Cheap flights are always a welcome gift for any traveler. For those keen on airline bargains, below are some tips which can assist you in getting cheap flights.
Be flexible about your destination – I know this doesn’t work too well if you need to be at a particular destination for a particular occasion, but if all you want to do is travel and you are flexible about the destination, you can score some amazing deals.
Tick flexible dates box – Most flight search engines have a little box where you can tick that your dates are flexible.This means you get to see deals for flights departing 3 days in advance and 3 days after your selected date.Its a great function to play around with and you can often save yourself a nice chunk of money just by flying a few days earlier/later than you originally intended.
Avoid holiday season – Flying during the holiday season is expensive; that’s the one time of year when everyone is trying to get home to see family and friends, and because the demand is incredibly high, airlines can hike up prices and travelers will still pay for it.
Be willing to book right away – Good deals don’t last long. If you see a price that can’t be beat, don’t waste time debating, and don’t tell yourself you’ll just book it later. Other people will pounce on the deal and it’ll be gone when you finally decide you’re ready to book.
Choose cheap days to fly – The cheapest days for flying seem to be Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Avoid flying on Fridays and Sundays. Most travelers want to leave on a Friday so they can make the most of the weekend, and Sunday is a popular day to return because people need to be at work by Monday. This demand drives up the cost.
Choose connecting as opposed to direct flights – Everyone wants the convenience of flying directly. You hop on the flight, watch a movie, take a nap, and by the time you wake up you’ve arrived at your destination. Because of the convenience, direct flights are usually a bit pricier than those involving connections.
Book tickets separately – This requires playing with dates and doing a bit of coordinating, but it can save you money. The only downside is that if your first flight is delayed and you miss your connection, it’ll cost you to re-book yourself on the next flight. If you’re going to try this strategy, you want to give yourself plenty of time between flights and I’d even consider spending a night in the ‘halfway’ destination.
Monitor your flight for 24 hours after your booking – There are flight search engines that offer free cancellation within 24 hours of booking a flight. This can be a good thing, because if you find a better deal or notice that the price of your flight drops within 24 hours of the booking, then you can cancel the original ticket and purchase a new one for a lower price.
