Some of these clever tricks will enable you to save big.

As an avid traveler, I am always on the lookout for new destinations which will enrich my travel experiences. They also say if you are not traveling in your 20s, then you will have nothing to laugh about in your 60s. True, I guess.

Driven by an insatiable wish to explore the world, but not having access to easy money, I have learned to travel on a shoestring budget. Airfare is often the single largest expense for a traveler, and I have spent years figuring out how to get cheap flight tickets, the astronomical price of which often puts many destinations out of reach.

Traveling is an expensive hobby, even though there is hardly one which is more rewarding. True, I always prefer backpacking trips, so the expenses involved in accommodation and meals remain minuscule, but a huge chunk of one’s budget still goes into airfare. So, I had to figure out how to trim my overall traveling expenses by ensuring that I always get flights at a lower price. But how?

As someone who likes to travel all the time, there’s no way that I could wait for the off-season when most of the major airlines offer deals on tickets. After spending a lot of time investigating the problem, I came up with a few hacks and tricks that helped me getting low fare flights. Some tricks are old, but they are still very effective even in 2019.

1. Benefits of booking flights early

Yeah, this is a fairly obvious way to secure the cheap flights, but trust me, nothing beats the discounts you can get on a flight ticket if you book well in advance. You can get several flight deals and discounts later on if a sale crops up but booking flights early has always proved to be the matchless way to avail discounted airfares. This trick is something which has helped me in booking some really good flights.

2. Be open to budget airlines

Inspired by Warren Buffet’s philosophy on choosing needs over wants, I always choose economic value over luxury. Budget airlines allowed me to get cheaper flight tickets than their high-end counterparts. Though once airborne I end up wishing for a few luxuries like more legroom and complimentary red wine, the difference that I got in the airfare by opting for budget airlines was totally worth it.

Some of the major budget airlines which I prefer are:

United States

• Southwest
• Allegiant Air
• Frontier Airlines
• Spirit Airlines
• JetBlue

AsiaAir Asia

• Jetstar
• Scoot
• Spice Jet
• Vietnam Airlines

Canada

• Flair Airlines
• Swoop
• Spirit Airlines
• Air Transat

Australia

• Scoot Jetstar
• Tiger Air

New Zealand

• Jetstar
• Air New Zealand

Europe

• Ryanair
• Easyjet
• Vueling
• Eurowings
• Norwegian Air

3. App only deals:

Once while browsing the web, I stumbled upon an ad which read ‘App Only Deals’. I clicked, and it read “Book Your first Flight to Anywhere and Get $200” – quite a deal! Initially, it was hard to believe but while making the payment, I really got $200 off. Yay! I explored a bit more and realized that almost airlines and even travel agencies have been trying to get travelers to download their mobile apps. To have more people on their apps they offer exclusive tickets to new users. Try downloading such apps and avail the benefits of being a first-time user.

4. Go for airlines that waive bag fees

In the beginning, I used to pay for my baggage as I was unaware of the baggage policies of different airlines. Later I came to know that most low-cost airlines sometimes allow only hand baggage and apply an additional charge on check-in baggage. So before booking a flight now, I always check whether the airline offers free baggage check-in or not. There are few airlines that offer waivers on baggage fees. Just keep an eye out while booking.

5. Try different airlines for to and fro journey

I used to believe that booking a return flight is the easiest way to grab get a good deal. But I have come to revise my opinion with time. I realized that if I make an extra effort to search for flights offered by other airlines and am more flexible about the time of the flight, I can usually find a low-fare flight.

6. Book refundable flight tickets 

You can call this way a hack that may not save money directly but comes handy in case you change your mind or something more important or urgent comes up. Booking refundable flights I don’t have to worry about the hefty cancelation charges most airlines charge customers. By paying a few bucks extra, I can be rid of the worry about the astronomical amount of money I could have lost in case I had to cancel.

7. Redden reward points to book flights

Nothing works like redeeming your reward points. I saved a lot of money thanks to the tips and tricks I’m sharing, but the cheapest flight I took was thanks to my accumulated reward points. All I did was sign up for an airline rewards program and earn points with the flights I took. Later, I redeemed those points for my airline ticket and flew to my vacation destination for free!

8. Say yes to connecting flights 

This trick made huge savings possible on my air tickets. Whenever I travel to two destinations that are on the same route, I usually look for a connecting flight that includes a transfer. Such flights prove to be much cheaper than booking the two legs separately. However, my thumb rule is not to book tight layovers. The connecting flights that are a few days apart allow me to finally explore the destination used as a layover before boarding my connecting flight.

9. Pay in a different currency to save extra

This is a trick known to very few. I came to know about it when I bumped into an old high school friend, who frequently travels to different countries and books tickets in different currencies. He explained to me how I can save money by checking to see if the airfare is cheaper in other currencies. I always paid in the currency of the country I was departing from, but that’s not the only option available. I was glad to know that I can also pay in other currencies and that can turn out to be a cheaper option.

10. Booking on weekdays can be a cheaper option

It is common knowledge that weekends and holidays are the times when most people prefer to travel. Air tickets for weekends and holidays are therefore very highly priced. I don’t mind sacrificing these days and getting a good bargain in return. Sometimes, I even get airfares which are half the price on weekdays in comparison to weekends. Give it a thought!

11. Use student status for flight deals

Believe me, I have saved a lot of bucks by making use of my student ID card. When I was a student, I flew on many popular airlines that offer student discounts. Many of the leading airlines around the world offer student discounts making the fares slightly more budget-friendly.

12. Book and fly at wee hours 

The time at which you choose to book and fly is a critical factor in finding cheap flights. It took me a while to understand this. It is by far the best trick to get cheap flight deals. The idea is to book flight tickets when almost everyone is sleeping, and the airlines lower the airfare because of low bookings. And if flying during the wee hours is an option then you can chance upon fantastic deals.

13. Try alternate airports

I check if there is more than one airport near my destination because I have come to realize that there are fair chances that the cost of flight tickets to two different airports may differ, one is cheaper than the other. But I would also recommend checking the distance of the airport from the destination you wish to reach, otherwise the expenses on transportation can counterbalance the discounts you are availing.

14. Contact travel agent for better deals

There always great flight deals available online, but you never know if a travel agent can find a better deal for you. In my experience, many a time, call center representatives can help you discover an enticing deal on airline bookings since they have options to waive a few charges and customize the deal in order to get more sales. One mantra while dealing with the travel agent: don’t appear anxious.

15. Choose the cheapest payment method

I had a habit of picking up my credit card and paying for the flight ticket. Later, I realized that I can save some extra bucks by paying through different payment methods such as PayPal. Major international airlines like American Airlines, Qantas, and Jetstar offer good discounts on online flight bookings when you use different payment methods.

16. Say yes to fly to anywhere

I have already mentioned that I am an avid traveler. I always try to get cheap airline tickets to any tourist destination around the blue planet. I usually don’t have a specific destination in my mind and have lots of days at my disposal. Sites like CheapOair allow me to search for the list of cheap flights to different countries in a specific month. So, I choose the destination that suits my budget and allows me to fly cheap.

17. Get benefit from airline’s frequent flyer program

Joining a frequent flyer program, as per my experience, is a simple step that has allowed me to earn points towards cheaper fares, free tickets, and upgrades. Many airlines run frequent flyer programs in order to create a loyal customer base. The good news is that one can sign up for these programs free of cost. I also make sure that I read the rules and regulations carefully before joining an airline’s frequent flyer program.

18. Sign up for notifications

I know the pain of wading through dozens of mostly useless emails a day, but if it saves the hard-earned money, the pain is worth enduring. I have grabbed promotional fares and discount codes by subscribing to the e-newsletter of online travel agencies. The deals they send me have always proved helpful in saving money. What’s more, I am also notified about last-minute flight deals. As you can see, signing up for email notifications has helped me to a great extent in finding cheap airfares.

19. Participate in dining rewards programs

Very few people know that there are many airlines that offer a dining rewards program. I found it an easy way to earn miles. All I need to do is to sign up with my frequent flyer number, register my credit card. By doing this I stand to earn extra points when I dine at participating restaurants in the airline’s network.

20. Go for price drop payback 

Many websites like CheapOair offer programs where if the airfare drops down any time before the date of your journey, the portal pays you the difference in the form of a gift card or travel voucher. This protection program has always given me the confidence to book my tickets with the assurance of getting the best price.

Do you have any other useful trick to save money on flight tickets? Leave us a comment!