Do you make this mistake when traveling by air? Do you pay the full price for a ticket? Do you know what makes the biggest hole in your travel budget? If not, this is high time to become a smart traveler. Summer season is almost here. This means the desired vacation, packing, booking, and of course, budget planning are close. And the main trick here is to be in the game. What does it mean? Booking a ticket is kind of a game you have to play to win the best deal possible.
So, if you’re planning to go somewhere this summer season, no matter whether there will be flights from New York to Odessa Ukraine or somewhere more distant like Australia or Africa, it is the right moment to start thinking about saving a lot of money and getting the best deal possible. So, let’s have a closer look how to get the best flights at the best price without a need to check the official airline website every hour. Believe us, there are a lot of interesting things you’ve probably never heard of when it comes to booking a flight, finding the best prices to come.
7 Tips to Book Cheap Flights Online
First of all, you have to understand that there is no need to wait until the last day before vacation to book a last-minute deal. This method doesn’t work anymore. It is not only risky because you can miss a flight at all but also not effective anymore. Booking in advance allows you both to get a ticket at a good price and to be sure that you’re not going to miss that flight. In fact, there is a certain day and even time to book a ticket to get the best deal possible. So, take a pen and write down the following tips that will help you to travel all around the world the whole summer season, saving a lot of money on flights to spend them on better accommodation, food, and attractions. If it seems to be a little unbelievable, then you’ve definitely never traveled as a pro. So, let’s learn together.
7 Ways to Get Cheap Flights
So, here are 7 tips you need to know to travel cheap all year round.
- Pick a day. To make your purchase a cost-effective one, pick a certain day to book a flight. But it doesn’t mean the day you like the most. Studies show that the best or the cheapest days when the tickets are available are in the middle of the week – on Tuesday and Wednesday. So, mark these two days on your calendar to not miss them when the moment comes;
- The right month. Picking the right day isn’t enough for the cheapest price. You have to pick Tuesday or Wednesday, which is 100 or more days away from your trip. For each country the period of time to book a cost-effective flight is different. For example, for Canada, it is approximately 73-75 days and for Asia, it is approximately 150-155 days. Everything depends on the country or region, which you’re going to travel to. If you’re going to travel domestically, you can book a flight 55-60 days in advance. Do you remember a famous proverb «An early bird catches the worm»? Apply this rule here too. So, use Tuesdays and Wednesdays if you don’t want to miss the time when airlines change their prices at least 70 days before a trip;
- Pick a certain period of time. The best time to open your computer to book a flight is when the price has just dropped. This is how you can get the most savings. But how can you do it without monitoring the websites 24/7? Register on the special alert platforms, which monitor the prices from different airlines automatically. When the prices drop, you get an alert via email or message that it is high time to book a ticket. There are multiple tracking platforms online, so search and pick the one, which works best for you;
- Fly midweek. It is not only effective to book your tickets in the middle of the week, but also to book them for the middle of the week. These time the tickets are the cheapest because most travellers don’t fly on Wednesdays or Thursdays. A lot of business travellers book tickets at the beginning or the end of the week, that’s why Sundays and Saturdays are the priciest days for flying;
- Compare. Search for multiple websites to compare the prices they have. Test all of the websites because all of them are not the same as well as the prices they offer. Very often one comparison website has absolutely different prices than the other comparison website. Look for a bunch of different locations and prices. Check at least 3-4 online options. Thus, you’ll get the idea where to book the flight when there is the right moment to do it. But search in advance too. You can also check the available cheap tickets via special smartphone applications. They work the same way as the websites. Among very popular apps are Hopper, Hipmunk, Flight Fox, Corner, and Flightstats. Just pick whatever app works best for you, and save hundreds of dollars on the next flight;
- Be flexible with your destinations. You can find out that very often, it is a lot cheaper to travel with a transit than a direct flight only. So, consider different ways to reach your final destination. Don’t stick to one airline and one flight only. It is quite possible that making a transit between your destinations can save you a lot of money. You can always find something cheaper, which will fit your trip, including the airports, which you fly into and out. They can help you to save as well;
- And the last but not the least, use your credit cards. If you’re a keen traveller, it is obligatory to have some kind of a travel credit card, which collects miles, or provides you access to business lounges, or offers a cashback for a certain amount of money for each flight. Almost every big credit company provides such bonuses for travelers. For example, Bank of America, American Express, Chase credit cards, etc. Look for the best reward programs to build up some airline miles for future trips. Of course, it is never enough for a whole flight, but it will save a lot. For example, you can easily save up to hundreds of dollars on each flight, even before you make a trip.
Hopefully, these tips will help to make booking a trip less stressful for you. Remember that you want to hold out long enough to get the best deal without waiting too long to end up paying more or missing your flight at all. So, use the lifehacks and reminders mentioned above to make your trip not only an interesting one, but also a cost-effective one. Become a booking ninja when it comes to your next trip. Be a smart traveler to get the cheapest flights every time you go somewhere.
