How To Find
Cheap Flights
The number one question I get asked is : How do I find cheap flights?
One of the biggest expenses in travel is the airfare. I even find that a lot of people end up loosing interest in traveling all together when they can not find cheap flights.
Flights are constantly fluctuating in price, so it can be difficult to find the right one for your budget but not entirely impossible.
With a little time, effort and the tips I am about to share with you, it’s entirely possible to find cheap flights. Keep reading so you can book the vacation of your dreams.
Lets get started!
First things first.
Its all about having flexibility.
You must be flexible with your dates, with your travel destination and with your airport.
Dates: This one is definitely number one! You must be flexible with your dates, this means be ready to ask for the days off according to the tickets you find! There are now many search engines that allow you to find ticket pricing for the whole month! I have a video that will walk you through the booking process here. (Skip to 3:20 to get to the booking part)
Airport: I live in San Antonio, TX . Sometimes I can find cheaper prices from Austin and other times from Houston. If the price is right, then I don’t mind driving an hour or three to save a few hundred dollars.
Travel Destination: Loose the idea of traveling to a specific location. Do you remember when you were little and the idea of spinning the globe, landing your finger on whatever location and going there was something exciting!! Well this is basically what we are doing. You may not always get the destination you had in mind but you will find a beautiful adventure awaiting.
Even if you can’t be flexible on all of these, you must be flexible with one or two of these for this method to work. The more flexibility, the better the chances are of finding cheap flights.
You should only look when you are ready to book!
Everyone knows that you should book in advance for the best prices. I would stay book 3-4 weeks in advance for domestic flights and 6-8 weeks for international flights.
I only look when I am ready to book. The airline and the hotel are probably going to be the biggest expense but unlike the hotel where you can find great last minute deals, the odds that a flight will go down in price are odd. More than likely you will find the best price when you first begin your research. So look when you are ready to book.
Sites I Use
Not all search engines are equal. Some will not show you the budget airlines. This is why it’s always good to check on several sites including the airline’s site itself. Here are some of my favorite sites.
Skyscanner – Kayak – Momondo – Airfare Watchdog – Secret Flying
Checkout my full list of travel resources.
Watch your airfare
I created a special email for all of my travels that way it doesn’t intervene with my work email. I use this email for my bookings and to keep a watch on airfare.
Budget Airlines
Budget airlines are great!!! However not all of them are great, they have to make their money one way or another so there will be hidden costs and often they charge for every little thing including water. So before you book your ticket through a budget airline make sure you go to their site and check if they charge for a carry on, a check in, and if so, how much? You need to add these into the total cost.
Travel during the week
Everyone wants a weekend getaway and the airlines know that!! This is why if you are looking to leave on a Friday you will have to pay a premium. Your best bet is to travel during the week.
Travel Off Season
Another no brainer is to travel off season. The beauty of this is that you will get better airline pricing, better hotel pricing, and the tourist locations will not be crowded during low season so you can enjoy your tours so much more.
This also applies to holidays. Traveling during the holiday peak season is crazy expensive but if you must travel on the holidays I would suggest to travel THE day of the holiday. No one wants to spend Christmas, Valentines Day, or any holiday at the airport except for me lol Normally on a holiday you will find me in an airport, the flights are cheaper than flying out the day before, so if you must travel on holiday day. Travel during the holiday itself.
Search layovers
Another thing I keep in mind when searching for flights is the layover. One example, is the day I was looking for flights to Vancouver but I couldn’t find a flight for anything less than 600 usd from Bangkok. I then realized that the flight to Seattle was much cheaper. I mean 300 usd cheaper. That flight had a layover in Vancouver. So instead of booking to Vancouver I booked to Seattle and just got off in Vancouver. Saved 50% by doing this.
Search One Way Tickets
This one is a hit or miss but its worked for me a couple of times so its worth giving it a go. Search for one way tickets to and from the location or mix and match airline one way tickets to see if you can save money that way.
If you follow these tips, I am sure you will find a flight within your budget. I have a video that will walk you through my booking process if you would like to see that head on over through this link. If you have any tips of your own that you may want to share, please do so in the comments below. I would love to know. Thank you so much for reading.
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