The Cheapest Flight Hacks Revealed

The Cheapest Flight Hacks Revealed - Know When to Book for the Biggest Savings

Knowing the best time to book a flight can save you hundreds of dollars on airfare. While there are no hard and fast rules, booking at the right time is one of the easiest ways to keep more cash in your wallet.

Most experts agree – book early. Flights generally get more expensive the closer you get to your travel dates. Airlines know that last minute travelers are desperate to get to their destination, so they charge a premium.

Booking 21-90 days in advance typically provides the best fares for domestic flights. For international trips, start watching fares 6 months ahead and book 3-4 months out. Of course, that’s not always realistic with busy work schedules and changing plans.

Sign up for fare alerts on Google Flights and monitor prices regularly after finding your initial booking window. If the fare drops after you book, you can always cancel and rebook at the lower rate.

Sometimes booking on the right day of the week can score savings too. Many experts recommend Tuesday around 3 pm EST for the best fares. Prices are generally high on weekends when leisure travelers are shopping. Weekday mornings are cheapest for airlines with unsold seats to fill.

Check historical fare data on sites like Kayak to determine the best time to buy for a specific route based on past trends. Adjust your travel dates by a day or two in either direction to capitalize on lower fares.

Travel midweek when possible. Flights are often cheaper on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays compared to popular weekend days. If you must fly on Friday or Sunday, depart early or late at night when fewer business travelers are on red eyes.

The Cheapest Flight Hacks Revealed - Be Flexible with Departure Airports

I live in Dallas, but regularly check flights out of Denver, Houston, Austin and even Kansas City. It’s a short Southwest hop to catch my international connection and often saves $300 or more over nonstop routes.

For example, I recently booked roundtrip airfares to Paris in Delta One business class for $980 out of Kansas City. Options leaving from Dallas on the same travel dates were $1600 or higher. The savings offset the cost of a $49 one-way ticket to position to a nearby city.

It was an easy choice. Take an early morning flight to Kansas City and enjoy the extra legroom of a premium cabin on the overnight transatlantic segment. Plus, I earned extra miles and MQMs (Medallion Qualification Miles) at a super cheap rate.

Connecting through another hub brings a chance of misconnects and delays. But a short hop to an alternate airport within driving distance is usually a pretty safe bet if weather issues pop up. I’d rather hang out in an airline lounge for a few extra hours than pay hundreds more.

Friends in New York City utilize Newark, JFK and even Philadelphia to land bargain fares heading to Europe and beyond. Public transit makes airport hopping convenient in metro areas. Or use Uber/Lyft for rides under an hour to save serious cash.

Don’t forget to factor in additional travel time and costs for parking, baggage fees and incidentals. But even modest airfare savings of $100 or more each way typically justifies the extra effort and logistics of a multi-airport search.

The Cheapest Flight Hacks Revealed - Fly at Less Busy Times

Avoiding peak travel periods can significantly reduce airfare costs. Flying when most other people aren’t means airlines discount seats to fill up planes. The savings from traveling at less busy times frequently outweighs any inconvenience.

During peak holiday periods like Christmas, New Years and major summer vacation weeks, planes run nearly full. Trying to fly around Thanksgiving? Fuggedaboutit. Flights are packed and prices sky high as everyone heads home to visit family.

Similarly, business routes like New York City to Chicago or Houston to Washington DC command a premium when road warriors fillpremium cabins on Monday mornings and hop home on Thursdays.

Early fall after Labor Day is an ideal time for bargain airfare to Europeand other international destinations. Kids go back to school, weather is still mild and crowds dwindle. April or May are also great months for exploring abroad before peak summer rates kick in.

For domestic trips, January through March (excluding holidays) offer the lowest fares and emptiest planes after the busy year-end travel period. Right after New Years is especially quiet with frigid temperatures limiting appeal for most beach or outdoor destinations.

Contrary to popular belief, flying the red eye doesn’t always mean rock bottom fares. Many overnight flights cater heavily to business travelers headed out first thing Monday morning to maximize time in their destination.

But flying early mornings or very late nights when exhausted families and vacationers avoid disruptive travel can produce substantial savings over mid-day flights. Redeyes may still save you money compared to peak daytime hours, just don’t expect to score the deepest discounts right before bedtime.

Connecting flights are also generally less crowded than nonstop options. Since most airlines don’t reduce fares enough to account for the extra hassle, only consider connections that arrive close to your target time without extremely long layovers.

The Cheapest Flight Hacks Revealed - Consider Connecting Flights

Connecting flights get a bad rap, but they can unlock huge savings if you know where to look. Savvy travelers plan multi-segment itineraries to profit from hidden gems in airline pricing algorithms. Let’s dig into the secrets of scoring deals with connections.

The first perk? Connections often drop you into a lower fare bucket since airlines assume you won’t pay up for the inconvenience. Major carriers utilize complex systems to set prices based on forecasted demand. Direct flights naturally command a premium. By stitching together separate one-way fares, you can slip into less expensive booking classes.

Consider Chicago to Bangkok as an example. A typical roundtrip runs $1,200 for the 16-hour direct haul in cramped economy. But Turkish Airlines offers a $950 option connecting through Istanbul. The journey takes a few hours longer, but saves 25% on the same route.

Connecting also unlocks access to budget airlines like JetBlue, Frontier and Spirit for domestic legs. Pair their cheap hop with an international carrier for the long haul. I often save money traveling from New York to London by starting with a $49 JetBlue flight to Boston. From there, Norwegian Air whisks me to the UK for about half the price of a nonstop.

Multi-city fares position you to cherry pick the cheapest daily prices. I watch airfares drop $100 or more from one date to the next. Constructing a trip with arrivals and departures on lower cost days racks up major savings.

Connections do add risk of missed flights, lost bags and tighter connections. But technology makes it manageable. Expert apps instantly alert you to delays or gate changes. Many airlines offer protections by auto-rebooking you if problems crop up.

Pack extra clothes and essentials in your carry-on just in case. But don’t stress too much. Modern jets cruise at over 500 mph. A one hour layover gives tons of padding for all but the most major disruptions. Know your rights and always keep your cool if things go sideways.

Maximize flexibility by limiting connections to under 2 hours. Some airports like Dallas and Atlanta give you access to multiple terminals via train or shuttle. But leaving yourself time for potential delays, a grab and go meal, and gate changes is wise.

One pro tip is to connect through your carrier’s hub whenever possible. Airlines prioritize their own customers during irregular operations. So sticking with one provides assurance they’ll take care of you. Budget extra time on packed holidays like Christmas when rebooking challenges spike.

The Cheapest Flight Hacks Revealed - Use Flight Search Engines Wisely

Flight search engines like Kayak, Google Flights and Momondo are invaluable tools for finding cheap airfare. But simply entering your route and dates doesn’t always unearth the lowest fares. You need to utilize search engines strategically to reveal the best deals.

A common mistake is sticking to the same destinations and dates across multiple sites. We often get fixated on specific flights we want rather than considering alternatives. By locking in details too early, you limit potential savings from flexible routings and travel periods.

Instead, leave both ends open in your initial search. Look at fares across a whole month or even season. Compare nearby airports at both origin and destination. Before limiting to LAX, check options from Ontario, Orange County or Burbank airports. Expand your European search outside Paris to include Brussels or Amsterdam for under $100 in additional train tickets.

Follow up broad searches with specific checks around the cheapest days you uncover. Run a search for Boston to San Francisco departing Tuesdays through Thursdays in September. Then recheck Monday vs Friday to confirm midweek is best. Consider nearby cities like Oakland as well.

Leverage advanced features like Google’s price graph to visualize trends. Set alerts for sudden fare drops on your ideal route. Sign up for airfare deal emails from search brands like Secret Flying and Scott’s Cheap Flights.

But carefully validate anything that looks too good to be true. Pricing systems do glitch and reveal rare “mistake fares” with 90%+ discounts. Yet errors get pulled quickly once discovered. Confirm required routings don’t have ridiculous connections, confirm ticket validity with airline website before pulling the trigger.

Avoid packing too many dealbreakers into initial searches. The fastest way to filter options is by dollar amount or number of stops. Add other specifications like departure time, airline and layover duration once you’ve identified top contenders. Pinpointing the single cheapest flight on your ideal travel dates is difficult. Focus first on saving money, then optimize other preferences.

Cost isn’t the only factor. Scrutinize baggage policies, seat selection fees and change/cancellation terms that vary widely. Sorting by price alone could stick you in a miserable basic economy seat fighting for overhead bin space on a budget airline.

Take time to thoroughly evaluate alternatives if a fare seems suspiciously cheap. That $200 nonstop may cost $100 more after seat selection, bags and other ancillary fees. The $350 connection might come with lounge access, premium economy seating and better service.

Relying exclusively on search engines is risky. Always verify fares directly on airline sites which may reveal additional discount codes or specialty fares excluded from aggregate displays. Signing up for frequent flier accounts also unlocks access to member-only deals.

The Cheapest Flight Hacks Revealed - Don't Assume Low-Cost Carriers Are Always Cheapest

Spirit, Allegiant, Frontier—the mere mention of these budget airlines conjures images of crammed seats, extra fees galore, and overall misery. Many travelers instinctively avoid what they assume are higher fares and worse service from no-frills carriers. But the reality is more nuanced. Low-cost airlines can offer incredible value for the right routes and dates.

Legacy giants like American, Delta and United tack on hundreds more for direct flights between major hubs. Their extensive networks and frequent schedules cater to lucrative business traffic willing to pay a premium. Yet when heading to Florida beaches or Vegas getaways, those big airlines price gouge for the convenience.

That’s where Spirit and Frontier pounce with lean operations, high density cabins, and bare bones amenities. They slash fares to fill planes between huge leisure markets. A family of four might pay $1,600 roundtrip with American Airlines from Chicago to Orlando. But Spirit could quote $350 or less for the exact same journey. Even with baggage and seat fees, the budget option saves 50% or more.

The key is understanding what you’re buying. Legacy carriers bundle amenities many travelers value into the base fare. Massive frequent flier programs offer perks, upgrades, and prestige. Bread and water are even complimentary inflight. Budget airlines unbundle everything possible as separate charges. If you only need an affordable seat from A to B, stripping out the extras cuts costs dramatically.

Savvy travelers meticulously calculate total prices across carriers rather than assuming cheapest. Spirit may list a base fare under $100, but you’ll pay at least $40 more per traveler to select a seat and check a bag. Still, the all-in price can be hundreds less than legacy rivals trying to subsidize premium cabins and expansive networks. You just give up things like mileage earning, free snacks, and advance seat assignments.

For short hops under 2 or 3 hours, the tradeoffs are usually worthwhile—even comfortable. But flying internationally or crossing the country could make a fuller service airline the better choice. Connections, delays, and other pitfalls are more tolerable with extra legroom, free drinks and WiFi. Redeye flights also become more bearable in a premium cabin after a long workday.

The bottom line is avoiding knee jerk reactions. Legacy carriers shine for convenience, flexibility, and service. But low-cost airlines legitimately offer massive savings in select markets. Run the numbers across multiple sites like Kayak and Google Flights. Weigh ancillary fees, layover differences and classes of service. Look past brand names and preconceived notions by diligently comparing total costs.

The Cheapest Flight Hacks Revealed - Sign Up for Fare Alerts

Fare alerts are one of my go-to secrets for scoring the cheapest flights. Setting up alerts delivers huge savings by notifying you the instant prices drop - before anyone else snaps up deals.

Travel search engines like Google Flights make it simple to establish automatic monitoring for specific routes and dates. Just enter your trip details, click “track prices,” and sit back waiting for your deal. Some sites even let you select your target fare so alerts only trigger when thresholds are crossed.

But more specialized alert services take savings to the next level. Subscription sites like FareCompare pay experts to manually vet lucrative discount fares. The best deals often don’t reach big engines, so you’ll get alerted to many more money-saving chances.

Signing up for airline and hotel newsletters, flash sales, and limited-time promotions is another easy way to stay on top of deals. Major hotel chains frequently offer site-wide discounts or extra points for summer and fall. Watching your inbox pays off.

Being flexible and pouncing quickly is key to maximize alerts. Have a range of travel dates and nearby airports handy to instantly check alternatives. Be ready to book as soon as you get the alert, since mistake fares disappear fast.

Setting broad alerts for destinations like “Europe” or “Domestic US” casts a wider net too. You’ll get notified anytime prices dive, then have time to research specifics like cities and properties.

Friends routinely save hundreds of dollars per ticket with alerts. One scored $350 roundtrip Houston to Cancun on United by monitoring multiple departure dates. Another snagged Seattle to Maui flights for just $275 over Christmas after Google Flights tipped her off to a fare drop.

It takes minutes to set up but delivers huge peace of mind. Let the computers crunch endless data to catch golden opportunities the instant they appear. With alerts, great deals come to you rather than demanding tons of time and effort researching.

Travelers looking to boost rewards can even get alerts when point redemptions drop. Set your sights on a dream vacation or upgrade and wait for alerts to make it feasible.

Timing is everything in travel. Airlines and hotels constantly move prices based on demand, special promos, and capacity. Locking in the lowest fares takes both luck and vigilance. Alerts tilt the odds drastically in your favor, making "perfect timing" much easier to achieve.

With so little effort required, there's no good reason not to use alerts if budget is a concern. At best, you score an amazing deal that makes your trip possible. At worst, you wasted a few minutes setting up monitoring that keeps running quietly in the background until needed.

The Cheapest Flight Hacks Revealed - Use Miles and Points for Free Flights

Among the biggest barriers to more travel is cost. Forking over hard-earned money for flights, hotels, and activities abroad feels painful. Yet miles and points unlock the freedom to voyage the world paying pennies on the dollar. Savvy jetsetters fly in style without draining their bank accounts. They revel in the journey instead of dreading expenditures.

Collecting and redeeming travel rewards revolutionizes the affordability equation. Sign-up bonuses for new credit cards regularly offer 50,000, 75,000 or even 100,000 points - enough for multiple free trips. Earning 2-5 points per dollar spent then piles on rewards at an astonishing pace.

Strategically picking the right programs expands flexibility even further. Transferable points through Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, and Citi ThankYou can move between airline and hotel partners. Having a stash of “universal currency” means you can book whatever option makes sense without being locked in.

Transferring points to fly in international business class for five-figure sticker prices is an incredible sweet spot. One couple traded in 225,000 American Express points for an $11,000 Singapore Airlines suite from New York to Tokyo. That’s an astonishing value of five cents per point compared to the usual one penny baseline.

Even domestic economy awards regularly offer two to three cents in value per point redeemed. A $500 roundtrip ticket costs just 25,000 Southwest points - quadrupling your nominal one cent return. Sign-up bonuses and ongoing spending quickly build balances to redeem.

Miles even unlock access to aspirational first class products priced out of reach otherwise. Private suites, gourmet dining, and extraordinary pampering in the world's finest cabins gets experienced for pennies on the dollar. One-way awards are perfect for combining premium segments with cash economy legs.

Traveling more actually accelerates earning, creating a virtuous cycle. The flexibility of accruing across multiple programs keeps options open. Patience and planning ensure you extract maximum value from redemptions when you’re finally ready.