Nobody likes to overpay when they fly, but with a little research and a little flexibility, there are quite a few ways to keep those airline ticket costs to a minimum.
Traveling on a budget? Here are some easy steps to ensure you are getting the cheapest flight possible:
1. The cheapest plane ticket you'll ever get is a free one. If you know anyone who works for an airline, they can usually get you a "buddy pass," which affords you the opportunity to fly on "stand-by," either for no cost, or for a greatly reduced price. You must have a flexible schedule to fly like this, because the buddy pass does not guarantee you a seat on any particular flight. It is especially difficult to travel with a buddy pass around the holidays, when flights are over-booked, and cancellations due to weather can fill up airports with paying passengers who get put on stand-by status. However, if you're not on a tight schedule, a buddy pass could save you a couple hundred bucks.
2. Check discount airline ticket websites. Check as many sites as you can to compare prices, departure times, and other flight details. My favorites are cheaptickets.com and orbitz.com . Also try priceline.com, expedia.com, and travelocity.com. The more sites you check out, the better your chances are of finding the cheapest possible ticket. And, it doesn't hurt to compare ticket prices on actual airline websites. Airlines like Southwest offer great specials that might occasionally beat the discount ticket websites.
3. Unless you're buying a ticket at the last minute, take a week or two to see how airline prices fluctuate. Even over the course of just a few days, you will usually see the ticket prices go up and down a little bit. Before you buy the ticket, get a feel for how low prices might dip down. Although, if you see a ticket that's just too good to be true ($50 or $100 cheaper than other comparable flights), it's probably not a good idea to wait, because those tickets won't last long.
4. Be careful of hidden fees. Most airlines now charge a baggage fee, usually in the ballpark of $15 for the first bag, $25 for each additional bag (not counting 1 carry-on and 1 personal item). And some airlines, like AirTran, actually charge you if you want a guaranteed seat next to the person(s) you are traveling with! The charge is only $5 or $6...but that's per seat, per flight. Imagine a family of four flying round trip; that's almost an extra $50! So if you think you've found a great bargain, do your homework and check the airline's official website to find out their policies on baggage and seating fees. Also, if it's a long flight, you might want to find out how much they'll charge you for an in-flight meal. There's no such thing as a free lunch anymore.
5. If your schedule is at all flexible, in your flight-search options, experiment with departures on different days of the week. Flights that leave in the middle of the week are generally cheaper than flights departing on a weekend. And, another variable to play with is the time of day your flight is leaving. If you can sleep on a plane, or don't care if you miss a night's rest, look into a "red-eye." Overnight flights are often more affordable than morning departures, and you won't waste any good daylight hours on travel time.
6. Always check departure options at multiple airports. If you live in a major city, there are usually only one or two major international airports, and they almost always have the cheapest flights. However, on occasion, the smaller local airports will have the better bargain. In your flight-search options, there should be a box that you can check that says "Search nearby airports." If any cheap flights are found at any airport within a certain radius, they will show up on your search results.
7. Allow for connecting flights. Opting for multiple stops can greatly reduce the cost of your ticket. It can be inconvenient, and it can add hours on to your total travel time, but it might also knock $50 or $100 off the pricetag of your trip. Make sure your connecting flight doesn't leave too soon after your original flight is scheduled to touch-down. If there's less than 20 minutes between flights, there isn't a whole lot of room for error or delays. Sometimes the airline's confidence that they'll get you there in time proves to be unrealistic.
8. If you can, travel during the "off-season" months. What's considered "peak season" may vary, especially if you're traveling internationally. However, traveling around Christmas and New Year's is almost invariably expensive. Sometimes, booking a flight on the actual holiday, as opposed to around the holiday, can save you some cash. Spring break prices (March) are generally high. And in the U.S., summer time is vacation time, and that means more travelers, and thus, more demand, and thus, higher prices.
Nobody likes to overpay when they fly, but with a little research and a little flexibility, there are quite a few ways to keep those airline ticket costs to a minimum. Happy travels!
Traveling on a budget? Here are some easy steps to ensure you are getting the cheapest flight possible:
1. The cheapest plane ticket you'll ever get is a free one. If you know anyone who works for an airline, they can usually get you a "buddy pass," which affords you the opportunity to fly on "stand-by," either for no cost, or for a greatly reduced price. You must have a flexible schedule to fly like this, because the buddy pass does not guarantee you a seat on any particular flight. It is especially difficult to travel with a buddy pass around the holidays, when flights are over-booked, and cancellations due to weather can fill up airports with paying passengers who get put on stand-by status. However, if you're not on a tight schedule, a buddy pass could save you a couple hundred bucks.
2. Check discount airline ticket websites. Check as many sites as you can to compare prices, departure times, and other flight details. My favorites are cheaptickets.com and orbitz.com . Also try priceline.com, expedia.com, and travelocity.com. The more sites you check out, the better your chances are of finding the cheapest possible ticket. And, it doesn't hurt to compare ticket prices on actual airline websites. Airlines like Southwest offer great specials that might occasionally beat the discount ticket websites.
3. Unless you're buying a ticket at the last minute, take a week or two to see how airline prices fluctuate. Even over the course of just a few days, you will usually see the ticket prices go up and down a little bit. Before you buy the ticket, get a feel for how low prices might dip down. Although, if you see a ticket that's just too good to be true ($50 or $100 cheaper than other comparable flights), it's probably not a good idea to wait, because those tickets won't last long.
4. Be careful of hidden fees. Most airlines now charge a baggage fee, usually in the ballpark of $15 for the first bag, $25 for each additional bag (not counting 1 carry-on and 1 personal item). And some airlines, like AirTran, actually charge you if you want a guaranteed seat next to the person(s) you are traveling with! The charge is only $5 or $6...but that's per seat, per flight. Imagine a family of four flying round trip; that's almost an extra $50! So if you think you've found a great bargain, do your homework and check the airline's official website to find out their policies on baggage and seating fees. Also, if it's a long flight, you might want to find out how much they'll charge you for an in-flight meal. There's no such thing as a free lunch anymore.
5. If your schedule is at all flexible, in your flight-search options, experiment with departures on different days of the week. Flights that leave in the middle of the week are generally cheaper than flights departing on a weekend. And, another variable to play with is the time of day your flight is leaving. If you can sleep on a plane, or don't care if you miss a night's rest, look into a "red-eye." Overnight flights are often more affordable than morning departures, and you won't waste any good daylight hours on travel time.
6. Always check departure options at multiple airports. If you live in a major city, there are usually only one or two major international airports, and they almost always have the cheapest flights. However, on occasion, the smaller local airports will have the better bargain. In your flight-search options, there should be a box that you can check that says "Search nearby airports." If any cheap flights are found at any airport within a certain radius, they will show up on your search results.
7. Allow for connecting flights. Opting for multiple stops can greatly reduce the cost of your ticket. It can be inconvenient, and it can add hours on to your total travel time, but it might also knock $50 or $100 off the pricetag of your trip. Make sure your connecting flight doesn't leave too soon after your original flight is scheduled to touch-down. If there's less than 20 minutes between flights, there isn't a whole lot of room for error or delays. Sometimes the airline's confidence that they'll get you there in time proves to be unrealistic.
8. If you can, travel during the "off-season" months. What's considered "peak season" may vary, especially if you're traveling internationally. However, traveling around Christmas and New Year's is almost invariably expensive. Sometimes, booking a flight on the actual holiday, as opposed to around the holiday, can save you some cash. Spring break prices (March) are generally high. And in the U.S., summer time is vacation time, and that means more travelers, and thus, more demand, and thus, higher prices.
Nobody likes to overpay when they fly, but with a little research and a little flexibility, there are quite a few ways to keep those airline ticket costs to a minimum. Happy travels!
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