How to save money on flights
There are plenty of ways to travel as cheaply as possible. Most times, the plane ticket is what stops people from traveling, but that can end up being one of the more inexpensive aspects of your trip if you plan accordingly. Here are some tips on how to save money on flights.
My flight to Berlin from Memphis, TN
Most people decide on where they want to go when they want to go, and then find flights. Instead, find a cheap flight and go there. Being flexible on destinations not only allows you more freedom with cost, but you just may find you enjoyed a place you wouldn’t have normally thought to visit!
Be flexible with your dates and use the Google Flights flexible date search. Sometimes the price of a flight can drastically change by one day. The prices in green are the cheapest fares.
Just get across the ocean as cheaply as possible. It is usually cheaper to fly to a major city than to more secluded places. If you focus on just getting to that continent, you can get to your destination much more cost-effectively. For example, if you are wanting to fly to Venice, it may save you money to fly into Rome and then take a budget airline or a train to Venice. Same with the Greek Islands. Fly into a major hub and buy a separate ticket to your final destination.
My favorite flight-positioning hack for Europe is to either fly to a major US city and then fly to the smaller city, or fly to Dublin then take a budget airline to the other European city.
For example, I could fly Memphis->Chicago->Tallinn for $700. Or I could fly Memphis->Dublin->Tallinn for about $700.
Book your flights for Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Saturdays as these are usually less busy which means usually cheaper. It doesn’t matter which day you purchase your ticket (buying on Tuesdays at 11 am is a myth), but rather book your flight to depart on those days.
Use the Google Flight map feature to show you the cheapest place to go in your travel window. It allows you to search “One week trip in July” or “Next 6 months” and you can toggle it to view a country, a continent, or the entire globe. When typing in the location, type in “Europe” or whichever continent you want to visit, and click “Search.” Then once it opens up, click “Flexible Dates”. The dates below are from Memphis, which is why it’s more expensive. Check major airports like Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago, Boston, etc.
If your flight price drops within 24 hours of booking, cancel your original ticket and book the new price. Though this only works when you book directly through the airline.
I’ve never done this, but I have seen that if you book a foreign carrier in their home country and currency, it can be a LOT cheaper. However, clearing your cookies does nothing.
Mistake fares happen, and when they happen they are GOOD. Mistake fares are when airlines accidentally discount a ticket, sometimes as low as 90% off. These fares can disappear within hours though, and they may not always honor the prices, but if you want to chance it, book it asap! I’ve seen $396 RT from LAX and SFO, Kenya from JFK for $377, business class Memphis to Casablanca for $600, and widespread flights to South America in the $200s and $300s as mistake fares through Scott’s Cheap Flights.
Don’t buy last-minute tickets. The window for international flights is usually 3-6 months out from your departure. Flight prices fluctuate constantly though so don’t feel like you have to book at 8 am on a Tuesday to get the best deal. Keep an eye out, set up an alert, and book when it’s cheapest.
Keep an eye out for fees. Especially when it comes to your luggage. If one ticket is $50 cheaper but you can’t bring a carry-on bag, it may make more sense for you to pay for the more expensive ticket in order to save money on checked or carry-on bag fees. Always compare the cost of upgrading your fare vs the cost of the extra fees and add-ons.
Go basic economy. There are lots of restrictions with basic economy, but these tickets are usually much cheaper. However, if you’re going to be adding on to your ticket (seat selection, carry-on or checked bag fees, etc), compare the fees vs upgrading and decide which works best for you.
If you’re visiting multiple cities, look into booking an open-jaw flight. These are where you fly into one city and fly out of another. I did this on my Poland, Estonia, and Finland trip. We flew into Krakow and out of Helsinki and it was only $30 more than flying in and out of Krakow. This saved us money on a return flight from Helsinki to Krakow and gave us more time to visit other places.
Long layovers may work in your favor! If you have a layover in a major city, these tickets are usually cheaper and also gives you the opportunity to go out and explore.
Finally, join Scott’s Cheap Flights. It’s $49/year for the premium membership and it is where I get the majority of my cheap flights. According to their website, members save on average $550 per ticket. Totally worth it.
Do you have any tips to save money on flights? If so, drop them in the comments below :)