How to Get Cheap Flights

How to Get Cheap Flights



Airline ticket prices vary considerably day to day, from airline to airline. Where and when you purchase your ticket also affects the price you pay. Ticket prices sometimes vary so much that some people claim no two seats on the flight cost the same amount unless they are purchased together by the same person. Save money on airline tickets and find cheap flights by being a smart consumer.

Steps

  1. Look for deals online. Some will be offered through online auction sites, others through the sites for airlines themselves. It is a good idea to sign up to email alerts for deals that are happening.
    • Search online travel sites like travelocity.com, cheapflights.com, expedia.com, hotwire.com, farecast.com, kayak.com, and bestfares.com, etc. (there are also many more, new ones appear regularly online). Check at least three before making your selection, since fares can vary by hundreds of dollars.
    • Check the airline's website. Before making a purchase on a travel site, head to the actual airline’s website. Sometimes, booking through the airline itself can snag you a cheaper seat.
  2. Look closely at online auction deals. Some of these will offer very cheap flights because people can't take a trip they've paid for and cannot get a refund. Just be sure to check that it is possible to change the ticket from their name to yours before purchasing though (there is usually a fee involved for doing this).
  3. If you have them, use frequent flier miles when you can. Try not to be boxed into one airline, but take advantage of miles when you can.


Compare Rates Among Airlines
  1. Check out airlines known for offering cheap flight deals. They will often outdo their competitors but be careful to read the fine print. Many cheap flights mean no cargo baggage and lots of conditions on missing the flight (usually meaning you lose the flight if you miss it, and you have to pay again). Sometimes really cheap flights aren't worth the hassles incorporated into them, so be very careful.
  2. Call the airlines directly as soon as you know your travel frame to find their cheapest rate.
    • Most airlines only offer a limited number of seats on each flight at their lowest rates and those seats usually sell out quickly.
    • Time frames and rate terms vary for each airline, but many advance booking discounts and offers are good until a week or two before the flight.
  3. Look to travel at the lowest class possible. This means no first class, business class, or economy premium class travel. You bargain-hunter, are stuck at the back in economy "fifth class". But hey, if you still get there in one piece, a bargain is a bargain!
  4. Stay flexible on your departure days and times to take advantage of the cheapest flights. If your trip is less than a week, you may need to travel mid-week to mid-week. Many ticket deals require a Saturday stay.
  5. Book your flight well in advance of your travel time, after getting quotes from multiple airlines, if you find a cheap flight through a lowest-rate offer.
  6. Find a better price before booking your flight if the initial quotes are too high. Consider flying out of or into a different airport, as ticket rates may vary widely depending on where you depart and arrive. When comparing savings, be sure to factor in costs you will incur if you change airports.
    • Sometimes taking a bus or train for part of the trip and then taking a flight for the remainder of the journey is the cheapest way to travel.
    • If your plans include a car rental, rates at the alternate airport could provide a savings or an expense increase. You can usually find rental rates online online by going to the airport's website and following its links to local rental companies.
  7. In the United States, call the airline’s 800 number and ask for their lowest fare—without giving specific travel dates. Service representatives often don’t tell you about lower fares that are just a day or two before or after your target date.
    • When calling airlines, always be polite and friendly. Studies show service people will go the extra mile for you if you’re nice to them.
Find Last-Minute Cheap Flights
  1. Check the airline's websites to see what deals they are offering.
    • When advance booking of a plane doesn't lead to expected capacity, airlines often discount the remaining seats.
    • Last-minute discount rates might be available up to 10 days in advance of flights. However, the cheapest rates are often days before a flight is scheduled to depart.
  2. Look in the classified section of your local newspaper. Many airlines run ads that give prices on cheap flights out of local airports available that week.
  3. Call surrounding airports to inquire whether cancellations have made cheap tickets available. Ask to put your name on a stand-by list for future cancellations if the price is cheap but no seats are open.
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Tips

  • Explore various flight options. Sometimes taking connecting flights where you have to change planes, or one-stop flights where the plane make a stop along the way can be cheaper than a nonstop flight.
  • Cheap flights may be available if you redeem frequent flier point or participate in other promotional programs airlines offer.
  • Travel during slow seasons when airlines are offering cheap flights trying to fill seats on planes that are taking off under capacity. Cheap flight deals are commonly available in the fall and right after the first of the year.
  • Discount carriers like Southwest and JetBlue don’t always show up on travel sites, so search their websites directly.
  • For the UK, check out RyanAir and EasyJet. For Australia check out Tiger Airlines.
  • For New Zealand, Air New Zealand has regular deals such as "grab-a-seat" online; you can sign up to regular email alerts.


Warnings

  • If you have to be at your destination by a particular time, be careful about waiting too close to your departure time before purchasing your ticket. If you do not have your seat reserved a week before, you need to be there you run the risk of not being able to get a flight. This is especially true of flights to popular destinations and during peak travel season.
  • Always factor in the cost of getting to the airport and to your destination sites from the airport. Suddenly a cheap fare becomes very expensive when a very long taxi or train fare is added in some places!
  • Never forget taxes, departure taxes, GSTs/VATs and incidentals. And always read the fine print.
  • Be careful of midnight tick-overs when booking. If you wait too long to book your flight, prices can change as soon as midnight in your region or in the airline's region ticks over. Bear this in mind when hesitating; nasty surprises in price increases are not unusual when delaying making a decision!

  1. Step 1

    Plan ahead

    Plan ahead. Airfares are usually lowest if you book at least 21 days in advance.
  2. Step 2

    Be flexible

    Be flexible about departure and return dates. Fares are generally cheaper if you stay over a Saturday night.
  3. Tip
    The best fares are often available on Wednesdays between midnight and 1 a.m.; that’s when most airlines readjust their prices for the week.
  4. Step 3

    Consider alternate airports

    Consider alternate airports. Say you want to go to New Orleans. Flying into Baton Rouge may be cheaper, and it’s only an hour away.
  5. Step 4

    Check online travel sites

    Search online travel sites like travelocity.com, cheapflights.com, expedia.com, hotwire.com, and bestfares.com. Check at least three before making your selection, since fares can vary by hundreds of dollars.
  6. Step 5

    Check airline's website

    Before making a purchase on a travel site, head to the actual airline’s website. Sometimes, booking through the airline itself can snag you a cheaper seat.
  7. Tip
    Discount carriers like Southwest and JetBlue don’t always show up on travel sites, so search their websites directly.
  8. Step 6

    Call airline's 800 number

    Call the airline’s 800 number and ask for their lowest fare—without giving specific travel dates. Service representatives often don’t tell you about lower fares that are just a day or two before or after your target date.
  9. Tip
    When calling airlines, always be polite and friendly. Studies show service people will go the extra mile for you if you’re nice to them.
  10. Step 7

    Have a good trip

    Pack your suitcase and have a good trip!
  11. Fact
    Americans between 18 and 34 take the most flights.

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