Are you into saving money on flights? Then you should have several search websites bookmarked for finding cheap international flights.
And an important thing to remember is this, be ready to act! You can play the game of watching and waiting which can reward you, but it can also frustrate and cost you.
The best way is to have a price YOU are comfortable with.
On some flight search websites you can sign up for email alerts of a price you’re willing to pay. When that price is available, or lower, then jump on it. That way you can be satisfied that YOU got a good deal, and you won’t have regrets.
Some tips and strategies to get your cheapest fare…
Start Searching As Early As Possible – Preferably at least a month in advance as most deals involve making your reservation 21 days in advance! Best time is usually 6-8 weeks prior to departure.
Be Flexible With Your Dates – give yourself the best chance to capture any of the cheap flights when the prices fluctuate.
Adjust Your Times For Flying – Taking the red-eye, or flying at unpopular hours increases your chances of getting flights cheap.
Use The Same Airline For Both Directions – Because round trips can be about the same as one-way, it doesn’t make much sense not to!
Use Your Age – Ask about student discounts at STA Travel.
Fly To Secondary Airports With Low Cost Carriers (LCC) – Most major cities have a secondary airport, or a city nearby.
And LCC fly into these because of cheaper landing fees. Just make sure the transport costs from these outer areas to your intended destination don’t cost more than actually flying direct!
Fly On a Mid-Weekday – NEVER fly on weekends!…Tuesdays and Wednesdays are usually the cheapest times.
Consider a Longer Layover – Flights with longer layovers usually have lower price tags.
Avoid Holiday Periods – Try not to fly within 7 days before or after a holiday.
Go Directly To The Airline Websites – Once you look at all the various websites and search engines, as a LAST resort go direct to that airlines own website. Many of the airlines have lower fares that you can only get when you book online at their site, or buy an e-ticket.
Sign Up To An Airlines Mailing List – Special airline promotion codes can knock up to 50% off your fare. These codes are offered directly by the individual airlines.
To find these codes, sign up to any type of communication your airline is running. e.g newsletter, e-mail, twitter feed etc. You can also be notified of last minute deals in this way.
Be Careful of Re-Fundable Tickets – If they cost more, don’t buy them! Especially if your travel Insurance policy has trip cancellation coverage anyway.
Join a Frequent Flyer Program – earn point towards cheaper fares, free upgrades, bonuses, and free companion tickets.
It may take a while to accumulate points, and it may cost you slightly more to fly with your particular airline or it’s partners, but they CAN pay off big time if you fly a lot – which happened to me in 2006.
I was able to fly for free round-trip from Raleigh, North Carolina to my brother in-laws wedding in Cape Town, South Africa.
Fly into the Largest City on the Continent – Then either travel overland or take a cheap connecting flight to reach your destination.
Don’t Over Pay For Luggage – Make sure your luggage is not over sized or overweight. Check individual airline sites for rules, some charge for a carry-on now.
How Can I Find Cheap International Flights?
Here is a list of flight search websites and to start searching for your air travel discount.
Kayak – compares hundreds of sites at once. It’s a true search engine, not an internet travel agency!
Skyscanner – provides instant comparison on flight prices for over 670,000 routes on over 600 airlines.
STA Travel - discounts for students
Airtreks- around the world flight ticket experts.
CheapFlights – price comparison for cheap flights
Webflyer - a good awards site.
Airfarewatchdog – hooks you into time – sensitive airline deals too difficult to track on your own.
