Saving money on flights is usually the first port of call for most budget travellers, and rightly so. Flights can be a huge expense added to your trip. With so many different flight operators, the variety in add-ons, and what is included, it can soon add up. Equally, you can save yourself a lot of money with the right approach. For example, when I recently went to Bulgaria, the outbound flight was under £40. However, if I had simply booked it for the day before, it was over £200. So, here are 14 ways you can find cheaper flights.
Saving Money on Flights
1. Browse Incognito
Browsing in incognito mode or private mode on your devices can prevent websites from tracking your searches. I’m sure we’ve all been there. You find a cheap flight and then go to book it the next day and price has drastically gone up. So, try searching in incognito mode next and you could find it doesn’t happen. One other thing I would say, is this depends on the website. Generally, using Google flights and Skyscanner is the best choice as they do not track your searches. They are purely search engines. But, if you’re looking for package deals or using websites that are actually selling flights, they may track your searches and up the prices.
2. Overnight Flights
Many people often prefer to travel in the day time. I get it. We’re awake, we want to get to our destination quickly, and it’s generally more convenient. However, overnight flights will often be cheaper due to their less popular departure times. You can also save yourself some accommodation costs by sleeping on the plane. On top of this, you end up with more time in your destination. You can arrive early in the morning and get the airport out the way and start your trip and, on the return leg, you can enjoy an extra day before flying home.
3. One Way Tickets
This also depends on the websites you use. When you search using most websites, they have already bought tickets from flight operators and are reselling them. This usually means both legs of your journey will be with the same flight provider. However, searching for your outbound flight and return flight separately can be a great way to save money on flights. This is because one leg is cheaper with a different flight provider. This is why I use Google flights and Skyscanner, because this is done for you. You will find on these websites that the two legs may be with different providers.
4. Alternative Airports
Similarly to booking one way flights, flying into one airport and returning from another can save a lot of money. This is especially worth looking into if you’re planning to travel further than just one place! For example, I live an hour away from Bristol airport, and an hour and fifteen minutes from Birmingham airport. So, I will always look at flights from, and to, both airports. Another example was when I went to Lake Como. I flew into Milan Malpensa airport which allowed me to explore Milan for a day before I went to Como. I think returned from Bergamo airport which allowed me to explore Bergamo for the day. These two airports were similar distances from Lake Como, so it worked out great!
5. Clearing Cookies
This is a similar concept to using incognito mode. It’s the cookies the websites track that let’s them know you’ve already been to their website and searched for certain flights. Anyway, if you forget to search in incognito mode when you first search, you can clear the cookies from your internet browser by heading to your history and clearing the browsing cookies.
6. Connecting Flights
Surprisingly, if you have a connecting flight, your best option is not always to simply book the whole journey in one booking. Sometimes, booking separate flights for connecting routes can save money. For example, as mentioned in the intro, my flights to Bulgaria were £200 different just the day before. So, in some places, it is cheaper to stay a night and continue your journey they next day. There are also airlines who offer layover programs. This means you can stay for a couple of days with no additional cost added to your flight price.
7. Notification Services
I have used notification services to save a lot of money on flights. These services will ask for some details about your preferred destinations and departure airports and do all the hard work for you. They will send you cheap deals, error fares and more, straight to your email inbox. The best service is Jack’s Flight Club. Also, airlines will hold sales or special events and will drop prices on some flights. However, you can’t make the most of this if you don’t know when they are. So, signing up for airline notifications can be a great thing to do.
8. Shoulder Seasons
I often travel in shoulder seasons (before or after peak seasons). This is because the flights are often a lot cheaper. Also, you usually still get nice weather and less people as the bulk of tourists haven’t arrived yet. One thing to note, is that places have different shoulder seasons which works out well if you’re looking to travel throughout the year. You can always find somewhere in their shoulder season.
9. Booking Times
The time you book your flights can have a huge impact on saving money. People often think that booking very early or very late are the best choices. However, in my experience, booking between 3-8 weeks in advance is the best. I have seen many flights get cheaper in price as we get closer to the travel dates, but they can then get more expensive within the last two weeks. When I flew to Stockholm, I paid £38 for return flights. I then checked the prices the day before I flew and they had increased to £190.
10. Add-Ons
I always avoid unnecessary add-ons like seat selection, priority boarding, or in-flight meals. Especially for short haul flights, seats don’t matter too much. You also don’t need priority boarding (unless you’re late the plane won’t leave without you, I promise). Honestly, on short haul budget airlines, priority just gets you through the airlines final checks quicker and then you often don’t get onto the plane any quicker. Also, you can easily eat before you go. You just need to be organised and willing to sacrifice a tiny amount of comfort.
11. Peak Times
Flying on weekdays or outside peak travel times can result in saving money. However, this is not always the case so you need to look around! I went to Marseille and the cheapest day to come home was a Saturday. Also, I have seen numerous flights during my searches which have been cheapest on weekends! That being said, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are often cheaper travel days, in general.
12. Luggage
I always avoid checked baggage fees by packing everything in a carry-on. Honestly, this is easy if you think basic. For me, I can do a 4 day trip which just the small carry on bag they give you for free. Potentially, I will add a 7-10kg carry on bag as well but that is usually if I go with someone and we share the fee. There are amazing bags designed specifically for this purpose. Cabinmax offer the best on the market.
13. Neighbouring Countries
As with considering alternative airports, you may find one of them is just over the border. Therefore, simply check any visa or border crossing restrictions and save yourself some money on flights! For example, I flew from Bali to Johor Bahru (Malaysia). For this journey, I would have had to fly to Kuala Lumpur and then transfer to Johor. Alternatively, for less money and time, I decided to fly to Singapore and cross the border.
14. Credit Cards
I accumulate points and rewards by using credit cards specifically tailored for travellers. Honestly, there are so many out there that you would need to find one that is best suited to you. However, if you do, you can end up with a great deal which may also include access to airport lounges or hotel upgrades as part of the rewards system. American Express is generally the best choice for travellers.
Conclusion
So, that is my ultimate guide to saving money on flights. Personally, I have used all of these points. You only need to do a few of the points above and you will start seeing the savings adding up so please, help yourself and make a note or save this post! There are also many other things you can do to save money. I have created an expert guide to cheaper flights which shows my entire process which has saved me thousands over the years. You can get an extra 25% off using the code BLOG at the checkout.
Add some comments with things you do to save money on flights.
