Scoring Cheap Flights for Your Epic Multicity Summer Adventure on a Budget
Scoring Cheap Flights for Your Epic Multicity Summer Adventure on a Budget - Maximize Mileage Programs for Free Flights
One of the best ways to score free flights for your epic multicity summer adventure is to maximize mileage programs. Airline and hotel loyalty programs offer some of the best redemptions, allowing you to cash in points and miles for free flights and hotel nights. With a bit of planning, you can easily rack up enough rewards for at least a portion of your trip costs.
The first step is to evaluate which programs make the most sense for your specific itinerary and travel goals. Programs like American AAdvantage, Delta SkyMiles, and United MileagePlus are great options for domestic U.S. travel, while British Airways Executive Club and Air France/KLM Flying Blue open up more possibilities for European adventures.
Once you've selected one or two programs to focus on, it's time to start accumulating those miles and points. Things like signing up for credit cards, online shopping portals, dining programs, and more can help you quickly build a healthy point balance. Be sure to take advantage of signup bonuses, which often award tens of thousands of points just for making a minimum spend.
Don't forget about transferable point programs like American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Points, and Capital One Miles. These allow you to pool points earned across multiple credit cards and then transfer them to participating airline and hotel partners. The flexibility makes them extremely valuable.
When it comes to redemptions, be strategic. Look for sweet spots that offer outsized value compared to cash fares, like using Delta miles to fly round-trip to Europe in business class. Setting fare alerts for your desired routes is a great way to pounce when award availability opens up. And don't forget to check partner airlines in the same alliance as they may offer better availability.
Timing is also key. Book as far in advance as possible, while award space is more plentiful. Last-minute award tickets will be scarce. Consider traveling during off-peak seasons when demand is lower. And remember that it’s easier to top up your account than start from zero, so make earning points a habitual part of your travel routine.
What else is in this post?
- Scoring Cheap Flights for Your Epic Multicity Summer Adventure on a Budget - Maximize Mileage Programs for Free Flights
- Scoring Cheap Flights for Your Epic Multicity Summer Adventure on a Budget - Consider Open-Jaw and Multi-City Bookings
- Scoring Cheap Flights for Your Epic Multicity Summer Adventure on a Budget - Use Flight Deal Alerts to Find Sales
- Scoring Cheap Flights for Your Epic Multicity Summer Adventure on a Budget - Be Flexible with Departure Airports
- Scoring Cheap Flights for Your Epic Multicity Summer Adventure on a Budget - Fly Budget Airlines Between Destinations
- Scoring Cheap Flights for Your Epic Multicity Summer Adventure on a Budget - Use Public Transportation to Connect Flights
- Scoring Cheap Flights for Your Epic Multicity Summer Adventure on a Budget - Pack Light to Avoid Fees
- Scoring Cheap Flights for Your Epic Multicity Summer Adventure on a Budget - Book Early and Set Fare Alerts
Scoring Cheap Flights for Your Epic Multicity Summer Adventure on a Budget - Consider Open-Jaw and Multi-City Bookings
When planning a multicity trip, open-jaw and multi-city bookings can be a budget traveler's best friend. These advanced routing options allow you to fly into one city and out of another, creating efficient connections between destinations. And when done right, they can add up to major savings compared to conventional roundtrips.
For example, let's say your epic summer adventure will take you from New York to London, then on to Paris, and finally to Rome before returning home. Rather than booking this as three separate roundtrips, you could stitch them together as a multi-city booking. Fly into London and back from Rome while connecting the dots with short affordable hops on European low-cost carriers like Vueling, EasyJet or Ryanair.
An open-jaw booking takes this one step further, allowing you to start and end your trip in different cities while visiting multiple destinations in between. So for this route, you could fly from New York to London, hit all the cities on your European tour, then return directly home from Rome. No need to backtrack.
When pricing these options, remember that itinerary length and specific travel dates will impact fares. Aim to keep ground time fairly minimal between flight segments, even if that means arriving a day or two early in some cities. Budget airlines offer rock bottom fares but charge extra for checked bags, seat assignments, etc. so pack light and travel with just a carry-on if possible.
Finding availability isn't always easy, but tools like Google Flights make it simple to build and price complex routings. And thanks to alliances between legacy airlines, you can often mix and match partners on the same itinerary to maximize options. For your Europe trip, Star Alliance hubs like United, Lufthansa and Air Canada open up additional gateways.
One tip when booking: if your multi-city quote seems high, try pricing each leg separately as individual one-ways. Sometimes this shakes loose lower fares, though it does remove the protection of a single combined itinerary if delays occur. Savvy travelers also set fare alerts and pounce when deals pop up. With flexibility and a bit of creativity, you can venture across the globe while keeping your multicity summer adventure budget-friendly.
Scoring Cheap Flights for Your Epic Multicity Summer Adventure on a Budget - Use Flight Deal Alerts to Find Sales
One of the best ways to score amazing flight deals for your next adventure is by setting up customized flight deal alerts. These nifty tools do the heavy lifting for you, scouring airline and OTA sites 24/7 and sending real-time notifications when deals matching your ideal route, dates and budget pop up. No more endlessly searching flight search engines hoping for sales. The deals come right to your inbox!
Signing up is quick, easy and often completely free. Popular flight deal sites like Scott's Cheap Flights, Secret Flying and Thrifty Traveler offer alert services covering both domestic and international routes. Major airlines like Delta and American also have their own customizable fare alerts. You simply enter your home airport, destination(s), travel window, cabin class and ideal budget. Sit back and wait for the deals to start flowing in!
Savvy travelers set up alerts for dream destinations they hope to visit soon as well as recurring alerts for routes they travel often. This strategy scores amazing one-off deals as well as continually improving prices on annual trips to visit family or reconnect with faraway friends. Route-specific alerts are especially useful for keeping tabs on fluctuating fares to Hawaii, Europe and other popular vacation spots.
While flight deal alerts do require some flexibility, the savings often make it worthwhile to tweak travel plans. Being open to nearby alternate airports like Oakland instead of SFO or London-Gatwick instead of Heathrow opens up additional options. Sales often pop up outside peak seasons, so traveling in shoulder season or off-peak can score deals. And since mistake fares and last-minute sales are common, it pays to stay ready to book immediately and adjust your schedule.
Customizing alerts using filters helps surface just the deals you’re looking for. Narrow options by departure dates, length of stay, number of stops, bag fees, change flexibility and more. Budget filters ensure you only receive alerts matching your target price point. Combining alerts across multiple sites gives you the widest net for capturing deals.
The key is responding quickly when those flight deal alerts hit your inbox. Sales and mistake fares come and go fast. Having accounts already set up with airlines and OTAs along with pre-saved payment info allows you to jump on spur-of-the-moment deals faster. Error checking fares are correct, then booking immediately often guarantees the lowest fares.
Scoring Cheap Flights for Your Epic Multicity Summer Adventure on a Budget - Be Flexible with Departure Airports
Expanding your airport options is one of the simplest yet most powerful ways to unlock big savings on airfare. While we all have our tried-and-true home airports, being open to alternatives within reasonable driving distance can open up a wealth of new flight deals. It’s like getting a whole new set of flight search results!
For example, if you’re based in San Francisco, keep tabs on fares not only out of SFO but also Oakland and San Jose airports. The Bay Area is well connected by bridges and public transit, so a bit of extra ground transportation can net you hundreds in airfare savings.
Savvy Seattle travelers always check Sea-Tac as well as flights from Bellingham, just a few hours north over the Canadian border. It’s a popular airport for Allegiant and budget charters. Los Angeles fliers can choose between LAX, Long Beach, Santa Ana’s John Wayne, Ontario, Burbank and more surrounding airports.
Some alternate airports are obvious like Chicago’s O’Hare versus Midway or Washington DC’s Dulles, National and BWI. But don’t forget smaller nearby airports like Gary/Chicago in Indiana, Charlottesville VA, or Trenton-Mercer NJ which serves Philly and NYC.
Unconventional connecting airports can also unlock savings. Rather than a simple point-to-point flight, look at flying budget carriers like Southwest or Frontier to an airline hub like Denver, Atlanta or Houston. Then grab an onward connection on a major airline partner to your final destination.
Google Flights and Momondo make it easy to check all airports near your location. The advanced search filters allow selecting “+/- 3 days” for flexible dates or “within 100 miles” to see wider airport options on a single results page. Airport codes also generally relate to the city name, so ORD=Chicago O’Hare, SMF=Sacramento, etc.
When pricing flights using alternate airports, be sure to factor in ground transportation. Using public transit like BART, Metro rail lines or express airporter shuttles can minimize those costs. Many alternate airports also have cheaper long-term parking than congested major hubs. Doing a quick cost comparison including ground transport ensures you’re saving overall.
Travelers driving to alternate airports often arrange to be dropped off and picked up to avoid parking fees. Some even use rideshare services like Uber or Lyft which can be affordable when split 2-3 ways. Shared airport shuttles like SuperShuttle also offer a wallet-friendly option.
Scoring Cheap Flights for Your Epic Multicity Summer Adventure on a Budget - Fly Budget Airlines Between Destinations
One of the best ways to keep costs down on a multicity summer adventure is to take advantage of budget carriers like EasyJet, Ryanair, and Eurowings to hop between destinations across Europe. These no-frills airlines provide bare bones amenities but offer rock bottom base fares that can make a huge difference over the course of an extended trip. I always check budget carriers first when pricing connections between cities, even before searching full-service flag carriers.
For example, say your itinerary has you heading from London to Barcelona, then on to Nice in the south of France. Rather than booking British Airways or Iberia, I’d immediately search EasyJet. Chances are you’ll find base fares at a fraction of the price, even on shorter routes within Western Europe. A London to Barcelona flight might be had for as little as $50 one-way in advance.
Just be prepared for separate fees nearly everywhere: checked bags, seat assignments, food, etc. Budget airlines make their profit on all those extras. So I always travel light with just a single carry-on backpack. That avoids baggage fees which can sometimes exceed the base fare on short hops! I also skip frills like seat selection or inflight snacks and stick to the bare flight.
Connecting through hubs like Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Munich opens up additional options on carriers like Transavia, Vueling and Eurowings. Their networks spider out across the continent. Schedule permitting, I don’t mind occasionally overnighting in a hub city to catch an early morning connection if it saves a few hundred dollars over the length of my trip.
Travelers based in the U.S. can take advantage of similar budget carriers like Frontier, Spirit and Allegiant for domestic connections. I regularly check their nonstop routes between destinations like Las Vegas, Orlando, Los Angeles and other popular tourist spots. While Spirit certainly earns its “squeezed sardine class” reputation, the base fares are undeniably cheap if you avoid all extras.
Scoring Cheap Flights for Your Epic Multicity Summer Adventure on a Budget - Use Public Transportation to Connect Flights
Hopping from public transit to plane is one of my favorite budget travel hacks. Trains, buses, light rail, and subways can provide major savings compared to booking separate flights between cities just a couple hundred miles apart. During a multicity trip, I'm always looking for opportunities to trade short flights for long scenic rides via ground transportation instead.
For example, say I'm visiting New York City and Boston with a final destination of Portland, Maine. Rather than booking NYC to Boston airfare, I'll take the Amtrak Northeast Regional. It's about a 4 hour picturesque ride up the coast for under $60 one-way, often less than a flight. Even factoring $20 for a subway ride from my NYC hotel to Penn Station, it's a steal.
From Boston, I'll then catch the Concord Coach Lines bus to Portland for around $30 and be there in less than 3 hours. No fussing with airports, just easy public transit connections between cities with bonus views of beaches and lighthouses enroute. That's two legs of my journey for under $100 total versus pricey regional airfare.
On the West Coast, the Pacific Surfliner is an affordable way to travel from San Diego to Los Angeles or up to San Luis Obispo. It hugs the Pacific Ocean much of the route with economy fares as low as $29 each way. From LA, hopping on MetroLink and Metrolink trains can get you to Las Vegas, San Bernardino, Oceanside and more without ever boarding a plane.
When evaluating public transit options, I check routes and schedules on Wanderu, Rome2Rio, and Omio. You can view routes, travel times and book tickets all in one spot. Consider overnight routes to save on a night's accommodation. Luxury buses like RedCoach provide spacious seats that fully recline for sleeping.
As a bonus, riding trains and buses means avoiding airport hassles, security lines, and endless gate lags. I can catch up on reading, enjoy a snack, or just soak in the scenery rolling by. Traveling overland often adds an extra sense of adventure.
Be sure to allow plenty of connection time between transit segments though, especially when linking regional rail networks. Delays do happen more frequently compared to flying. I like to have at least an hour buffer minimum, more if tight connections are necessary to make an onward flight.
Travel light with just a carry-on backpack and small daypack to avoid checked baggage fees. Download offline maps on Google to navigate public transit systems in each city. Purchase reloadable transit cards to save on individual tickets. And don't forget to factor transit costs into your total trip budget.
Scoring Cheap Flights for Your Epic Multicity Summer Adventure on a Budget - Pack Light to Avoid Fees
The easiest way to avoid airline fees that can quickly balloon costs on a budget multicity adventure? Pack light and stick to a single carry-on bag. Major U.S. airlines like American, Delta and United now charge up to $35 for your first checked suitcase on domestic itineraries. Frontier and Spirit can hit you with fees up to $45 at the airport. Those charges add up fast when hopscotching between cities. But simply avoiding checked bags altogether is an instant way to protect your wallet.
I pack everything I need for weeks of travel into a lightweight 40L backpack. Unlike rigid roll-aboards, these packs squash down small enough to fit in sizers at the gate and still leave room for a small personal item like a daypack or handbag. I stick to versatile mix-and-match clothing like t-shirts, shorts and pants that can be dressed up or down and washing a load by hand if needed. A few carefully chosen accessories like a scarf, versatile walking shoes and lightweight rain jacket add function.
Rolling clothes and using packing cubes helps keep things organized and maximize space. I also wear my bulkiest shoes and jacket onboard to avoid taking up precious pack real estate. My electronics like phone, e-reader, battery pack and camera gear fit neatly into separate padded compartments. The total weight almost always stays under the typical 50 pound maximum for domestic carry-on bags.
This strategy works remarkably well whether I'm vagabonding around the U.S. or hopping between European cities thanks to budget carriers like Ryanair and EasyJet. Just remember those ultra low cost airlines often restrict carry-on sizes slightly smaller than the standard 22 x 14 x 9 inches for basic economy fares. I opt for a pack that squeezes into their sizing box like the Aer Travel Pack 2 which compresses down small.
For tours and excursions, I bring along a lightweight 20L daypack that packs down tiny and can be tucked into the larger bag when not in use. This holds essentials like sunscreen, water bottle, map, light jacket and any souvenirs accumulated along the way. Since it counts as a personal item, it's carry-on compliant too.
Packing light does require some compromise. I skip bulky items like hair dryers and irons, although many hostels and guesthouses offer these amenities in common areas. I've never missed having five pairs of shoes or a fresh outfit for each day. Doing laundry mid-trip gives me a chance to pare down any unnecessary items as well.
Scoring Cheap Flights for Your Epic Multicity Summer Adventure on a Budget - Book Early and Set Fare Alerts
One absolute must when booking budget multi-city adventures is securing your flights early. I’m talking months before departure, sometimes before you’ve even started planning daily itineraries. This counterintuitive strategy goes against the grain of last-minute vacation planning. But it can yield huge dividends in airfare savings, especially when coupled with ongoing fare alerts.
I like to think of it as putting a placeholder on the cheapest seats before they sell out. Airlines typically release award and discount economy inventory 330 days out, then adjust frequency and routes based on demand. That means flights booked 9-12 months in advance often lock in the year’s lowest fares. Sales and promotions pop up throughout the year as well, causing fares to fluctuate.
Setting up alerts ensures you’re notified anytime the fare drops on your chosen route and dates. I use Google Flights’ price tracking feature religiously. After searching my desired itinerary, you simply toggle on the “Track Price” switch. Google then continually monitors fares and emails you anytime the price changes, drops below your target budget, etc. No tedious daily search required.
Say you book LAX-CDG 9 months out at $485 roundtrip. That’s not bad for peak summer. But thanks to Google alerts, you discover the fare drops to $398 in April. A quick call to the airline confirms you can rebook at the new lower fare for no charge. And if the fare ever rises above your original ticket price, there’s zero risk thanks to most airlines’ 24 hour cancellation policy. It’s all upside.
I chat up savvy frequent flyer friends and check forums to understand when sales generally launch for various destinations. Domestic and Hawaii flights often hit their lowest point around end of January into February. Europe deals pop up in spring, while fall offers cheap fares to ski destinations. The more you understand airlines’ seasonal sale patterns, the better you can time early bookings.
Don’t limit yourself to nonstop routes either. I regularly set alerts for one stop options, which open up additional gateways on partner airlines. Newark instead of JFK on the eastbound leg, for example. Being flexible with connections and nearby alternate airports gives you the widest net for catching sale fares.
If work schedules make it difficult to book far in advance, many airlines now offer free 24 hour holds on reservations without requiring immediate ticket purchase. This lets you lock in the fare before finalizing vacation dates. I take advantage whenever possible – those holds have saved me hundreds over the years as seats fill and fares rise.