Top 5 Tips for Finding Cheap Flights on the Internet
As a travel agency that we are, we are constantly looking for the best and cheapest flight deals for our clients. Based on our experience, we share 5 tips to help you find the cheapest flights online and save on your trip.
Before presenting our tips, we leave our main advice: finding very cheap flights requires a little time, patience and persistence. However, it is worth seeing your initiative rewarded with good flight savings, which will allow you to better enjoy your trip.
1- Mark in advance and look for different dates and options
Although it may seem obvious, most people do not mark their trips in advance. The prices in the airlines vary according to the existing supply and the level of demand. If on a certain date the plane is almost full, the remaining places will have higher prices. So if you are one of the first to buy the place, you get more competitive prices.
On the other hand, prices often vary depending on the destination and the day of travel. For a busy business destination, travel during the week may be more expensive than travel at the end of the week. If it is a suitable destination for a weekend trip, then certainly going on a Friday and coming back on Sunday will be more expensive.
The experience acquired by different web sites shows that the prices of trips departing on Wednesdays or Saturdays are usually cheaper. If you select the flexible date options, you can choose other dates next to the desired one, with better prices, which allows you to save money that can be spent on a meal or on staying at the destination.
Another issue to take into account is the stopovers of the flights. Direct flights provide a faster and more comfortable journey, which is why they tend to be more expensive. Traveling through another city can lengthen the time of your trip, but it is often cheaper. Flights with more complicated times and long waiting times at airports tend to be cheaper. You will have to weigh between comfort, time and what you plan to spend.
2- Do not believe the first price that appears
If you find a price in a search result, you may want to go to the end of the reservation (without making the payment) to see if other charges do not apply and what is its value. This happens often, so it is only by comparing the final prices that you understand what you are really going to pay. On the other hand, many of the prices depend on the payment method you choose. Many websites offer attractive prices only for payments with specific credit or debit cards, which few people have. Keep this in mind when comparing the different prices.
Also know that the prices that appear on different web pages are not cheaper than those of the airlines themselves (which are the provider). The advantage of buying through a website or an agency is that it is possible to combine several possibilities with different airlines and routes, thus making it possible to get a cheaper ticket, for example, when booking a one-way trip with a company and the flight back with another.
3- Attention to what your trip includes
You probably won’t have to have a meal on the trip or carry checked luggage: all you need is carry-on luggage. In that case, know that you can save. Most airlines, and not just low-cost ones, offer the best prices for those traveling without luggage. But you must be sure that it is the way you want to travel because if you change your mind, the soma of luggage is more expensive at the airport.
And speaking at the airport, we must not forget that many low-cost companies (and not only) travel to airports further away from the city center or without public transport that are more accessible. So, in these cases, you may be spending on local transportation to your destination what you saved on the plane trip. Do your math and find out what you are going to save.
4- Are you only going to buy the plane ticket?
If you need to buy more services in addition to the plane ticket, do not forget to search everything at once. With the combination of the flight and hotel reservation you can save on air tickets since the websites that offer this option use special prices offered by the airlines for travel packages (that is, with the reservation of more services). Don’t forget to check for vacation packages offered by travel agencies for your destination. These packages often use other flights, such as charter flights, which will save on your trip.
5- When you find a good price, book your trip
Don’t be surprised if the price has already risen by the time you book your trip. Prices in aviation are constantly changing and can sometimes be lower, but especially in times of increased demand, the trend is for prices to rise. If you found a competitive price, take the opportunity to reserve, as you may not get the same price the next day.
And for the moment of the reservation we also leave some tips. Don’t forget to enter the first and last name correctly, as you may not be able to change it later. Always carefully review the details of the flights you book, and keep in mind that times are always local. If you are going on a connecting flight, allow enough time for them. At least an hour and a half is recommended, but you may need more time, depending on the complexity of the airport or if you are going to change terminals. Purchase cancellation insurance with your flight reservation. As a general rule, lower prices are non-refundable and are often not subject to change. The cancellation insurance will safeguard it in the event that, for reasons of force majeure, it has to be.
Ready to start saving?