Vacations can be expensive for many, but by using these tried and proven expert tips used by budget travelers around the world you are bound to save some money when booking your next flights. If you want to find out how they do it together with the tricks and tactics they use, then read on.
1. Sign Up To Airline Email Alerts
Last minute flight bargains can sometimes be hard to find, but they do in fact exist if you just know where to look. By visiting the airlines which service the routes you are looking to travel through, and signing up to receive email alerts, you will be amongst the first to be notified of any upcoming discounts or deals.
By checking with the airlines you are interested in flying with every Tuesday this is a great tip to utilize, as airlines know if the seats for the weekend flights are fully booked or otherwise. If an airline has a fair amount of empty seats still available on particular flights, they often promote flash sales in order to fill seats to make the flight financially viable.
2. Book 18 Weeks In Advance For Long Haul Flights
Gone are the days where booking a flight at the last minute meant your chances of nailing a cheap ticket were almost a given. These days, with the number of budget airlines available throughout the world, its no longer possible to grab a bargain using this method. Recent flight data analysis has revealed those looking to purchase tickets on a long haul flight should do so around 18 weeks prior to the date of departure to get the best possible value.
3. Purchase Single Tickets For Each Leg Of The Journey
Sometimes purchasing return flights with one airline can be more expensive than purchasing two one way tickets from different airlines. One example of this would be if you are flying from Edinburgh to Paris with Ryanair on a cheap one way flight and then booking a cheap one way flight home with Easyjet.
This method can offer the traveler more flexibility as travelers can return when they like, or even choose to fly home from a cheaper, low cost airport terminal. Remember though, airline representatives may require you to produce a return ticket when checking-in for the departing flight.
4. Go 'Everywhere'
A great way to conduct your flight research to a destination you are not familiar with is to use the ‘Everywhere’ search function on Skyscanner. This allows the traveler to determine where it’s cheapest to travel to as well as when is the cheapest time to visit.
In the search field, type in the airport you want to depart from, and in the destination box type in ‘Everywhere’. If you are really flexible you can select ‘whole month’ from the departure date box as well. It also gives you an ability to find other airport terminals situated nearby to your destination. For example - Suvarnabhumi International Airport Bangkok (BKK) or Don Muang International Airport Bangkok (DMK) - these airports are only around one hour apart from each over by road.
5. Break It Up
Flying long haul? It can be cheaper to book sector-by-sector rather than a single ticket that takes you all the way through, for example one ticket from Melbourne to Hong Kong and another from Hong Kong to your final destination. Remember though, in all likelihood you will have to pass through customs and immigration, collect your bags from one flight and check in on another. If this is the case, don't forget to leave plenty of time between connecting flights.
6. Low Fare Searching
Although it lacks the visual appeal of some airfare search engines, ITA Matrix Airfare Search is the go-to fare search engine for many travel professionals. Type in your route, the extreme ends of the dates for outward and return flights, check the 'see calendar of lowest fares' box and back comes all the detail including the cheapest fares available for each and every day within your time frame.