Perhaps one of the most discouraging tasks for the potential traveler is looking for flights. With rising airfares and as well as complaints, no one wants to pay too much for flights thereby, limiting their travel. However, there are some definite ways to dramatically increase your chances of finding cheap flights. Following are 8 tips to finding the cheapest airfare to anyplace in the world.
1. PICK THE RIGHT TIME
The day of the week you depart can often dramatically affect the price of your ticket.Generally speaking, weekday flights are usually cheaper than weekend and Friday flights.And during the week days, the middle of the week are usually the cheapest but these points are not always the case.A great way to find the pricing for the week is to use a site such as www.skyscanner.com which will allow you to visually see prices for the whole week or month so that you can easily choose the cheapest time to depart.You can also use Google Flights to see this as well.
2. GO TO THE CHEAPEST PLACES
Another way to get cheap fares is to go where the prices are the lowest.Ideally, you have time to go anywhere you want but right NOW, perhaps you should let the fare dictate.I periodically do this.For instance, if I find a cheap ticket to some place that I wanted to go, I may just book it.Just be flexible about your destinations.
3. BUY EARLY
The earlier you buy your ticket, the cheaper it may be if you are traveling during peak periods.Tickets prices usually increase during the two weeks prior to flying domestically and from three to six months in advance for international flights.So for the best deals, it’s good to book your flights well in advance.
4. BUY LAST MINUTE
While buying your ticket early during peak season can allow you great savings, sometimes buying tickets at the very last minute can get you great deals as well.If an airline has failed to fill their flights, they may lower their prices in order to sell them quickly. Check out LastMinuteTravel.com to find last minute flight deals.
5. CHOOSE THE RIGHT DEPARTURE DATES
If you have a bit more freedom in when you can travel, it is good to travel during non-peak times.Airfares during non-peak times are usually cheaper.Great deals are possible if you can schedule it at the right time.One time I found a round trip ticket to Spain for $533.This is a deal when you can easily pay $900 and more for this type of flight.You have to do a little bit of research to region peak times but generally speaking big holidays like new years, Christmas, etc, are usually peak times as many travel during this time.There may be regional peak periods based on local holidays as well.
6. COMPARE PRICES USING A TRAVEL SEARCH ENGINE
One of the best ways to find the cheapest airfares is to do price comparisons by using the best travel search engines out there. Some of the best are www.cheapfares.com and www.skyscanner.com.These search engines check multiples sites and carriers to find the cheapest flights out there. It always good to check at least two or more of them out to ensure you are getting the best flights as sometimes one site may have more options than the other. I always use these when planning my trips as I’m always looking for the best flight deals. Click below to do your search.
7. BE FLEXIBLE WITH AIRPORTS
If your city has a few airports, and you don’t mind using them, it’s good to do a search from various airports in your area to see if there is a price difference.There usually is. Less frequented airports are usually cheaper than the busier ones.
8. DON’T COUNT OUT LAYOVERS
If you can manage it, buying a connecting-layover flight will be cheaper than a non-stop direct flight to your destination. Most people prefer direct, non-stop flights and that’s’ exactly why they are usually more expensive. Of course there are exceptions to this rule and sometimes you will find cheaper direct flights but connecting flights will usually be cheaper. One thing about connecting layover flights is that you should make sure that the layover time is at least an hour. Anything less will increase your chances of missing your connecting flight in the event of a delay. And delays oftentimes happen. You can also use layovers as a second trip. Click here to read article on this.
