No matter how far you’ve moved away from home, returning to our roots can make us feel nostalgic in both, good and bad ways. But searching for cheap flights online is a special kind of torment on its own. The costs associated with flying internationally can be overwhelming. In an economy that often feels volatile and unpredictable, here are some tips to help you cut back on travel costs.
8 Ways to Find Cheap Flights Today
1. Booking on Airline Websites
Booking directly through the airline’s website not only gets you prices that are close to what travel agents quote you, but also offers you the convenience of addressing any potential concerns that you may have with your booking. Plus, the frequent flyer programs are always an added perk if you tend to travel more frequently. If you book through an online travel agency, you will still be able to earn frequent flyer miles, but the miles earned may not go towards an elite status unless you book directly through the airline’s website. Check at least two price comparison websites such as Google Flights, Kayak, and others to make sure you’re getting the best deal.
2. Google Flights
Google Flights shows you price trends on how your date of travel could affect the cost of your ticket. You can track multiple dates by class and destination with the click of a button. It even allows you to isolate your search by airline. Overall, a highly simple and customizable platform that tracks the prices as they appear, so you can take advantage of insanely cheap flights as soon as they show up.
3. Price Tracker
Set up custom notifications with online travel agencies so you’re alerted when there’s a price drop. On Google Flights, you can select “track prices” to monitor the lowest price and receive price alerts when you plan on flying international. With Skyscanner, use “get price alerts”.
4. Consider Stopping Over
Direct flights are definitely more convenient. But if you are flexible with your travels, an indirect flight with stop overs only adds a few hours to your journey and brings the overall cost down drastically in most cases.
5. Combination Bookings
Online travel agencies such as Expedia and Priceline are the way to go for package deals that include flight, hotel, and car rentals. Expedia offers a great rewards program with benefits on hotel bookings. If language is a barrier, don’t fret! Agoda is another platform that is unique in its own way. It allows users to select from up to 38 different languages.
6. Additional Perks
This one has been tried and tested by us and gets you huge savings upfront if you’re planning international trips for the family. Sign up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card to book flights, hotels, and car rentals on the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal and earn a sign up bonus of 60,000 points which equals to $750. Plus, you earn 2X points on all travel and dining purchases worldwide. The only catch here is that you qualify for the 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of opening the account.
7. Seating
Airlines rely on the fear factor of passengers being separated from their families during their travels and convince you to shell out more money for assigned seating. Some airlines let you select a seat for free after booking, without having to wait for check-in. If not, just check-in online as early as you can and you should be able to sit with your group provided the seats are still available. That being said, there are no guarantees.
8. Timing
Lastly, we invest a lot of time into finding the best deals on airfare. A part of that planning is determining the best time to purchase flights. Timing is crucial when looking for cheap international travels. Flights should generally be booked early. Businesses tend to pay more for bookings on a short notice, so the prices tend to shoot through the roof the later you book.
In order to find insanely cheap flights, all you need to do is strike a balance between being a tad bit flexible with your travels and be smart with your search. Just follow these few basic tips and you’re sure to score a great deal.
