Cheapest Flights: Top Strategies for Budget Travelers

In our years of globetrotting, we’ve discovered that airfare doesn’t have to drain your savings. In fact, we’ve found that with the right strategies, it’s possible to score the cheapest flights to anywhere in the world.

Drawing from our experience as full-time travel bloggers, we’re here to share some of our secret tricks. We travel around 15 times a year, mostly on our dime, so we’ve become quite savvy at finding the best deals. From a $15 return flight from Madrid to Oslo to a $208 return error fare from Madrid to Accra, we’ve cracked the code on securing cheap airfares.

Get ready to learn how to reduce your biggest travel expenditure and make your dream trips more affordable.

Table of Contents

Researching for Flights

Using Flight Search Engines

The world online is chock-full of flight search engine sites. Platforms such as Skyscanner, Google Flights, Secret Flying, and the Dollar Flight Club, are capable of showing users the cheapest flights available from a slew of airlines. By simply typing in your home airport and then “Everywhere” in the destination field, these search engines display the most affordable destinations you can fly to.

An exciting feature of Google Flights is its fee assistant which takes into account baggage fees while calculating the flight price. So, whether you plan to carry a checked bag or not, just choose your destination, add your dates, click on the checked bag icon, and voilà – no surprises.

Quite relevant is the inclusion of comparison tools. Our favorite is a free browser plugin that converts Google Flights pages to equivalent searches in Skyscanner, Momondo, and Kayak for an effortless comparison.

Setting Price Alerts

Interestingly, some of these search engine sites like Skyscanner also offer a price alert service. This service notifies users when the price of a searched flight increases or decreases. You get the alert directly in your email ensuring you don’t miss any alterations to the airfare.

To use this feature, perform a flight search and then tap the bell icon to set up your price alert. Going forward, every price change relating to that flight will be conveyed to you via email.

Here’s how to set up a price alert on Skyscanner:

Open the Skyscanner app or desktop homepage
Search for the flight you’re interested in tracking
Tap the bell icon at the bottom-left on the app or top-left on the desktop
Tap “Create” and you’re set! You’ll be notified of any price changes.

Checking Airline Websites

It is also highly suggested to check the websites of budget airlines directly. These budget airlines consistently offer cheap flights as they operate on smaller operational cost margins than traditional carriers. Airlines such as Swoop, Flair Airlines, Air Canada Rouge, WOW Air, Spirit Airlines, and Air Transat often have incredibly attractive international and domestic flight deals.

If you’re flexible and up for an adventure, try the “Skyscanner Everywhere” trick. You’ll discover destinations you might otherwise not have considered. For instance, our Content Editor, Nele, managed to find a $20 return flight to Milan from Manchester using this trick!

On the heels of these multiple strategies, remain keenly aware of the importance of being adaptable and doing your research. It’s also advised to stay informed about the requirements and restrictions of budget airlines before booking. These few tips can save you a hefty amount and make your dream trips more affordable.

Up next: We dive deeper into the various search engines focusing on their unique features and showing you how to leverage them for maximum benefit.

Flexible Travel Dates

Taking advantage of flexible travel dates is a significant factor in uncovering the best flight deals. It’s one sure way to maximize savings on airfare and make any trip budget-friendly.

Choosing Off-Peak Days

Booking flights for specific holidays or peak travel days might empty your wallet faster than anticipated. We’re throwing light on an industry secret; airlines generally increase ticket prices during periods of high demand. By selecting less popular travel days and sticking with the off-peak standard, it’s possible to save big and avoid hefty fares. Midweek flights, for instance, can be notably cheaper than weekend journeys.

For those whose travel schedule isn’t set in stone, Google Flights can be a helpful guide. It alerts users about potential savings that could be made by shifting travel dates just a day or two. Additionally, it offers a calendar view with the cheapest dates to travel highlighted in green. This feature can be a game-changer, enabling easy month-to-month planning and spotting of savings opportunities.

Being Open to Layovers

Direct flights, while convenient, are often more expensive than those with one or more stops. Being flexible with layovers can unlock significant price breaks. It’s something we term “hidden city flights” – where a flight that connects in a city you aim to go to is cheaper than flying straight to it.

Bear in mind, though; this tends to be somewhat risky for a couple of reasons:

If your luggage is checked, it may continue onto the final destination.
You may be denied alighting from the plane if the same aircraft is going onto its ultimate location.
Airlines could notice that you skipped your connection. The consequences of this vary, especially since many passengers miss flights repeatedly.

Considering Nearby Airports

Opting for flights to and from lesser-known, alternative airports can result in serious savings. Budget airlines often fly in and out of these locations, providing cheap fares that might just outweigh the cost of additional transit to and from your final destination.

Let’s look at Paris as an example. Shuttle costs to Beauvais – the budget airport for Paris – cost about 17 EUR one-way. If you’re traveling roundtrip, adding approximately 34 EUR to the cost of your plane ticket might show you’re saving substantially with a budget airline, despite the added transit expenses.

In all fairness, it’s worth noting that budget airlines often include hefty fees for standard facilities like checked bags, carry-ons, and even boarding pass printing. Always ensure to add the ticket price and these additional charges to see if the total cost falls below what larger carriers offer.

Remember, it’s not only about finding the cheapest flight but also one that aligns best with your overall travel plans. By keeping a level of flexibility in different aspects of your travel dates, you could make going on your dream vacation more affordable than ever.

Booking Strategies

As we continue to discuss how to secure affordable flights, it is essential to turn our attention to specific booking strategies. These tactics ensure a keen understanding of the timeframe and resources we have, enabling us to gain maximum value from every ticket purchase.

Booking in Advance

If we dig into the dynamics and mechanics of flight pricing, we’ll spot an interesting pattern. Flight prices tend to increase as our departure date draws near. This mechanism stems from the increased demand and decreased supply of seats as the date approaches. Importantly, securing our tickets well in advance, preferably 30 days or more, will yield pocket-friendly deals. This logic applies even more during peak seasons, when we should aim to book our tickets 45-60 days ahead.

Notably, booking early provides us with the peace of mind that we’ve secured the best fare possible, freeing us to focus our energy on other aspects of our trips, whether it’s packing our bags or sketching out our itineraries.

Utilizing Rewards Programs

Another often overlooked but beneficial strategy is leveraging rewards programs. Today, most airlines offer various rewards or loyalty programs. While we might feel these are geared towards frequent travelers, it’s worth noting that benefits accrue over time.

Even if we only travel once or twice a year, the miles or points we earn can get piled up before we realize it. Furthermore, such programs often have partnerships with hotels, rental car companies, and credit card companies, which allows us to increase our point balance rapidly.

Moreover, many of these programs run promotional periods, with the opportunity to earn bonus miles or points. We recommend keeping an eye out for these opportunities. They might seem insignificant at first, but it’s surprising how quickly they can add up and contribute to substantial savings on future travels.

In our next segment, we’re going to explore more such cost-saving measures including how to navigate budget airlines and squeezing the perks of off-peak travel dates for maximum savings.

Conclusion

We’ve shared our top tips on how to secure the cheapest flights. Remember, timing is everything. Booking ahead, especially during peak times, can save you a bundle. Don’t overlook the value of rewards programs either. They’re a great way to earn free or discounted flights. And keep those eyes peeled for promotional periods. They’re your ticket to bonus miles or points. Budget airlines and off-peak travel dates are also worth considering. They can offer some serious savings. So, it’s time to put these strategies to work. Happy flight hunting!