Booking flights can be one of the most stressful parts of going away, but it doesn’t have to be! We’ve compiled our best 12 tips on how to book cheap flights so you can stop stressing and start enjoying your vacation.
Everybody knows how frustrating and stressful it can be trying to book flights. There’s a seemingly endless array of websites all claiming to give you the best deals, plus a million add-ons and options for the flights themselves. It’s enough to make even a seasoned traveler’s head spin!
Not to mention, the flights can be the most expensive part of your trip. If you can’t find flights that work for your budget, you’re likely to keep delaying your trip, over and over again. No one wants that!
That’s why we put together these 12 tips on finding the cheapest flights. These are techniques that we ourselves use and have used for years, when we book our own vacations.
Tip #1 – Ignore the Myths
We’ve all heard them before, the various so-called tricks to getting cheap flights. “Clear your cookies”, “Search incognito”, “Book on a Tuesday”, “Look for flights under the full moon after spinning counter-clockwise 7 times”. Ok, we made that last one up. But seriously, ignore them all!
There is no evidence to suggest searching incognito or clearing your cookies has any impact whatsoever on airline prices. And there’s no set day at all that you should book for lower ticket prices. In fact, we devoted an entire article just to the flight booking myths you need to forget about. Be sure to read that one so you know exactly which advice out there you should disregard!
Tip #2 – Compare and Track Flights
There are many websites out there that you can use to compare flight prices. Our favorite is google flights. You can input your dates or location and a map will show you all the various prices for your location and dates of choice.
When you plug in your location, scroll down the page and you can track your flights. You will now get alerts any time there is a price change for your itinerary of choice, enabling you to purchase your flights when the price works for you.
Another fantastic website for comparing flights is skyscanner. Just like with google flights, you plug in your information, and it compares all available flights to your destination. Skyscanner also gives you the ability to track those prices. We strongly recommend checking both skyscanner and google flights, as occasionally one site may find a better deal than the other.
Tip #3 – Have Flexible Dates
Most people pick their vacation dates first, then choose a destination, then search for flights. That is a surefire way to get stuck with a big travel bill.
Your best bet if you want to book cheap flights is actually to keep your dates flexible whenever possible. Google flights shows you a wonderful calendar with prices for all the days. Just plug in your destination, and click on the calendar right below your departure airport. Now you can see exactly when it will be cheapest for you for fly.
Tip #4 – Have Flexible Destinations
The fact is, there are always amazing deals for flights. The destination just might not be where you had intended. But if you are flexible with where you’re going, you can get there for cheap.
We love skyscanner for their “search anywhere” feature. You input your departure location, and then can search everywhere in the world. Skyscanner then shows you the prices for locations all around the globe. It is a fantastic feature if you have the flexibility.
Tip #5 – Check One-Way Fares
Most people automatically search for round-trip flights. It’s a force of habit, we know. But you should always also compare the prices for your round-trip tickets with two one-way tickets. Sometimes the savings can be significant, especially if you mix and match your airlines.
The flexibility that two one-way tickets gives you is well worth the few extra minutes it takes to search for them. You can choose better flight options, times that would work better for you, and even airlines that weren’t available for round-trip flights. Plus, if you need to make any changes on one leg of your trip, the other flights aren’t affected.
Tip #6 – Search International Websites
One secret little tip we have for you to book cheap flights if you are flying internationally is to always remember to check that country’s website. You may find that ticket prices are lower in other currencies, and it could be well worth your effort to compare costs this way.
If you wind up booking in a foreign currency, be sure to use a credit card with no foreign transaction fees. Otherwise, you could wind up paying more for your ticket in the long run than you would have if you just booked in your own country.
Side note: Another thing to be sure of if flying internationally is that you have an up-to-date passport. Many countries require your passport to be valid for 6 months after your travel date as well.
Tip #7 – Purchase Tickets Separately
If you are traveling with other people, don’t always just book everyone’s ticket together. Booking like that automatically makes each ticket cost the same as the highest price ticket in the group.
For example, if there are 4 of you flying, ticket A might cost $99, tickets B and C might cost $199, and ticket D might cost $250. If you book all 4 together, all 4 tickets will be priced at $250. That’s a significant difference in total cost!
Instead, book each ticket separately. You can choose your seats after the fact, or worst case scenario, you don’t all wind up sitting together. It may be inconvenient, but the price difference can be well worth that temporary inconvenience. Obviously, families flying with young kids won’t likely be purchasing tickets this way, but if the guarantee of sitting together isn’t a top priority, you can save big bucks.
If you do book all tickets separately, call the airlines and ask them to link the tickets together. That way, if there are any changes, you will all still be together on the same flights.
Tip #8 – Travel On Tuesdays Or Wednesdays
There may not be any set day that you should book for cheaper flights, but there are definitely cheaper days to fly.
Weekday flights are consistently cheaper than weekend flights, with Tuesdays and Wednesdays tending to be the cheapest overall. CheapAir.com provided this wonderful chart depicting the results of their annual airfare study, and it is abundantly evident that Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the cheapest days to fly.
Tip #9 – Fly Budget Airlines
Don’t be afraid of budget airlines! Sure, they don’t have the comfort or perks of the big name airlines, but if you’re looking to book cheap flights, definitely consider flying budget.
Here are the biggest budget airlines around the world. Click on the arrow next to each section to expand it and see the full list.
The biggest factor you need to be aware of when flying budget airlines is the added fees. You will be charged extra for checked bags, choosing your seat, bringing a carry-on, and really any number of additional things. These added fees are how these budget airlines make their money, so always ALWAYS be aware of the additional charges.
Sometimes, it’s better to fly the big name airlines, once you take into consideration the budget airlines’ added costs, so compare your prices and see what works best for your budget.
Tip #10 – Don’t Fly Nonstop
If time isn’t a huge constraint, consider having stopovers. Nonstop flights can be significantly more expensive than flights that have stops. Yes, it takes you longer to get to your destination, but if cheap flights are your priority, then those with stops will be your best bet.
Along with simply purchasing a flight with stops, booking each leg separately also can provide you with significant deals. For example, looking up a one-way flight from Boston to Hamburg, I can see it would cost me $541. But a flight from Boston to London is $254, then it’s just another $56 to go from London to Hamburg. That’s about $230 in savings simply by booking two one-way tickets. And that’s just on the flight there! It takes longer to reach your destination this way, but the savings can very much be worth the additional flying time.
When you use this method, make sure to always leave plenty of time to get to your next flight – we recommend at least a 3 hour buffer between flights. This allows you time for picking up and rechecking bags, if necessary, and also in case there is a delay on your first flight. Your second flight will not wait for you if your first flight is delayed, since they were booked separately, so it is important that you give plenty of buffer time for unforeseen occurrences.
Tip #11 – Use Points
There are many credit cards out there that offer rewards points and miles. We personally favor our Jet Blue Plus card. When we fly to Las Vegas, it costs us nothing but points, and about $11 in taxes. (Taxes you always pay for with money, not points.)
For our family trip this April to St. Lucia, we were able to fly for just points, and about $400 in taxes. And that’s round-trip for a family of 4! There are almost always various JetBlue promotions where new users can get a bonus of X amount of points, which is fantastic!
Tip #12- Book Early
For some reason, some people believe that booking flights last minute will give you the best deals. The thought process behind this is usually something along the lines of “if the flight isn’t full the airline will drop prices to entice people to purchase”. But more often than not, last minute flight purchases are way more expensive than they were a couple months before.
The “sweet spot” to booking the cheapest flight usually falls between 1-4 months before the flight, and airlines consistently raise prices about 3 weeks before the flight.
READ NEXT: How To Plan A Trip In 2024 – An Easy Travel Planning Guide
With these 12 tips, we are confident that you will be able to find and book cheap flights for your next trip. We also have tips for finding cheap hotels to help you round out your trip planning.
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