Finding affordable flights can be a frustrating to say the least. But fear not! We’ve put together a list of tips to help you find the cheapest way to get to where you’re going!
1. Incognito
We’ll start with the classic, well-known tip, which is to browse for flights in incognito mode or delete your cache and cookies after browsing. This is because many sites will track your history, and if you’re flagged as being interested in a certain flight, airlines have been known to suddenly up the price.
2. Accidents Happen
We all make mistakes, we’re human! Even airlines make mistakes and sometimes list flights at crazy low-prices. You can sometimes catch one of these rare mishaps by using an online service like AirfareWatchdog and grab the flight before they correct it.
Just put in your desired route and they’ll email you when there’s a cheap flight available.
3. Late Night Search
Many honed travelers swear by late night flight bargains. If you search for cheap flights at an unusual hour when the majority of your country is sleeping, you may stumble across a crazy bargain that all the other hunters miss!
4. Alerts
Apps like Hopper can predict flight prices up to a year in advance. So if you tell Hopper where you want to go, it’ll tell you what days of the year generally have the cheapest flights, so you can book accordingly.
5. Shop Around
There are plenty of cheap flight finding websites out there, like Expedia or Google Flights, but to make sure you’re getting the best flight for your buck, cross-check similar flight destinations on different sites, just in case.
6. Fly Somewhere New
This is for people who have a fixed vacation date, and a fixed budget, but aren’t anchored to any specific destination. On SkyScanner.net, you can compare cheap flights, hotels and car hire, just select your departure airport, and it lists all travel destinations around the world according to price.
7. Consider Public Transport
A direct flight to your destination can be a lot more expensive than flying to the nearest city and then hopping on a train for a few hours. Sometimes it’s preferable to cut short an 18 hour flight, stretch your legs and sit on a train instead. Some trains even have beds…
8. Check the Small Print
Some airlines look like they’re offering you a cheap flight, but when you go to purchase, fees are quickly added. From ambiguous “Airline Fees” to even charging for the online meal. It often costs extra to travel with a suitcase, but some airlines will even charge you for a carry-on.
9. Air-Miles
Some credit card companies offer no annual fee air-miles. So for example every time you spend 10 dollars you could earn 1 free air-mile. This is usually a special credit card you have to apply for, but check with your credit card company, just in case, you could be racking up air-miles and not even know it!
Know any flight hunting tips that we missed?
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