How To Save Money On Flights

People often ask me how I can afford to travel so much or how I plan my multiple trips without going broke. The truth is, travel costs, especially flights can add up. You may think we’re doomed to book expensive flights with algorithms and smart systems in place by airlines. This can’t be further from the truth.  Are you finally ready to hear the inside scoop? This article spills the beans on the top travel hacks being used by the pros to score cheap trips and how to save money on flights this year.

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If you take away one thing from this, remember, when it comes to finding cheap flights, the key is using the right travel tools.

I teamed up with the awesome folks at WayAway and we did some serious digging to confirm the top money-saving tips . These tips were shared in a fun and informative webinar I did for The Nomadic Network. Be sure to check out the “Ways To Save & Earn Money Booking Flights” Webinar if you’re curious.

We covered these topics in the webinar that will help you save money on flights, which I’ll share here:

·         When to book flights for travels

·         Tips for finding cheap fares on flights

·         How to figure out cheaper destinations to visit

·         How to earn while traveling

Now, let me help you travel cheaper and more this year.

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How To Save Money On Flights Table Of Contents

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MYTH BUSTING

First, let’s talk about those famous myths:

No Particular Days Of The Week Are Better Than Others

Who thought it was cheaper to fly on Tuesday or book on Sunday and planned their travel around this?

Sure, this could have been true in the past. With airlines using dynamic pricing strategies, factors such as seat availability, season, departure time, and the popularity of the route all get factored into the cost for a flight.

Incognito Does Not Help

Some people are still searching for flights incognito or using someone else’s device / another device when they finally book.

While airlines do use cookies to track user behavior, they also use dynamic pricing strategies. This is really why prices are constantly changing. Additionally, airline systems have undergone significant advancements to keep up with the changing landscape. Going incognito makes no difference when searching for a cheap flight.

Device You Use Makes No Difference

I’ve heard of travelers who use a cheap phone or laptop because they’ve heard they will get a cheaper flight price this way. However, there is no concrete evidence to suggest that this approach will guarantee you a lower price.

In Summary

We’ve all heard about these myths and I can admit, I’ve done some of these myself when searching for cheap tickets too. We all want to save money! But you don’t actually have to be doing this and you shouldn’t. It’s really annoying and a lot of work.

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WHEN TO BOOK YOUR FLIGHT

Do you know how many days in advance you should book your flight? We’ve all heard it before, the sooner we book, the better, but booking too early doesn’t mean cheaper flights.

So how far do you actually book? It’s not 6 months, It’s not 3 months, it’s less than that but not the week before.

For example, booking 90 days before a flight means there won’t be many options on sale as airlines aren’t pressed to fill a plane. This means your ticket could actually be more expensive.

And waiting until the last minute hoping for a last minute deal will limit your flight options. Which could result in you paying the highest price.

Check out this image below for when to book based on season for the cheapest ticket price.

For spring (March – May) , it’s best to book 40 days before for the cheapest ticket price. In the summer (June – August), autumn (September – November) and winter (December – February), it’s 20 days before your flight as these are the sweet spots. 

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WHERE TO GO & WHEN MATTERS

I can’t be the only one with a travel wish list. By knowing what destination is cheapest to visit and in what season can save you lots of money. This can also help you visit those destinations on your wish list and beyond. 

From the US, these are the destinations to visit for each season.

Spring – March, April & May

The destinations with the cheapest flights during the Spring are South America, Canada, Morocco and Australia. 

And yes, I did loop South America as there are so many countries like Brazil, Guatemala and Colombia that are cheap to visit in the Spring season.  

I highly recommend all of these destinations above as they are great to visit. So, if these are on your mind, then spring is the cheapest season to visit.

Summer – June, July & August

Here are the cheap destinations from the US to go in the summer. Japan, UK, Norway and Philippines are the places you want to be at for your summer vacation.

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The UK has one of the highest tax costs to depart per person so it’s cheaper to fly into the UK and fly out from any other European city. 

Fall – September, October & November

Where should you be visiting for the cheapest travel in the fall? In Autumn, you can save money on flights from the US to France, Spain, Greece and Italy. These are the countries to check off your bucket list in fall.

Winter – December, January & February

If you are looking to travel in the winter, book Austria, Belgium, Israel and Turkey. And as I mentioned earlier, book 20 days in advance for the cheapest flights.

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Plan to visit Europe in September as the summer travel peak season has died down among all European destinations and be sure to book your tickets in June. Data shows us that you could be saving 18% on your trip by doing this.

For suggested European itineraries, visit my “How To: Organize A Euro Trip” Article.

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AIRPORTS CAN MEAN SAVINGS

You could also be saving yourself quite a bit of money by driving to a nearby airport and not just using the one closest to you. 

For example, it could be more cost effective to book flights to Europe departing from; 

• Minneapolis
• New York
• Washington D.C.
• Los Angeles 
• Boston

From the US to Europe, the cities mentioned above have the cheapest airports to fly from. So if you live close or in any of these US cities, you’re in luck!

The example above has the prices to go to London from both Pittsburgh and New York. It’s the same date, same destination and the difference is $439 cheaper if going from New York opposed to Pittsburgh.

I do this all the time in the UK when I am traveling back to the US. I search for flights from London and Dublin. These cities sometimes help me save money on flights and it’s not difficult for me to get to these from Manchester. 

The best part about using nearby airports, it can double as a mini road trip too.

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PAY FOR BAGGAGE EARLY

Let’s chat about luggage and luggage fees. Did you know that only 10% of domestic travelers and 43% of international travelers buy luggage with a flight ticket? 

Data shows us it’s better to buy luggage when you book your ticket. Purchasing luggage after the fact can have flight ticket costs adding up. For one way, airlines charge an average of $87 for domestic and $108 for international flights. Double those costs for a round trip ticket and you’re adding a lot on top of your original flight ticket price.

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SET UP PRICE ALERTS

Everyone knows that airfare prices are constantly changing. So how do we catch THAT day when the ticket price will be the lowest and have us save money on flights? If you know the destination and date of travel, leveraging price alerts can be handy in booking the cheapest flight price.

Simply, select the city, date and create an alert. As soon as the price drops, you will receive a notification so that you may buy the cheapest ticket.

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You receive your price alert notification. Should you book? Absolutely! And here is why:

If the price has gone down, in 67% of cases the price will increase so it’s best not to wait.

If the price has risen, you may think it will drop again but in 53% of cases, after a price increases, it will continue to increase.

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FINAL NOTE

Regardless of a budget, traveling is achievable for everyone. You just need to know how to save on flights and book tickets that will have you earn money while you travel. All you need is a desire to travel, the knowledge to travel smart and the right tools.

I wish you cheap trips so now all you have to do is pick your season, destination and pack your bags.