Save money on flights with these smart tips for travelers to get the best deals on plane tickets and find cheap flights fast!
12 Smart Ways to Save Money on Flights
Whether you’re going on vacation or taking a business trip, wouldn’t it be nice to save money on your flight? Sadly, airline flights can be really expensive. While sitting in coach will obviously save you some money, what if you want to save on your coach seat? Let’s take a closer look at twelve smart ways to save on airline flights.
1. Be Aware That When You’re Traveling Matters
The price of an airline ticket can greatly vary depending on when you’re traveling. For example, traveling during the summer months may be more than traveling during the dead of winter, depending on where you’re going. Not only that, but the time of day you travel can have a huge effect on price. A midnight flight really can save you some serious bucks.
I recently got direct, round trip flights to New York for $212, We leave on a Friday Night at 5pm which isn’t a high volume travel time so the price was much lower.
2. Try Different Websites to Find the Best Deal
There are so many different websites that claim to offer you the best airline prices. Don’t just visit one site and assume that’s the best price. You want to visit several websites and compare the prices to determine who REALLY has the best price. Yes, this will take time, but it could save you a lot of money.
The way I found my flight the other day for so cheap was through Email Alerts. Sites like Dunhill Travel Deals will send you alerts for awesome savings! I obviously don’t do every deal they send me but it does help me keep up with where the best deals are and when the best times to fly, etc. are. You can sign up for Dunhill Travel Deals Here to start getting alerts!
3. Have Someone Drive You to the Airport
Another excellent tip is to have someone drive you to the airport to prevent the need to store your car in the airport parking lot or garage. If you’re going to be gone for a while, you definitely want to do this as the parking fees can really add up.
PRO TIP: You can use companies like Uber to get to and from the airport. Sign Up Here and use the Code kub37 to get your first ride FREE!
4. Fly During the Off-Season
You want to plan vacations during what is referred to as the “off-season” to save money. The off-season will vary depending on where you’re going. For example, traveling to the beach in late September can be more affordable than traveling during spring break. On the other hand, it can be more expensive to fly to the northeast during the peak of leaf season. Again, research the area you want to visit and plan your vacation based on when the off-season occurs.
5. Leave Out a Few Days Before the Rush
If possible, you always want to leave out a few days or even a week before the holiday rush. For example, if you’re flying home for Christmas, it can be cheaper to fly out earlier rather than waiting for the 20th – 24th. You can also save money by flying home earlier or later than others. Again, you’ll just have to play around with the days on different websites to see what works best for you and your budget.
TIP: Try selecting “Flexible Dates” When looking for flights, you will be able to compare prices on different days and pick the lowest available fare.
6. Travel with Stops Along the Way
You will save so much money by being willing to have stops along the way. Yes, it can be a pain to switch planes, but it really can save you money. Most people do not want to fly and switch planes along the way. This is why it can be so much cheaper for you to do so. Just be aware that there can be problems if one plane doesn’t arrive on time you may be late arriving to your destination so make sure you leave a little bit of time before your first event or activity starts.
7. Go with Different Airlines
Another great tip is to fly to your destination on one airline and then fly back on another. You can even fly to one airport, board a different airline and continue to your destination. It takes a little bit of preparation and making sure that you place your flights far enough apart so that you don’t miss any of the flights but if you’re not in a hurry you can save a lot of money by sacrificing a little convenience.
8. Drive a Bit Further to the Airport
You may have an airport just 40 miles from your home, but find that flying out of an airport that is 100 miles away may be less expensive. Driving those few extra miles can save you so much money. Again, play around with websites to determine if it’s worth the drive.
9. Take a Spur of the Moment Flight to a Mystery Location
Do you just want to get away for a few days? Call the airport and find out which flights have open seats. Airlines are usually willing to offer these open seats at a discount. If you like to travel often, keep a bag packed so that you’re ready to board a plane at a moment’s notice.
10. Skip the Airport Snacks
You never, ever want to buy airport snacks. It doesn’t matter if you’ll be laid over at the airport for a few hours while waiting for your next flight. Add some snacks to your carry-on so that you’re prepared. As long as you’re not packing liquids, you’ll be fine. You can also bring along an empty water bottle and then fill it up once you go through security, I also like to bring along drink mixes like Crystal Light, this seriously saves so much money!
11. Pile on the Layers
Why pay the expensive baggage fees when you can just wear your clothes? It may sound crazy, but piling on the layers will prevent the need to have anything other than your carry-on and purse. Yes, it might be a bit uncomfortable, especially if you’re flying somewhere hot, but it can save you some money.
12. Make the Most of Your Laptop, Purse, or Backpack
Last, but not least, remember that you can have a carry-on bag as well as a tote, purse, laptop bag, backpack, etc. This will allow you to bring so many more items. Take advantage of every nook and cranny so that you don’t have to bring additional luggage.
Flying can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. There are so many little tips and tricks you can use to save a lot of money. Whether you drive a bit farther or don’t mind where you’ll end up, you will love these smart ways to save on airline flights.
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