We started planning our next trip today, but when it came to booking the flight, the prices were quite expensive… So, what’s next, you may ask. Let’s start by exploring some other possibilities with the following tips, and surely at the end, you’ll find your flight for much less. Take note!
- Being flexible gives you (cheap) wings.
The first thing we recommend if you want to find cheap flights is to be flexible with your travel dates. The more flexible you are, the more you’ll be able to avail of lower prices and the more bargains you’ll have to choose from.
However, your job or life may not allow you to be as flexible as you would like, and this means finding cheap flights is more complicated.
There are different assumptions about the cheapest day to fly. Some sources say that Tuesdays are the most competitive, others Wednesday, but not even the companies themselves can say exactly, because it depends on many different factors. Although flying during the week is usually cheaper than at weekends.
Prices also vary at different times of the year. According to a study carried out by Skyscanner, August is the most expensive month to travel, this is no great discovery, as it’s generally when people have more holidays, and when travel companies see a greater demand they aren’t going to lower their prices. But, we can see that other months like September are much cheaper than we think. In general, if you want to find cheap flights, it’s better to avoid holiday periods or high season, such as Easter, Christmas or summer.
- Much better with no destination.
Another of the main aspects when organising a trip is the destination. Having a fixed idea about where you want to go or having many different options will undoubtedly mean a significant difference in price.
If you’re sure about your next destination, even before checking airfares, the least you should do is to try and play a bit with the dates to get a good price, since this will depend mainly on the existing demand for those days.
But if your destination is open to change you can find much more attractive prices. There are some sites where you can choose the preferred travel dates but leave the destination open, allowing you to check what’s available, find the most favourable alternatives and then decide which one you want to visit most.
- Travel light.
Excess luggage is expensive in many companies, so the lighter you travel, the cheaper the flight.
In many companies, especially low cost, only hand luggage is included in the price of the ticket, so if you’re travelling with extra baggage, you’ll have to pay extra. But, if you can fit what you need in a small bag or suitcase, you’ll find cheaper and more comfortable flights, and you’ll also save time on checking in/collecting your bags and avoid the possibility of losing your luggage.
Once you start travelling light, you’ll never want to take too much with you ever again. What you need for a week, you can also use over two months. If you’re travelling for more extended periods, you can always find a laundry or wash your clothes by hand every day, and you’ll always have a clean change of clothes at hand.
- Do you know how much you want to pay?
You’ll travel much cheaper if you have a clear idea about your budget. You’ll also save time if you know in advance how much you’re willing to pay for the flight instead of waiting to see if the price changes at a later date. It very often goes up!
If you don’t know the best price for a given route, it will be almost impossible to decide if the price is good or bad, so we recommend a quick check to see the average prices for the route you’re interested in to have a better idea of the cost.
Apps like Skyscanner allow us to select extended time periods and get a generic view of prices per day for the chosen month.
It’s also important to know the best times to buy a flight. As a general rule, these may apply to you, although we recommend the price analysis we just mentioned.
- On European flights, buy flights one or two months in advance.
- We usually recommend buying tickets for transoceanic flights four or five months before the departure date.
- Price tends to increase three weeks before the flight. Those who usually book at such short notice usually do so for a business trip, and companies raise the prices as they’re aware of the need to travel.
- It could be interesting to wait until the last moment on routes with little demand. Prices usually go down until the last few hours before the flight, as there’s no guarantee the airline company will sell all the seats. However, it’s important to note that neither buying well in advance or waiting until the last minute will guarantee you the lowest prices, especially on more popular routes.
- Trade comfort for price.
To be able to pay even less for your flight you’ll have to sacrifice a series of comforts that you may not always want to give up.
Aspects such as:
- Arrivals and departures very early in the morning or late at night, this makes it more difficult to enter/leave the airport.
- Slightly narrower seats when travelling with low-cost companies.
- Trips without checking-in
- Bring your own snacks and avoid paying excessive prices on the flight.
- Flights with stopovers that cause longer and more annoying journeys.
- Using secondary airports or ones that are further away from your destination city.
Some of these will just be too good to say no to, but others will add too much travel time to your trip or add additional costs and hassle. You should always be looking to find the best relation regarding time, price and comfort.
- Be smart.
Sometimes it is necessary to stop a little to think and choose a formula or route that you hadn’t previously considered.
For example, keep an eye on combinations with other airports or do an opposite route to what you had initially thought about if you’re going to visit several cities nearby, or even consider a small detour to another stopover to get a big drop in international prices.
And if you think a bit more about similar options, you’ll surely come up with tricks to save even more when shopping for flights.
- Make the offer find you.
If you don’t have much time for searching and planning, you can always take the more comfortable option and let the offers and promotions find you. Find different distribution companies and specialised vendors, leave your email in their database, and wait. Their many newsletters full of opportunities will find you in no time.
What we do recommend is that if you see one that fits your budget and suits your taste, check the same dates and destinations beforehand on price comparison platforms to make sure that you’re not simply paying more for the same journey.
