How to Score Cheap Flights

flights

Before the arrival of this pandemic, flight deal hunters needed to tirelessly comb through the deepest recesses of the web to find the cheapest airfares available. Due to diminishing demand, compounded by travel restrictions, we see airlines and online travel agencies competing tooth and nail for a small percentage of travelers brave enough to weather the risk of this pandemic.

It is not only effortless to find great deals, but we are also witnessing price wars between online travel agencies and airline companies, resulting in more deeply-discounted fares favorable for the frugal tourist.

Since these flights are cheaper than cheap, you need to pounce the moment the deal enters your inbox as they ordinarily disappear at the speed of light. My suggestion is to book them quickly. After all, you have 24 hours to cancel these bookings anyway.

Mistake Fares

Know When to Fly

Consider booking during off-peak periods for significant savings. Another tip is to fly the day after a holiday or during the holiday itself, but never before.

Know When to Book

My only suggestion is not to wait until the last minute. If there is one thing that’s certain about airfare, it becomes unreasonably unaffordable if you purchase closer to the departure date.

Add a Free Stopover if Flying Direct is More Expensive

Flying to these inexpensive airports also provides the traveler an opportunity to tack on a free stopover. That is similar to the London and Rome examples above. Feel free to stay as long as you want in these more affordable hubs before continuing to the last leg of your trip, either via train or a budget airline.

Depart or Arrive in a Nearby Airport

Depart or arrive at a nearby airport. For example, substantial metropolitan areas such as NYC, Los Angeles, London, and my home airport, San Francisco, are located near three international airports. Make sure you run your flights across all possible options.

Utilize the “Explore” Option

My top recommended search engines all have the “explore” option, which is the perfect solution for travelers who are undecided about their next destination. It is a money-saver to start with a blank slate.

One-Way Versus Round-Trip

Booking round-trip almost always yields cheaper airfares than booking two separate one-ways, but this trend is changing, so always compare how much two separate one-ways and one round-trip flight cost.

Use the Multi-City Feature

Familiarize yourself with the multi-city function when searching for cheap airfare. Feel free to combine multiple flights into one multi-city search to save money if you have several flights lined up at the same time.

Book Open-Jaw

Booking open-jaw saves you valuable time from backtracking and can save you some money if an alternative flight is cheaper than a typical round-trip flight.

Book for One Person

If traveling with a group of friends, try to book individual tickets instead of booking for all. It is not uncommon that ticket prices will be lower if booked individually.

24-Hour Cancellation

Although it involves a little bit of effort, I try to maximize the 24-hour free cancellation window. Essentially, after I book cheap airfares, I keep on monitoring the various travel websites in the next 24 hours in case something more inexpensive surfaces.

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