With everyone looking for cheaper flights, new apps and websites spring up all the time to help you find them. But travel gurus say there are at least seven proven ways to ensure you get a good, cheap flight every time:
- Be flexible – The most expensive time to fly is when everyone wants to fly; at holiday time, on Fridays and Sundays, during daylight hours. For the best price, be flexible about flying the week before or after a holiday, on Monday rather than Sunday, or perhaps on a red-eye.
- Check alternate airports – Flights to alternate airports can be significantly cheaper than flying to major hubs. When going to Miami, for example, check out Fort Lauderdale airport, which is 26 miles north and always cheaper.
- Consider a stop – Non-stop flights are nice, but check out the difference in ticket price if you take a flight with a connection. But be sure the savings are worth it, because every connection comes with the risk of late flight time or lost luggage.
- Book separate flights – When flying internationally, it can be far cheaper to buy separate tickets, the first to a hub like London and the second on a local, low-cost carrier to your ultimate European destination.
- Sign up for fare alerts – Sites like Kayak or Hopper or Google Flights do a good job of tracking price drops. Sign up and be alerted when a good price is available.
- Speak to an airline rep – Most charge a $25 fee, but especially if you are flying with a mileage award, the rep can often find a better deal than you can because they can check with partner airlines and alternate cities much quicker than you can.
- Work with a travel agent – Bargain hunting can be tedious and time-consuming, and a professional travel agent can be a good resource for locating the lowest possible ticket price, even if you have to pay an agent fee.
