Wondering how to always find the cheapest flights? In, this blog post. I share 13 proven tips that have helped me fly to over 20 countries – never paying more than $500 for a flight. Seriously, keep reading. You don’t wanna miss this.
“Y’all tryna travel in 2018? Here’s a thread on how I always find the cheapest flights.” – Me, Twitter
I tweeted these exact words, followed by my best tips for booking cheap flights.
The entire twitter thread/storm went viral – over 5 MILLION impressions.The best part? People discovered that these tips were legit and they began booking flights, as a result.
People responded saying the information I shared helped them book their first flight, or see their long distance boyfriend/girlfriend, or finally visit a sick family member. How cool is that!? See what some had to say below!
What seemed like common knowledge to me, proved to be extremely valuable to hundreds, if not thousands of people. And that felt good!
The bottom line? Flights aren’t as expensive as you probably think. You’ve just gotta know where & how to search! And you’ve just gotta start searching! You might be surprised! You know what they say about people who assume….. 😉
Since Twitter moves so fast, I’ve created a blog post sharing proven tips for anyone who wants or needs to knowhow to find cheap flights. Here are 13 proven tips to help you find cheap flights:
1.BE FLEXIBLE
Be flexible with locations, airlines, dates, etc. Ditch the bucket list. Specific dates will lock you into prices. You could discover an amazing place you knew nothing about.
There are several airline sites that allow you to search for flights without entering a destination(Google Flights, Skyscanner,etc).If you aren’t obligated to be somewhere on certain dates search for flights first, THEN choose dates based on what’s the most affordable. Then request time off based on that.
2.SEARCH FAR & WIDE TO COMPARE PRICES
Use multiple sites! I like http://google.com/flights, Skyscanner,and direct airline sites(americanairlines.com, united.com, etc.). Different sites will show different prices & also have diff features. Compare prices on multiple sites to find the best deal!
Different sites to use:
www.momondo.com
www.kayak.com
www.Kiwi.com
3. USE GOOGLE FLIGHTS
USE GOOGLE FLIGHTS!!! THIS IS NOT A JOKE!
This flight search engine is seriously the greatest of all time. I could go on & on about it. The features are unmatched and it’s extremely user-friendly. Here are some of the best features:
- If you don’t know where to go, it will provide you with suggestions & related prices. Before entering a destination, you can view a variety of cities with suggestions of what to do once you get there i.e, hiking, museums, etc. Perfect if you want to travel but have a hard time deciding where to go. It will also give you suggestions & prices if you enter “everywhere” or a specific country into the destination box without specifying.
- You can view prices by the day. This feature is ICONIC. Once you enter a destination, select a departure date and a calendar view will pull up for you to see the price for every single day going forward. From here, you can view which travel dates are cheapest or you can see if you’d be overpaying by selecting a certain date.The lowest prices will be highlighted in green.
- Set price alerts and you will receive emails/notifications when prices drop.
After these features Google.com/flights, search around via Skyscanner, StudentUniverse, Agoda, & more.
4. SEARCH OFTEN
Flight prices change EVERY DAY! There is no exact rhyme or reason. Because of this, you need to search often. Like…multiple times a day, every day – especially if you have a trip planned.
This is the best way to avoid overpaying. If you search often, you’ll know if whether getting a really good deal OR if you’re actually getting played.
5. FOLLOW FLIGHT DEAL ACCOUNTS ON TWITTER
Follow sites like @TheFlightDeal @airfarewatchdog @EscapeHouston @scottscheapflights. They tweet out crazy flight deals & glitches, all day every day.
This is how I scored those $400 flights to Europe, TWICE!
6. SUBSCRIBE TO FLIGHT DEAL ACCOUNTS EMAILS
Alternatively, you can subscribe to email alerts from the exact same websites if you don’t have twitter.
www.airfarewatchdog.com
www.theflightdeal.com
And the list goes on…
7. GET A TRAVEL CREDIT CARD
As I said, I just booked a flight to Southeast Asia for FREE with my Chase Sapphire Rewards Credit card. This card gave me 4 free flights in 2017 alone and it just keeps giving. Free global entry sign-up, lounge access, TSA pre-check, travel insurance, $300 yearly travel credit are among some of the amazing benefits this card has to offer.
Due to a high annual fee, I’d only recommend this card if you plan to travel multiple times a year. I’d also only advise a travel credit card if you have the cash to avoid going into debt. You can use this to make everyday purchases and then immediately pay the card off to avoid interest.
Apply here–You will receive an offer for 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
8. TRY BUDGET AIRLINES
Check out budget airlines like Frontier, JetBlue, Ryanair(in Europe), Etc. You won’t be getting free peanuts, but you could be saving hundreds on airfare.
Be sure to read the fine print to avoid paying additional fees for baggage or other costs. Everything will be clearly stated on the website before checkout.
9. USE YOUR STUDENT STATUS
Anyone up to the age of 26(you don’t actually have to be a student) can use sites like Student Universe and STA Travel for unique flight promotions & deals.
For example, Student Universe is currently offering $100 off flights to South East Asia via Qatar Airways. That’s a big deal!
10. BOOK NOW, THINK LATER
Most airlines and flight search engine sites offer a free 24-hour cancellation period for a full refund. This will allow you 24 hours to change your mind. If you find a killer flight deal but aren’t sure about the remaining logistics, you can book before missing out with 24 hours to make a final decision.
As always, double-check to make sure the airline provides this before locking yourself into a flight you’re unsure of.
11. USE REFERRAL CREDIT
Rack up referral credit on sites like StudentUniverseby referring your friends.
12. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF STOPOVER FLIGHTS
Use sites like Skiplagged to take advantage of stop-over flights.Just don’t check a bag & you can get off at layover stops that won’t be revealed to you during a regular flight search.
13. CHECK NEARBY AIRPORTS
If you live in a small town, it may be best to search for flights departing from the biggest city near you. Flights are likely to be cheaper from larger hubs. Likewise, it may be best to search for flights flying into all major airports in your destination country. Catching a bus or renting a car to drive to those larger airports could save you hundreds.
As you can see, it takes a lot of time & research to find cheap flights. However, it’s usually worth it. If you can save hundreds or thousands in the long run, why not? The purpose of. my blog is not for you to see me travel, but for me to show YOU how to travel!
So go ahead, open a second tab, and give it a go! Or simply search below!
You Might Also Enjoy:
- How to Make Travel a Reality in 2018
- 5 Essential Steps For Planning Your Next Trip
- Is Spirit Airlines Really That bad?
- 9 Ways to Find Insanely Cheap Flight Deals
- Here’s What Really Went Down on my Solo Trip Through Latin America After Quitting my Job
If you found this helpful, you can help out by sharing, commenting, or pinning this post.Thanks for reading!
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Hey, I'm Ciara. I’m a global citizen and lover of travel. Want to know more?
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