Planning a budget-friendly getaway and need to score some affordable plane tickets? With a bit of insider knowledge, you can uncover great deals that make your trip both enjoyable and economical. Here are 18 expert tips to help you find the best airfare bargains and make your travel dreams a reality without breaking the bank.
Winter Flights
Travel during the winter of the Northern Hemisphere is usually cheaper than it is in the summer. If you like a winter break, make sure you book to go away at the times when most people don’t want to, during the months of November through March.
Buying Tickets for Tuesday
According to the Daily Progress, “Most weeks of the year, Friday is the busiest day for air travel, and Tuesday is the least busy day.” To save money on airfare, schedule your flight for a day of the week that is not popular, such as a Tuesday.
Avoid First Class
The statistics from Business Insider show that “first-class plane tickets can cost as much as 70% more than economy airfare, and even more for international flights.” Yes, first-class plane tickets are really expensive. To save money and get the best deals, always choose economy tickets.
Hand Luggage
Some airlines will let you board a plane with a small, hand luggage suitcase free of charge. But this is not the case for all airlines. So take your time and shop around; try to find a good price ticket that will also give you free hand luggage.
Midday
“The truth is that the mid-day flights on Tuesday and Wednesday are less popular, and therefore both less crowded and less expensive!” says CheapAir. If you want to save money on flights, book flights that are programmed to depart at midday rather than early in the morning.
Personal Bag
Are you going away for a day trip? Then you might not need anything more with you than your personal bag. Some airlines have slightly discounted airfares for passengers traveling with little to no luggage. If you can travel with just one bag, make sure you do so.
Observe
The price of plane tickets goes up and down all the time, so to find the best deals, you must be aware of airfare trends and buy your tickets at the right time. A flight tracking site such as Hopper can tell you when the best time to buy is.
Checked Luggage
Although few and far between, there are still some airlines out there that offer a free checked bag to passengers on certain flights. Use a flight scanning app to help you find good deals with these airlines that will allow you to take a checked bag for free if you are going on a long-haul flight.
Avoid Fees
You don’t want to end up paying an airline fee. To avoid doing so, you must know exactly how much luggage you can bring on your trip. Make sure you check the most up-to-date information on your airline’s website before you travel. Always weigh your suitcases before you arrive at the airport.
Frequent Flyer
Do you often fly with the same airline? Then make sure you sign up for the airline’s frequent flyer benefits. This will help you save air miles and will eventually give you money off of your flights. As part of the program, the airline might send you exclusive deals and money off of flights to other locations.
Text Alerts
Airlines will charge more money for tickets that come with text alerts. These alerts will send you your gate and flight number as soon as the information is available, which prevents you from having to wait for the information to appear on the screens. You can save money by opting out of this service.
Seat Number
If you want to choose your seat early, you will have to pay more when you come to buy your ticket. But if you are not bothered about where you will sit on the plane, you should choose the free seat options, where you will be allocated a seat automatically by the airline.
Business Class
Like first class, business class seats are a lot more expensive than economy seats. If you are looking for a good deal to save money on a flight, you will not find one among the business class tickets. Instead, always choose an economy flight.
Legroom
Many airlines charge extra for tickets with more legroom. But there are some airlines that offer more legroom on economy flights. Forbes says these airlines are “ANA, Emirates, EVA Airways, and Singapore Airlines (32–34 inches),” while Japan Airlines offers international flights with 33–34 inches of legroom. Book flights with these airlines if you want extra legroom.
Holidays
Most people like to be home for the holidays, spending time with their families. So, at this time of the year, the price of airfare is normally cheaper. If you’re not big on holiday celebrations and want to save money, fly on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or New Year’s Day.
Off-Peak
Airfare rises when the holiday season begins and the kids are off school. To save money on your plane tickets, try to travel at off-peak times, such as during the academic year. Traveling at this time of the year will also help you find cheaper hotels and transportation.
Travel Insurance
Some airlines offer you travel insurance as an add-on when you purchase your flight tickets. But do you really need it? Save money by insuring yourself with your existing travel insurance policy. MarketWatch estimates that “most insurance policies cost between 5% and 6% of your total trip cost.”
Layovers
Does your flight destination have a direct route and a route with layovers? Then you might find that the layover route is cheaper than the direct flight. If you don’t mind hanging out a little longer at the airport, choose a flight with layovers to save some money.