Who doesn’t love them a good deal?
It’s no secret that catching flights can be a pricey activity. Just moving from point A to point B can demand hundreds and thousands, even tens of thousands of dollars from you. I’m not sure there’s a human alive that’d scoff and turn up their nose at flying for less. Some would even go so far as describing that as living “the dream”. Let’s look at some ways you can get yourself a less disrespectful price tag.
Choose your search tool
Use an online flight search tool like Google Flights, Kayak or Skyscanner. These automatically search a wide range of airlines and schedules to help you figure out the best routes to take and seasons to fly.
Flexibility is a good thing
Be flexible with your travel plans. I’m talking about the date of arrival/departure, preferred airports, times, and number of stops. Also, don’t be set in stone about the airline you use. Once you’re guaranteed to arrive at your desired destination, it’s a trusted flight and it has a cheaper price tag, be open to switching to budget airlines.
Don’t settle. Compare prices.
Compare the final prices before entering your credit card, not the initial prices displayed. With low prices they lure you in then, before you know it, there are tons of extra fees in front of you at checkout. In the end, they expect you to just take their final figure and book your flight. There are folks out there who regard this figure as the gospel, but I urge you to always take it a step further. Take it upon yourself to fire up other flight search tools and compare the price of the same flight. Try going directly to the airline’s website as well. Chances are you’ll see what the price for that flight is across the board and making a final financial decision will be easier and, in some cases, cheaper.
Go ahead and sign up for that Newsletter and download the app
Whether it’s the airline itself like Delta or a hub like Kayak, being subscribed to a newsletter keeps you informed and in the loop of deals. These are good ways to be in the know about deals and flight/airline information including price drops and changes to the flight.
Basic economy all the way
Flights have a knack for making you upgrade your plans at any chance they get. They’d make choosing a higher class of ticket sound as inviting as they can. They’d display the advantages of switching from basic economy to a package that costs more in the hope of getting more money from you. In regards to this, I say if you’re okay with getting separated from your travel buddy/ies or better yet if you’re alone, you don’t care about points and can deal with whatever seat you’re assigned to for some hours then a lower priced economy ticket’s got your name all over it. Especially this if you’re sure about your plans being set in stone so you won’t get hit with change or cancellation fees.
Consider using points and miles when cash fares are high
Airmiles, airline miles or travel points – they’re all pretty much the same thing. For millions of people worldwide; it’s sorta like the icing on the cake, the bridge between going and not going and even a way to fly free. With these frequent flier miles, in order to use them you’ve got to sign up for the airline rewards program of any airline(s) of your choice. Once signed up, you’ll receive an account number which will be used for future bookings with either that company or their partners. For each flight you take with that airline, you’ll accumulate miles and when you have enough, the miles can be redeemed for a free flight. This free flight can be for the very same airline or with a partner airline. Though it isn’t only by flying you can rack up those miles; you can also use either airline credit cards, general travel credit cards, use the service of travel partners to the airline and through shopping and dining programs.
Now that you’re equipped with a bit of know-how about getting flight deals that’ll make your wallet smile, all that can be asked is, when’s your next trip?
