How To Book A Cheap Flight
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Looking for plane tickets can be a daunting task, but finding a great deal can make it all worth it. Here are some tips on how to find a deal when looking for plane tickets that will make your trip all the better!
Heads up, I’ll mainly be talking about a website called Skyscanner.com which I have been using for years now to get my tickets. Instead of needing to go to a bunch of websites and individually search for flights on all of them, Skyscanner is a website that is able to scan a ton of different flight databases to find the cheapest prices. Since they were massively helpful to me in the past, I reached out to them about a partnership for this Blog. So, if you end up using the links in this article to find your flight deals, I will be getting a small commission, at no cost to you whatsoever. Just as a disclaimer to everyone. Thank you, and enjoy these ten tips.
1. Be Flexible with Your Travel Dates
If you have a little wiggle room in your schedule, you can save a lot of money by traveling during off-peak times. Try to avoid traveling on weekends and during peak seasons. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are often the cheapest days to fly. Skyscanner gives you this flexibility as an option. You can select specific days or you can select the entire month or multiple months that you're willing to travel and it can help you narrow the cheapest dates down.
2. Set Up Price Alerts
There are several websites and apps that can help you set up price alerts for the flights you're interested in. This way, you'll be notified when the price drops and you can jump on the deal. Once you get your flight dates down or a few different possible flight dates just click the notification bell and usually all it takes is an email address. Skyscanner will send you emails each time the price of those tickets changes. You might start noticing that airlines typically will use patterns to affect the price. It will start cheap and slowly go higher. Making you think you need to jump on the price right away before it goes up more. If you're months out from your trip though typically there will come a time when prices will drop again and start that slow-increasing pattern all over again. So don’t get too freaked out if your months out and you see the prices increase a bit. But also be aware you don’t want to be waiting for an unreasonably low price and miss a good deal.
3. Look for Deals on Budget Airlines
Budget airlines or local airlines are a great way to save money on flights, especially if you're traveling within a specific region or country. Just be sure to read the fine print, as budget airlines may have additional fees for things like baggage and seat selection.
4. Book Early
Generally, the earlier you book your flights, the cheaper they'll be. This is especially true for peak travel times like holidays and summer vacation. This is not always true either. If you are months away from the flight dates, chances are they don’t need to get seats booked quickly, so they can charge a bit more and slower lower to price if they aren’t seeing the demand they expected. Last-minute flights however, are generally where they gouge you because typically you desperately need to get on that flight.
5. Use a Rewards Program
If you fly frequently, consider signing up for a rewards program with your preferred airline. You can earn points or miles for every flight you take, which can be redeemed for free flights or upgrades.
6. Check Multiple Airline Websites
It's always a good idea to check multiple websites when looking for flights. Prices can vary vastly between different airlines, and you may find a better deal by doing a little comparison shopping. The big reason I mainly use Skyscanner is so that I can save time. Not having to check a ton of different places. It does all that for me. But as a just in case I usually will do a quick search on Google Flights as well, just to make sure I’m not missing a better deal from that website.
7. Use Incognito Mode
When you're searching for flights online, your browser history can be tracked, and prices may increase as a result. To avoid this, use incognito mode or clear your browser history before searching for flights. They also have the ability via your IP address to tell what city you live in so sometimes your location can affect pricing. To get around that and even change your digital location specifically to get a better deal you can use a VPN. I wrote a blog post going into more detail about how those work here. (Click Here)
8.Consider Alternate Airports
If you're traveling to a large city, consider flying into an alternate airport that's a little further away. Often, these airports have cheaper flights and can be more convenient depending on where you're staying.
9. Don't Overlook Package Deals
Sometimes, booking a package deal that includes your flight and hotel can save you money. Be sure to compare the cost of a package deal to booking your flights and hotel separately to see if it's worth it.
10. Be Willing to Make Connections
Direct flights can be more convenient, but they're often more expensive. If you're willing to make connections, you can save quite a bit on your flights. Just be sure to give yourself plenty of time between flights, in case there are any delays or cancellations. Also, keep in mind, food at airports can be expensive, so if you have a long layover to save $10 it might not be worth it after adding in the extra cost of food not to mention less time in your destination.
I hope these tips and links help you out while looking for your next flight. They should greatly improve your chances of landing an incredible deal. So, do not hesitate to explore various options and experiment with different approaches until you find what you are looking for. Safe travels
It’s a National shopping event where you can get great deals on flights, cruises, hotels, and experiences. Started in 2017 due to the increased demand for experiences rather than material possessions it has increasingly become a popular time for many to purchase their flights. Is it really worth it though?