15 Ways To Get Cheaper Flights For Your Next Trip

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Finding flights is one of the biggest challenges when planning any trip. For almost anything else there are a wealth of options. Accommodation, places to eat at, activities and sights to see. But if you don’t get flights, you don’t have much of a trip. The ever changing prices of flights mean that you can plan for weeks and all of a sudden your trip is costing more than you thought. So how do you get around that? How do you find the best deal so that you’re not out of money before you’ve even left home? I spend a lot of time looking for cheaper flights whenever I start planning my vacation so I’ve put together some of my top tips for saving money on flights. Use this for your next trip and see how much you can save.

Book flights earlier

The earlier you know when you want to travel the better. You might think that last minute flight prices would be cheaper, but they’re not. You see anyone booking last minute (business travelers especially) are usually willing to pay more for a ticket. So the airline is willing to sell a fewer number of seats for a higher price each than a higher number for a lower price. So don’t leave it until the last minute, book your flights early.

Travel off season

Skip the summer holidays, stay clear of the statutory holidays and plan your travel at a different time of year. Shifting your vacation by a few days or even a few weeks can save you lot of money. Booking early won’t help much if you want to travel over Thanksgiving weekend or to a popular family destination in July when the kids are off school. I saved over $200 on a flight to Thailand by traveling in April instead of during the high season of November to March when it’s cooler there.

Travel off peak times

Much like strategically picking your time of year, you can get cheaper flights if you’re flexible on the day or time of day you travel too. Avoid Mondays, Fridays and Sundays if you can. Whether you travel Saturday to Saturday or Wednesday to Wednesday you’re still gone the same length of time. But your flights will likely cost less. Early morning flights or overnight flights are often cheaper too. More than once I’ve opted to fly at 11pm to arrive in my destination at 7am and sleep on the plane to save money.

Book flights on certain days

Picking a certain day to book is often just as likely to help your budget as choosing the right day to fly. Did you know that Tuesdays are the cheapest days to book flights? A lot of flight deals and discounts are launched on a Monday night so booking on a Tuesday means you have the best chance of getting that deal. So do your research over the weekend and wait until Tuesday to see if you can save some money.

Subscribe to cheaper flights sites

There are flight deals and then there are mistake fares. Both could save you money and give you a dream trip for less. But unless you’re checking for them at the exact time they happen, how will you know? Great news! This is actually someone’s business model. Sites specifically created around finding cheaper flights and mistake fares and letting people know. And to best take advantage of them you should subscribe to one or two. I always use YVR DEALS which looks at flights from Vancouver, my hometown. There are likely others out there for your city or nearest departure point. Other sites to look into are The Flight Deal and Secret Flying.

Use price comparison sites

Unless you are loyal to a specific airline, comparing other options will often give you the best bang for your buck. Much like finding cheap hotels through booking.com you can find cheaper flights through a number of flight comparison sites. Expedia is one of the most well known, but CheapOair and SkyScanner are my go to sites. Plus you can then easily filter if you’re OK with layovers, earlier flights and even look at nearby airports.

Sign up for airline loyalty programs

Sometimes you might find a comparison site gives you a flight option with an airline you regularly fly with. If that’s the case, consider joining that airline’s loyalty program and booking with them directly. The flight will be the same price, but you might be able to save on a future flight with the same company. I am a member of WestJet Rewards as a Canadian airline with lots of flights out of Vancouver. I earn points per flight which can translate to money off flights in the future. Same with British Airways as I fly back to visit my parents in the UK each year. I collect their Avios points through the BA Executive Club and use them towards my future flights.

Get a travel rewards credit card

There are so many travel rewards credit cards out there. I’m sure your bank will have one. I have the RBC Visa Infinite Avion card which gives me points on everything I buy plus 25% extra points on any travel related purchases. I have cashed in points for more than a few flights both domestic and international so it more than makes up for the annual fee. Check with your bank for the best travel rewards card for you.

Leave the flight destination open

Who doesn’t love a game of vacation roulette? Well the good news is you don’t have to commit to somewhere without knowing where it is. But something I like to do if I’m searching for travel ideas is to go to Skyscanner and enter my departure point (Vancouver for me) then leave the TO field empty. What this does is give me all the flight options that I can sort by region and price so I can find cheaper flights to new places. Genius trick, right? This is my favorite feature of all the price comparison sites.

Book one way flights instead

Another trick for buying cheaper flights, especially on price comparison websites, is to book two one-way flights instead of a round-trip. In some cases the one way fares are ridiculously high as the airlines want to get more money in case you don’t fly on the return with them. But other airlines will not look at it this way, and you might be in luck to save money on flights. Try booking one two one-way flights to see if you get a cheaper price. Often with price comparison sites this will open up options as only certain airlines partner with each other. So you might see different (and more convenient) flight times appear.

Opt for a long layover

If you have a bit more time consider booking a flight with a layover. Flying on connecting flights is often cheaper than booking direct as they are less desirable. But what if you can work that to your advantage? Long layovers might allow you to leave the airport and explore somewhere new. I had a 10 hour layover in Beijing on my way from Vancouver to Hanoi, Vietnam. Enough time to get into the city, walk around, have some food and return to the airport. Turkish Airlines offer free tours on layovers in Istanbul. And Icelandair have long Stopover options of 1-7 days to explore the country on your way across the Atlantic.

Travel carry-on only

This tip I’m sure you’ve heard again and again. But it’s a good tip for a reason. Airlines will often sell seats cheaper because this draws people in. Then they slap them with all the add on fees. Luggage fees being the biggest. Taking a bag on a flight is often one of the most expensive add ons. So if you’re going for a long weekend somewhere, or even a longer vacation, pack these essentials in your carry-on and you might be able to leave the rest of your luggage (and the fees) behind. Pro tip to packing light: use packing cubes or a luggage compression bag to save space.

Don’t pay for flight seats

While we’re talking unnecessary add on costs, don’t pay in advance for your seats. A lot of airlines will worry you into thinking you need to select a seat at the time of booking. Then they’ll charge you about $10 for the trouble. Multiply this by the number of people in your party and the return flight and you could save money on flights by cutting this expense. Sure, it’s nice to sit next to the person you’re traveling with, but if you don’t then it’s only a few hours on a plane. Have some time apart and save a bit of money. Or, make sure to check-in for your flight at the earliest opportunity (usually 24 hours before). Nine times out of ten there will be two seats together still, and you can then reserve them for free.

Use Grabr to make money while flying

If you haven’t heard of Grabr you might not be alone. This is an app that connects people in other countries with people who are traveling there. Let’s say someone in Brazil really wants a pair of shoes that are sold in the USA. They either cannot get them shipped, or the shipping costs way more than the shoes are worth. This person can go on Grabr, tell someone what they want and if anyone is traveling to Brazil, they purchase the item and take it with them. The shopper saves money and the traveler is paid a fee for transporting the item. It won’t give you cheaper flights, but it could offset some of the cost. Just make sure to check your allowances for certain items.

Ask for travel gift cards

This won’t save money on flights, but it will save your own money. If travel is important to you, then why not forego the usual material gifts for your next birthday or Christmas and instead ask for gift cards. Most airlines have gift cards available so if there’s a particular airline you like or will fly with, let your friends and family know. Or ask for Visa or Mastercard gift cards which you can use online while purchasing your flights or accommodation.

Bonus tip: Delayed flight compensation

This is usually not down to individual airlines, but rather regional standards set out by the transportation industry. In Europe especially if your flight is delayed by 2 hours or more you may be eligible for compensation if they cannot get you on another flight within that time. The longer your flight is delayed, the more money you get. The same is true in Canada for delays of 3 hours or more. In the USA there is typically no such compensation standard, but if you are on vacation and traveling then you can take advantage.

Another way of getting money is if the flight is oversold and they are looking for volunteers to take the next flight. You can often get meals, accommodation and monetary compensation. If you don’t have anywhere to be then it might be worth delaying for a few hours and make some money.

If you’ve enjoyed this post leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. What are some of your tricks to getting cheaper flights? Which of these tips did you find the most helpful?