8 Tips For Booking Cheap Flights

You can never have too many tips for scoring cheap flights. With so many airlines offering different seat options, fees, and stops, finding the perfect flight can be tricky. It’s not as simple as buying the cheapest flight possible or the best flight we can get no matter the price. Most of us look for that perfect point in the middle, and cost is often one of the biggest factors.

Below are eight tips to help you book cheap flights:

1. Plan Ahead

By planning ahead, you won’t get to take advantage of last-minute discounts, but you’ll have the time to patiently look at all of your options and score a great deal, especially if you can stay flexible with your dates.

A good rule of thumb is to book at least 47 days before departure. Three months ahead is a good time to start searching.

2. Check the Airline’s Direct Website

Searching on different third-party travel sites is helpful, but, sometimes, you may find the best deal by looking directly on the airline’s website to find better prices.

3. Follow Airlines and Travel Websites on Social Media

Airlines and other travel websites are using social media to offer promotions to their followers. They might offer special flight, car rental, and hotel offers or  coupons, deals, and promo codes from sources such as Priceline for booking that could come at the perfect time for you to land a great deal.

4. Fly Indirect

Yes, I know, flying direct is better but, more often than not, more expensive. Actually, it’s always more expensive.  If you want to score cheap flights, look for one-stop flights and two-stop flights if you’re  traveling long-haul.

5. Book and Fly on the Cheapest Days of the Week and Fly During the Off-Season

If you can, choose to fly on the cheaper days of the week. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays seem to be the cheapest days. Avoid flying on Mondays and Fridays, as these days are the most popular ones for business travelers.

I’ve also found you can find lower fares if you search for flights during the week instead of on the weekend.

Of course, you will find better deals if you plan your trips during off-season travel. Peak travel times include summer and winter break.

6. Search Incognito

Searching for flights in incognito or private browsing mode won’t guarantee cheaper deals, but the method can help. Travel websites will store browsing cookies and data and may actually increase prices for flights that you may have searched for before online.

7. Bundle Up

Some websites offer the option to book your flight, hotel, and car into one bundle. By bundling your trip, you may save time and money. Before booking a bundle, compare prices to see if bundling or booking separately is a more cost-effective method. You could find better hotel deals and discounts by looking elsewhere.

8. Book a Last-Minute Flight

This suggestion is the opposite of the first tip mentioned earlier, but it’s good one too. Depending on the nature of your trip and flexibility, either plan three months in advance or wait last minute to find low fares.

Now that you have these money-saving tips, go and book your flight.

[This post was sponsored by GoodSearch. All opinions expressed here are my own.]