How and where can I find cheaper flights?
I'd love to travel more but I feel like flights are so expensive. Are there any tips and tricks you use to get cheap flights? Websites or apps that I should be aware of? Thanks!
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Expert Comments
The key to purchasing cheap airline tickets is to stay at the destination over a Saturday night. Air fares for the most part, have been priced to the extent where business travelers are charged the most, and those are the people that cannot stay a Saturday night. So anytime that you will not be able to spend a Saturday night at the destination, chances are you're going to be facing a more expensive airfare. If you know the precise dates of your trip, you should always book in advance as many days as you possibly can. With those two items, booking in advance and staying a Saturday night, you're bound to get the best fares and the lowest fares.
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Always search flights in stealth mode on your browser. Check Google Flights to get a feel for which airlines fly your chosen route and check their sites. Often, you’ll find a low fare calendar which gives you the dates of the lowest prices for the route you’re looking for. Check often.
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One of the best ways to find cheaper flights is to always talk to a travel agent about your plans. Most agents do not charge fees for their services because they are paid commissions by the suppliers which they are working with to book your travel. However, if you are looking to book flights only, please don't be surprised if the agent does charge a small ticketing fee to cover the time which it takes them to research the flights for you and to book them because most travel agents nowadays are small business owners working under a host agency, and airlines do not pay commissions on tickets.
Additionally, many travel agents have access to resources which the public do not when it comes to finding tickets, and they will always work to find the best deals for their clients no matter where it is that they want to go. If you do decide to take off on this experience of booking your own flights, here is a list of tips which you should follow every time:
1: ALWAYS search in an Incognito (in Google Chrome) or Private (in Microsoft Edge, Firefox or Safari) browser. This will hide your computer's IP address from the airline and will also prevent the ticket prices from going up if you are searching for the same flights multiple times a day or days in a row.
2: Always purchase your tickets DIRECTLY from the airline! If you purchase them through a third-party, such as Expedia, Kayak, Booking.com, etc., there are different risks which you will be taking should the flight become oversold, weather, or mechanical delays or cancellations, or other issues which would cause your flights to have to be changed. In those cases, you would have to deal with the third-party you purchased your ticket through and NOT the airline directly, and that can be a real hassle.
3: While low-cost airlines such as Spirit, Frontier, or Allegiant sound great when you look at the ticket prices, one thing that you must remember is that these airlines are also going to tack on additional fees that you must pay before even getting onto the aircraft. Some of these fees include checked baggage, which everyone, including Southwest Airlines, is now charging for, carry-on luggage, a fee to check-in at the counter, a fee to print your boarding pass at the airport, you have to pay to pick your seat if you are traveling with a group and want to sit together, and more. Then, you need to also consider the fees which you will be paying onboard your flight. These low-cost airlines do NOT provide complimentary snacks and beverages; you pay for all of those, including water. Plus, if you want to have internet access on the plane for your trip, if it is available on that airline, this is going to be another charge which you will end up paying for as well.
By time you finish paying for all the extra fees on these so-called low-cost airlines, you more than likely would have been able to get a regular main cabin ticket on one of the major airlines, such as United, Delta, or American, just to name a few.
4: As others have said, if you are flying, try to make sure that you have a Saturday night stay involved in your travel plans because this will help bring the cost of your tickets down. Also, if you can package your flight and hotel or resort where you are going, this will also bring the cost of the tickets down, because there is usually some type of discount built into these types of packages.
So, in conclusion, the best advice that I can give to you is to use a travel agent when you are looking to plan a trip, no matter what type it is. They are always going to look out for your best interests and work with you when planning that trip, taking into consideration the dates, locations, and any special requests which you may have, but, most importantly, they are also going to work with you to find the best flights or package for you that is within the budget that you tell them you are working with for that well-earned trip or vacation!
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Additionally, many travel agents have access to resources which the public do not when it comes to finding tickets, and they will always work to find the best deals for their clients no matter where it is that they want to go. If you do decide to take off on this experience of booking your own flights, here is a list of tips which you should follow every time:
1: ALWAYS search in an Incognito (in Google Chrome) or Private (in Microsoft Edge, Firefox or Safari) browser. This will hide your computer's IP address from the airline and will also prevent the ticket prices from going up if you are searching for the same flights multiple times a day or days in a row.
2: Always purchase your tickets DIRECTLY from the airline! If you purchase them through a third-party, such as Expedia, Kayak, Booking.com, etc., there are different risks which you will be taking should the flight become oversold, weather, or mechanical delays or cancellations, or other issues which would cause your flights to have to be changed. In those cases, you would have to deal with the third-party you purchased your ticket through and NOT the airline directly, and that can be a real hassle.
3: While low-cost airlines such as Spirit, Frontier, or Allegiant sound great when you look at the ticket prices, one thing that you must remember is that these airlines are also going to tack on additional fees that you must pay before even getting onto the aircraft. Some of these fees include checked baggage, which everyone, including Southwest Airlines, is now charging for, carry-on luggage, a fee to check-in at the counter, a fee to print your boarding pass at the airport, you have to pay to pick your seat if you are traveling with a group and want to sit together, and more. Then, you need to also consider the fees which you will be paying onboard your flight. These low-cost airlines do NOT provide complimentary snacks and beverages; you pay for all of those, including water. Plus, if you want to have internet access on the plane for your trip, if it is available on that airline, this is going to be another charge which you will end up paying for as well.
By time you finish paying for all the extra fees on these so-called low-cost airlines, you more than likely would have been able to get a regular main cabin ticket on one of the major airlines, such as United, Delta, or American, just to name a few.
4: As others have said, if you are flying, try to make sure that you have a Saturday night stay involved in your travel plans because this will help bring the cost of your tickets down. Also, if you can package your flight and hotel or resort where you are going, this will also bring the cost of the tickets down, because there is usually some type of discount built into these types of packages.
So, in conclusion, the best advice that I can give to you is to use a travel agent when you are looking to plan a trip, no matter what type it is. They are always going to look out for your best interests and work with you when planning that trip, taking into consideration the dates, locations, and any special requests which you may have, but, most importantly, they are also going to work with you to find the best flights or package for you that is within the budget that you tell them you are working with for that well-earned trip or vacation!
First of all, flying during the week, early in the morning, or late at night is usually cheaper. Flying out of smaller airports—like those used by Allegiant—can also save you money.
Packages that include both flights and hotels often give better overall pricing. Also, some companies do charter flights—for example, Vacation Express does charters out of certain airports.
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Packages that include both flights and hotels often give better overall pricing. Also, some companies do charter flights—for example, Vacation Express does charters out of certain airports.
Some say to wait for last-minute deals, but I think booking early
usually helps. I use Hopper to track flights—it uses AI to help predict the best times to book. I’m not a fan of skiplagging, but Hopper has worked great for me.
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Reader Comments
Not gonna lie, I thought checking flight info in incognito mode was a myth until this exact moment! But I totally second flying Spirit. Seats feel like I'm riding in a rickety roller coaster BUT it saves money. I also always look at Skyscanner for the best prices, but make sure to buy directly from the airline since they usually have the cheapest tickets compared to third-party websites AND they're a lot easier to deal with should anything go wrong, especially if you're booking a connecting flight. Third-party websites will typically not help you if something goes wrong with your flight.
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Try a budget airline, like Spirit or Frontier. While they don't have the most amenities, they get you where you need to go for a fraction of the cost. Just make sure you're traveling light because there are usually extra charges for checked bags or carry-ons.
Also, check the prices of flying into nearby airports. Some cities even have multiple airports you could fly into. It might add a little extra travel time after you land, but it can help you save a bit of money on your flights.
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Also, check the prices of flying into nearby airports. Some cities even have multiple airports you could fly into. It might add a little extra travel time after you land, but it can help you save a bit of money on your flights.
Something that has helped me get cheap flights is being open to some wiggle room when it comes to the dates I fly. If you're willing to fly on a weekday or during off hours, you can usually find flights that are cheaper than the flights that are on more in-demand days. I also subscribe to notifications for deals so that when airlines have sales or discounts I can take advantage of them. Some airlines or credit cards also have loyalty or reward programs that you can use to earn points that can help make your flights cheaper.
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Sometimes I find cheap flights but then it ends up costing more for the extras like bags or seats. Is there a way to know all these ahead of time? Are there airlines that are good to minimize those costs?
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I found Southwest A/L was the best to minimize those costs so book flights directly with them.
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You can sign up for email alerts from different airlines to get notified when they have sales. You can also try to fly on days when other people are typically not flying. For example, I recently took a flight on Thanksgiving day that was really cheap because most people already want to be at their destination on Thanksgiving, so they're not flying.
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I'd recommend signing up to sites like Going or Faredrop - they send out cheap and mistake fares that you can book. You can generally get notifications for domestic flights for free, and then they'll have a subscription for international and more premium flights.
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Sometimes if you find a good price on third party retailers you can call the airline directly and they will match the price. You get to keep the good price and have a little extra peace of mind.
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I’ve found the best way to get cheap flights is by using flight comparison sites (Google Flights, Skyscanner, TripComparehub.com), booking in advance, being flexible with travel dates, and considering budget airlines. Also, browsing in incognito mode helps avoid price hikes! Hope this helps! ✈️😊
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Reader Tips from How to Buy Cheap Airline Tickets
Sign up for alerts from your nearest airport and your preferred airlines because they may post about cheap flights or offer different deals.
For international travel, flying out of or to a major international airport is generally cheaper than flying into a smaller one.
Flying out on a Tuesday is usually the cheapest day of the week, so try to plan your travels around then.
Reader Tips from How to Book a Flight
Try to book your flight directly through the airline instead of a third-party service because there's usually less hassle around your travel.
Consider getting flight insurance to get a refund on your airfare if the flight cancels or if there's a problem.
Reader Tips from How to Book an Airline Ticket
Try to book with the same airline for every flight because they may reward you with free upgrades or perks for staying a loyal customer.
Make sure you only pack as much as you need so you don't get charged with any oversized baggage fees on the day of your trip.
Track flight prices using something like Google Flights so you get alerted if the ticket price drops.
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