Adra Writes

Flights are one of most expensive items for a trip if you are leaving your country or going to a faraway destination. My thoughts are if you can take a train, do so. Or if you can drive within 10 hours, then have a nice road trip. Of course, that isn’t always possible, so here are 10 ways to save money when looking for flights.

USE A VPN

Maybe you have heard this before, but I am here to confirm that is works. Use a VPN while searching for flights so websites don’t increase your prices with each search. I use Astrill and I love it very much and I find it to be incredibly reliable no matter where I am. I also love how they protect your credit card and personal information while online or making purchases.

Astrill is not free and is about 120USD a year. They do however have a free 30 day trail (and you don’t need to input your card information) if you would like to try it out.

Or if you prefer a free VPN, check out 10 Best Free VPN Apps to find something that suits you.

Check Tickets Often

Look for tickets regularly even when you don’t have a specific destination in mind. This is extremely useful to price check tickets and understand what is and isn’t a good price. It is useful to check 6 – 2 months prior to your anticipated departure date. However, after 3 weeks prior, you could find yourself paying high fees.

Buying multiple tickets

Purchasing separate flights to get to your destination can be a sneaky way to save some money. It could be a little extra work, but it could also save you hundreds of dollars. For example, you want to go to Thailand and you live in America, but flights are 1000+USD round ticket. Look for cheaper flights through the Middle East or Europe and then make a separate connection from there. Maybe you can even take a day to explore your stop over.

Travel Reward Credit Cards

Sign up for a mileage credit card if you travel often. This is a great way to start earning miles that will lead to a free ticket in the future. I am personally not going to share any suggestions here, because I am not the expert on this, but I personally have one and am very happy with it and look forward to redeeming my miles for a free ticket in the near future. However, if you aren’t self-disciplined with a credit card, I think the risk of debt is not worth the potential reward. Use your judgement and discretion.

Budget Airlines

This one is not new news to anyone, but I think it’s worth mentioning. I enjoy using trip.com when looking for flights around Asia. I also like to use skyscanner.com, and sometimes expedia.com. Keep in mind your area and destination when choosing or finding the right budget arilines.

However, be sure to read the reviews of budget airlines as they are a budget price for a reason. Usually their pilots are less experienced or even lack qualifications that major airlines require. If it is a long haul flight, you might be inclined to spend extra money for space and comfort that other airlines offer.

Check with airline websites directly

Sometimes we forget that tickets come from airline sites or we believe they are always more expensive. Airlines are always trying to get more traffic on their sites, so you may find a sweet deal or price drop that isn’t on the budget websites.

In addition, if you have a travel reward card that partners with an airline, you could get double miles on your purchase when you buy directly from them rather than another site.

Rewards and Miles Programs

Sign up for rewards programs or miles programs with airlines you fly with often. I almost always use Delta when traveling to and from America. Or if I am going through the middle east, I stick with Quatar or Turkish airlines. Being consistent and remembing to load your flight detail to your account can be a great way to save money on future travels.

Be patient

Looking at tickets can be overwhelming or even discouraging when you can’t find the price you want. Or sometimes you think you are getting a good deal but if you had waited, the ticket prices would have dropped. Sometimes being patient is key when finding the right ticket. Typically, flights tickets do not increase drastically until after 3 weeks before the date of departure. Be sure to check often for several weeks before you make a final purchase.

Choose your destination based of ticket sales

If you are spontaneous and always up for an adventure, then this might be for you. Checking for flights regularly is useful, but sometimes choosing your entire trip based off a sale ticket can be the best way to save money on a flight and find yourself on a great adventure. Many websites will list trip deals that seem too good to pass up, so why not? Take a risk, and be the person to make the trip.

Sign up for emails on flight deals

Some people are truly dedicated to helping us find the best deal on flights. They do all the hard work for us so we can spend our time doing other things. Scott’s Cheap Flights or Thrift Traveler do just this. They scour airfare websites and send you an email for every deal of the day for free. They also have premium memberships for a small fee to get more emails and deals. Either way, you could save a lot of money from their hard work. 

Interested in other ways to save money for your next vacation? Check out 6 Lifestyle Habits to Save Money for your Next Vacation

All links in this article are to your benefit only. I don’t not receive any commission if you use them.