Eight Ways To Save Money On Your Next Plane Ticket | Lovely Travel

At my last corporate job, one of my responsibilities was to book the flights for the managers in my office. Over two years, I became savvy with online ticket shopping. I applied that knowledge to my own flights from traveling for destination photography, trips to visit my grandmother in Florida, and booking my honeymoon. Flying round trip to Europe from the United States is pricey, but I managed to book one-way tickets to Paris for only $150 a piece (tax and fees included!) and we saved over a thousand on our flights back by getting creative with our layovers. Flying home from Santorini would have costs us a pretty penny, but by purchasing two $70 tickets back to Athens to fly from Athens instead, we were able to save over a grand on our flight back home. 

I imagine that you already know how to search for flights and use special offers as well as credit card miles and points. My advice are for those of you who are flexible with your search and don’t mind going for a little bit of an adventure along the way. Some of these tips require an open mind and a relaxed schedule. That being said, there are instances where paying more for a flight is better than finding a great deal. Your time and comfort is also valuable. For example, it may be worth it paying a hundred or two more for a flight that is local to home than driving a couple hours and through busy traffic to get to a different airport. You may also want to pay more for a light that leaves at a decent hour instead of one that takes off at two in the morning (been there, done that). 

Use Google Flights

What I love about Google’s flight search engine is that it compares flights from all major airlines and booking sites so that you can see them all at once. Having the ability to compare flights instantly rather than go from site to site is a valuable resource and my personal favorite way to find the best flight deal. 

Book Far In Advance 

By booking your ticket far in advance you take away the urgency most people pay for a last minute flight, saving you plenty of money.

Compare Airports

Too expensive to fly out of or into a specific airport? Search other airports that are close by. The difference may surprise you. Although, sometimes it is not worth the extra hassle to fly from a further destination or from an airport that is difficult to get to because of traffic.  

Get Creative With Connecting Flights

Non stop flights are amazing, but sometimes we have to stop for a layover somewhere. The advantage of this is that it can often save you money on your plane ticket. When searching for a flight, select the multi-city option and try searching for layovers in various cities. For example, if you’re flying through Europe it may be cheaper to fly into Dublin instead of London. For our flight home from Athens to New York, we chose a layover in Moscow instead of London to save us nearly a grand in airfare. 

Book One Way

Instead of round trip, you may find it cheaper to book two one way tickets. This option does not always work, but it is worth looking into. Another upside is that it gives you more flexibility with your flight. 

Clear Your Computer Cookies

When you repeatedly return to a website to search for the same flight route, you may notice that the price goes up just a little bit every time. That is because most online ticketing services place cookies onto your computer so they can track your visit. Every time you go back, they know that you’re looking for a better price. Instead, they show you that it has gone up a little bit each time, creating an urgency for you to buy now before it goes up again and so that they can also charge you slightly more for your flight. Clearing your computer’s cookies may help, although some sites also track IP addresses. 

Search For Tickets On Non Busy Days

You may notice that the time of day and day of the week when you search for flights, the prices will vary. If you’re shopping on a weekend, Monday, or Friday for a flight the prices are often higher because more people are also searching. To save yourself from inflated prices, search during non-travel days of the week (usually Tuesdays) and during times when most people are not looking for flights (early morning or mid afternoon, after lunch but before people are home for the evening). 

Be Flexible With Your Flight 

The most expensive days of the week to fly are Fridays, Mondays, and weekends. If you have some flexibility when you can leave or return, opt for a mid week flight instead. Flying during early or late hours can also save you money, but I only recommend this option if you’re truly comfortable with off hours. 

Loading

0 comments
Add a comment...

Your email is never published or shared. Required fields are marked *

    pin it