Saving money feels fantastic, especially when you find a great deal on that vacation you’ve been itching to book. Book your flight at the right place and time, and you can save hundreds of dollars. You can use the extra money to secure the business or first-class seat you’ve always wanted, the hotel suite with an ocean view, or splurge on a dinner at a Michelin-rated restaurant. You hit the jackpot if you’re lucky enough to stumble upon a mistake fare. Earlier in the year TAP Air Portugal Airlines
sold business class flights to Europe for less than $250.
Regardless of how you stumble across cheap flights, here are other methods you might want to consider before booking your next flight.
1. Social Media and Flyer Forums – Using Twitter or Instagram, you can follow hashtags #mistakefares, #discountfares #cheapfares, and turn on notifications to be alerted of the latest deals. Airlines don’t always advertise their latest deals, and they definitely do not advertise glitches or mistakes. When these nuggets of gold arise, you want to be one of the first to know. Additionally, forums such as Flyer Talk are great places to learn about cheap flights and airline promotions.
2. Fly into alternate airports – You can save hundreds of dollars by flying into an alternate airport. I travel to Cologne, Germany, often. The past few trips, I’ve been able to save money by either flying into Amsterdam or Frankfurt, then riding the train the rest of the way. Always consider alternate airports when looking for cheap flights.
3. Compare Round-Trip Flights to One-Way Flights – You can sometimes save money by booking two one-way tickets instead of a round-trip ticket. You can also consider flying in and out of different airports to get the best flight deal.
4. Search Multiple Dates – Most flight search engines have a “Flexible dates” option. Being flexible with your travel dates can result in significant discounts on your next flight. Next time you go to book a flight, play around with the date to see where and how you can save your hard-earned money.
5. Use Google Alerts and Flight Trackers – Google alerts is a great tool; you can set up alerts to notify you as soon as deals are launched or use flight trackers to alert you when fare drops occur.
Good luck with your search for a cheap flight!
