Booking Cheap Flights
While cheap flights sound nice right off the hop, there are some pros and cons to be aware of. Let’s touch upon the pros first.
First off, you will have more money to spend on your other travel expenses, such as hostels, tourist attractions, tours, etc. Another bonus is that saving up for your trip will not take as long. Also, due to cheaper flights, travel can be more accessible and frequent in your life. If your flight is too expensive, you might find yourself putting your trip off again and again.
And now the cons. Unfortunately, cheap flights are often at the most inconvenient times, such as late at night or early in the morning. Cheap flights can also include multiple stop-overs, which means it will take you a longer time to get there. Also, sometimes the flying experience is not as comfortable or enjoyable with a budget airline. But, if these things do not bother you, then definitely look into cheap flights when it comes to traveling!
Things to Keep in Mind for Booking Cheap Flights
When it comes to booking cheap flights, it is important to think about how much comfort, convenience and time you are willing to sacrifice to save money. For example, if you find a flight that is only a few hours longer, yet is hundreds of dollars cheaper, you might decide that the inconvenience is worth the savings.
However, you might find that in some cases, the savings is not enough to justify the inconvenience or discomfort of a cheaper flight. For example, you might not opt for an awkward 12-hour layover just to save a bit of money. It’s up to you to decide the right balance between a cheap flight and a pleasant and convenient one.
9 Tips for Booking Cheap Flights
When it comes to booking cheap flights, it is a bit of an art. There are techniques and strategies you can use to increase your chances of finding a deal, mixed in with a bit of luck.
There is no specific day or month when it is always cheaper to buy a flight. The prices of flights depend on a complex blend of factors, including passenger demand, weather, major events and festivals, fuel prices and more.
However, what you can do to find cheap flights is:
- Be as flexible as possible with your travel dates and times. With Skyscanner’s Flexflight feature, you can even search for the cheapest flights without having to enter specific dates or even destinations.
- Book your trips in the low season. Find the time when the least number of travelers are visiting that destination, as there will be very little demand for flights.
- Look for flights in the middle of the week, as most people travel on the weekend and therefore the airlines will increase their prices then.
- Check to make sure there are no important festivals, major sporting events or other attractions that will make the demand for flights higher to that destination during your travel period.
- Look for the smaller budget carriers that offer crazy-cheap deals to very specific locations. They might not be as comfortable and you may need to pay for upgrades separately, but you can get some fantastic deals.
- Always watch out for hidden fees. Sometimes airlines will add on extra costs such as baggage fees or a cost to choose your seat. Pay attention when booking, as often these options are automatically checked.
- Sign up for mailing lists for your favorite airlines. They will often send out emails with information about last minute deals and special offers.
- If you are a student, you may be able to get a discount. Several airlines offer student discounts that can be up to 20% to 30% off the standard fare.
- You can sometimes save a lot of money by booking your tickets on separate airlines. This allows you the freedom to shop around for the best bargain.
Now Pack Your Bags!
These are just a few of the tips you can try to find cheaper flights so you can travel further and experience more of this big, beautiful and amazing world. If you have found any other tricks that have worked for you, that is good too.