7 Secrets for Booking Cheap Flights
The most expensive aspect of a trip is often purchasing a plane ticket, which can determine where and when you travel. There are numerous travel booking websites to choose from, as well as a wealth of information in travel magazines and blogs. It can be difficult to decide which resources to use because of this. Fortunately, we’ve compiled a list of tips for finding cheaper flights, allowing you to take that dream vacation you’ve always wanted.
Be flexible with your travel dates.
With a little forethought, you can plan your trip to coincide with the cheapest flight days. Weekends are always the most expensive, whereas weekdays are significantly less costly. Because most people prefer daytime travel, early morning and late-night flights are also ideal for saving money. It’s also a good idea to look for flights before or after a major holiday, because you’ll avoid the holiday travel rush.
Be adaptable with your flight schedule.
One of the more popular sites for looking up flights is Kayak, which has a feature called ‘Explore,’ which shows the cheapest flights from your home airport to destinations all over the world. You can use this feature to search by season or month. Google Flights also has a similar tool where you can type in your home airport and destination to see all available flights for a specific time period.
Take a budget airline to a secondary airport.
A primary airport and a smaller secondary airport serve most major destinations. Because the landing fee at a smaller airport is less than at a larger airport, most budget airlines will arrive there. It’s crucial to determine how close the secondary airport is to your final destination, as ground transportation costs can quickly add up if the airport is far away.
Look into alternate routes.
When compared to flying straight, it is sometimes less expensive to book separate legs for your trip. Instead of flying directly from New York to Istanbul, it might be cheaper to fly to Iceland and then catch a European budget airline from there to Istanbul. If you find a flight or flights that will save you a lot of money in the long run, the extra time you spend looking for alternate routes will be well worth it.
Make use of social media
Following airline and travel search engine Twitter accounts is a great way to stay up to date on new flight deals as soon as they are announced. Twitter accounts for websites such as Wanderlisting and airline companies such as JetBlue and Virgin Atlantic are just a few examples of accounts that have been known to tweet great deals.
Use a variety of booking sites.
When looking for a flight on popular websites, keep in mind that airlines may have ties to them and that prices are not always accurate. It’s crucial to shop around on as many different websites as possible to ensure you’re getting the best deal. Not all booking sites include all airlines, particularly low-cost carriers, and they do not always cover every region of the globe equally.
Make a direct reservation with an airline.
It is sometimes cheaper to book directly with an airline, especially if they are not listed on any booking sites (usually budget airlines). Sometimes airlines have exclusive sales that are only available on their website, which can save you a lot of money on your ticket. Another advantage of checking a fare on an airline’s official website is that all additional fees, including those pesky baggage fees, are always visible.