How to Find Cheap Flights: Strategies that will Save Big

Do you get all excited about travelling, but when it comes to booking the flights, you have a mini heart attack because the price is so expensive? You’re not alone.

It’s challenging to find cheap flights, especially when you check a few days later and suddenly the price of a ticket has increased.

But the truth is, it is actually easier than you think, to snag budget-friendly flights and it isn’t about the luck of the draw, it’s about knowing how to find cheap flights.

We are passionate travellers always on the lookout for affordable travel deals, it’s a priority.

But honestly, flights can often take up a huge chunk of your budget, leaving less room for you to do all the things you want to do, such as eat local cuisine, stay in luxury accommodation, or splurge on an unforgettable tour.

But if you learn how to save money on flights, it will be a game changer for you. It will mean you can stay in a more comfortable accommodation setting, splurge on an unforgettable tour and even enjoy a few meals out while travelling.

It could even mean that you could sneak in a few extra trips during the year, if you have really made a saving.

You don’t need to be part of an exclusive group to take advantage of cheap flights. All you have to do is follow these action tips, insider tricks and less-known strategies that we have picked up over the years, to help you find and book cheap flights without the stress.

You’ll start to be more flexible with your travel dates, tweak your destination wish list and master the art of budget travel.

So, let’s get you finding your next affordable travel deal.

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When to book flights

Being flexible is key to finding the most affordable flights.

We should know, we have booked short destinations within Europe and even hunted for deals on long trips to the USA or Sri Lanka.

We have learnt how to be flexible, whether that means shifting our travel dates around or being open minded to the travel destination.

And trust us, this has helped us travel more, even around our full-time jobs and on a limited budget.

If we can do it, so can you, with these tips on when to book your flights:

When to book domestic or short distance flights

The ideal time to book flights when they are often at the lowest is between 1-3 months in advance.

So, as an example, if we wanted to go away in June, the optimal time to book, for more affordable prices would be around April to May.

This also gives you time to shop around for the best flights that are within your budget, rather than leaving it to the last minute and risk missing out.

Although, don’t completely right off booking last minute deals, as you can sometimes pick up a bargain. BUT this is a gamble, as you may not find any cheaper deals.

In our experience, we will shop around until we are completely satisfied with a deal that is worth picking up, even if it means travelling last minute.

A factor that also plays a huge part with flight prices is the season. During peak season such as summer holidays, school holidays and Christmas the prices are often double.

If you are planning to travel during peak season, consider booking flights around 3-5 months in advance to lock in the best prices.

When to book international flights

But what about the best time to book flights for long distances or international flights such as South America, Europe, Asia etc?

For longer distance flights, to really take advantage of the prices, you should be looking at booking between 3 and 6 months in advance, to get the best rates.

International destinations do require more forward planning. So, you may find to an advantage that looking into flight prices even up to 6-9 months in advance, could see potential savings.

And with the forward planning approach, this will allow you to save money between now and the departure date, which could leave you with more money to spend.

Tools and resources for smart booking

Before booking any flights, do some research with flight tracking tools, such as Google Flights, Skyscanner, Lastminute.com, etc.

First compare the prices and check out the flight times and dates. Be as flexible as possible to pick up the best deals.

Before purchasing any tickets, set up fare alerts with many of the above-mentioned websites, so you can be notified when flight prices drop or any deals that may pop up.

Pro tip: booking midweek flights often work out cheaper than weekend flights. So, where possible try and fly out midweek.

Advanced strategies to finding cheap flights

We have just looked at some basic ways on how to find cheap flights, which could see you make some real savings.

But let’s have a look at some advanced methods in which you could save money on flights.

Explore alternative airports

This is often overlooked, but you could find cheaper flights, simply by flying into an alternative airport.

We have experienced this on a number of occasions, in which we have picked up prices that are cheaper flying out of a smaller airport than a large international airport.

The benefits of flying into and out of a small airport are, shorter security lines, less congestion and can often offer a more relaxed travel experience.

Budget airlines normally favour the smaller airports, which then attracts passengers to the lower ticket prices, cheaper airport and taxes.

The advantage of alternative airport hubs, can also offer more affordable airport parking, if you’d prefer driving to the airport, rather than using public transport.

Most large and small airports offer great alternative transportation options into the city or to other regions around the country, such as shuttle services, buses, trains, taxi’s and hire cars.

If you’re staying flexible with your dates, the smaller airports could offer better flexibility also.

This is our number one hack we use, when booking our flights. So, for example.

When we book our tickets to Sri Lanka annually, rather than flying out of London Heathrow, we’ll often opt for London Gatwick, as the flights are far cheaper.

We can fly out of London Heathrow via Sri Lanka’s main carrier Sri Lankan Airlines. They offer a direct flight which is about 11 hours.

BUT they are more expensive, than if we were to fly from London Gatwick via Emirates or Qatar Airways.

However, if we fly to Europe on a budget airline, flying again from London Heathrow is expensive, than if we were to fly out of London Stansted.

It is further for us to travel, but with affordable airport car parking, fewer crowds and affordable flights, it makes sense for us to use smaller airports to fly in and out of.

We have also did this when flying into New York City, instead of flying in and out of JFK international Airport, we have landed into Newark Liberty International Airport.

Pro tip: Compare prices between large international airports and the smaller airports, to get the best rate on flights.

Factors to consider before choosing an alternative airport

While there are plenty of pros to using alternative airports there are some things you should consider before booking your flight.

While choosing smaller airports might save you some money, take into consideration the cost implications to get from that airport to your final destination.

Consider public transport costs, as this could be offset against any potential savings you make with flying into a smaller international airport.

For example, if you were planning a trip to London, from within Europe, USA or anywhere in the world and you found cheap flights to fly into Manchester or Birmingham.

YET the cost of a train or bus to London plus the flights came in more expensive, than it would have been to land at an airport in London.

Then in this scenario, it wouldn’t be worth booking that ticket.

Smaller airports may have fewer flight options or less frequent services, such as once a week, or once a day. If your travel dates are fixed, you’ll need to make sure this suits your travel plans.

It is best to do plenty of research and weigh up your options, based on what is suitable for you and your timescales.

Mix and match airlines

This concept is by booking your outbound and return flights on different airlines as opposed to sticking to the one carrier for the entire journey.

This approach can unlock better deals, more flexibility and provide you with a wider range of flight options.

This could lead to significant savings, especially if you want your money to go further.

A good tool and resource to locate affordable flights with mixed airline carriers, is with Skyscanner.

Skyscanner, offers a variety of options from destination specifics, direct flights, or multiple layovers and the option to fly the same airline or multiple airlines. This will help you define the cheapest possible flight; that’s within your budget and keeping it flexible.

Google flights, Kayak and even going via the airlines website directly can help you narrow down the best flight for you.

Disadvantages of using mixed and matched airlines

While you could see significant savings, have greater flexibility and the opportunity to fly with airlines that align with your travel needs.

There is some complexity with mixing your bookings, as you may find that you’ll have two separate bookings with different airlines. There is the potential risk of baggage getting lost or delayed if the airlines don’t partner with each other and you may not have any protection if one flight is delayed or cancelled, causing further delays with the other airline.

If you do choose to mix and match the airlines, it is important to leave plenty of time between connections or take out travel insurance.

Tips for successfully mixing and matching airlines

To avoid any mishaps, plan any layovers carefully, by leaving sufficient time between connecting flights if you have booked separate tickets.

We would suggest anything between at least 2+ hours so you can account for any delays or long security lines and even customs lines.

Be familiar with baggage rules, as not every airline has the same rules.

Some airlines may allow just a small backpack before having to pay baggage fees, while other airlines may allow a cabin bag.

Ensure you know the cabin bag and check luggage allowance for each section of the journey.

If you know you’ll be travelling with a cabin bag or checked in bag, purchase these in advance to avoid baggage fees at the airport.

Double check which terminals you are flying into and out of with large airports. Plan how you will get from different terminals if this is required and the duration.

Large airports may have terminals a few miles apart, which could take 15+ minutes to reach.

Budget airlines might appear cheaper initially, but look out for any hidden fees, such as baggage, seat selection and even check in.

We would recommend taking out travel insurance before you leave, as this will cover you for most eventualities, including delays or cancelled flights, missed connections, lost luggage and even injury and illness while travelling.

Leverage layovers

Layovers are where you intentionally book connecting flights instead of taking a direct route, to take advantage of the reduced airfare.

Utilising layovers allow you to stretch your legs after a long flight, relax before taking the next flight and if your layover is longer than 5 hours, you could add an additional destination to your trip.

Rather than seeing a layover as an inconvenience, this is an added benefit.

We have mentioned that we often book our flights to Sri Lanka which results in a layover in Dubai or Doha, not just because it is cheaper, but it is a rest bite in between flights, rather than on an 11-hour direct flight.

Tips for leveraging layovers

We can’t stress the important of leaving plenty of time between connections, especially if they are with mixed airlines.

Leave more than 2 hours before your connection, this allows for any delays, factors of getting through immigration, customs and baggage if applicable.

If you miss your connecting flight with a mixed airline, then sadly this could be your responsibility.

Always check the visa rules before you book your flight, even just for a layover and you’re only transiting through the airport. Some countries require a transit visa for certain nationalities.

Sydney Operah House from Sydney Harbour Bridge

Additional tips to seek cheap flights

We have a few additional tips to help you benefit from finding the cheapest flights:

Airline credit cards and points hacking

We’re sure you have heard of points hacking, but what exactly is it?

Points hacking is a savvy way of earning free or discounted flights by strategically using credit cards and loyalty points.

This could save you a lot of money.

If you have enough points, you could take advantage of free flights and even luxury upgrades to business or first class.

To take advantage of this, you just need a credit card from one of the main airlines, spend money on the credit card and you’ll earn points. Those points will add up over time and once you have enough, you can use those points to spend on flights.

As we fly frequently to Sri Lanka via Emirates, we accumulate points for the flights we make and we can take out one of their credit cards.

Some companies such as British Airways, also offer a bonus in which you can gain points quicker. The most common one is the sign-up bonus.

If you sign up and spend over £2,000.00 within 3 months you will get 5,000 Avios points.

For every day spending, you could collect enough points to take a couple of free flights around the world.

The only caveat to this, is you need to monitor your spending on the credit card. Don’t just spend money on it to gain points, especially if you don’t have the funds to pay off the credit card. This will only leave you in debt, which isn’t practical just to get points.

Many airlines will offer a credit card or similar rewards, so shop around to get the best possible card that suits you.

FOMO psychological flight deals

If you’ve not heard of FOMO you’re probably thinking, what is it?

In short FOMO stands for Fear of Missing Out. It’s that nagging feeling you’ll miss out on an incredible deal or life changing experience if you don’t act now.

You might see this with a limited time offer, or count down timer and even “2 seats left” message. These are all triggers that provides a sense of urgency.

This is where the fear of missing out comes in, because the idea is that their offering a great deal that if you don’t buy now, you could miss out.

This is a great marketing tactic among many travel companies, especially if this increases impulse buys from their customers.

So how do you avoid the psychological FOMO?

Pause and evaluate before you book. Ask yourself, are you actually going to be happy with the destination or are you choosing it because it is the best deal? Will it even fit around your schedule, budget and travel goals?

If you can, leave it for at least 24 hours or more, discuss it with family members or friends before booking.

Having a budget in mind will help you define if the deal you have seen is actually worth it or not.

So, as an example, if you have set a budget of $1000.00, yet the price of the flights is $500.00+ then it really isn’t the right deal.

To avoid FOMO, set up price alerts, so you get notified when the price drops and if it is within your budget.

AND ignore those triggers that say “only 2 seats left” or “sale ends in 3 hours”.

Do as much research prior to booking, that way you can snag the best deal at the most affordable price.

Pro tip: Have a backup plan if you do miss out on the deal. You’ll likely find another deal just around the corner.

Avoid common pitfalls when booking flights

We picked up some incredibly cheap flights multiple times, but there are some things to look out for, as not all can be what it seems.

Just be aware of those Peskey hidden fees, such as baggage fees, seat selection charges and taxes.

Many budget airlines will charge additional fees for taking a cabin bag on board, having checked in luggage, seat selection and more.

Double check the cancellation or rebooking policy. Some companies, if booked online, will charge you for amending the travel dates, or you’ll lose your money if you need to cancel.

Check the details before making the booking, as while you have picked up a bargain, if you have to pay more for additional baggage, or can’t get your money back as a result of cancelling, then it might not be a good deal after all.

Conclusion

Figuring out how to find cheap flights doesn’t have to be a challenge or impossible, if you use the right strategies and tools, you could snag an amazing deal.

The most effective strategies to find great deals, is to be as flexible as possible with both your travel dates and destination. Use mid-week flights over weekend trips, use price alerts so you can be one of the first to hear about a price drop.

Book in advance rather than gamble and leave it to the last minute. If you can, take advantage of airline credit card rewards points, to use on future flights or upgrades.

We have picked up some really cheap deals with budget airlines over the years, simply by using the above-mentioned strategies and tools. This has also allowed us to travel more, around our full-time job and on a minimum budget.

And with our experience and knowledge, it is now your turn to start benefiting from cheap flights.

Remember, for every dollar you save on flights, is money that you can spend on exploring a new region, enjoy a luxury hotel, or dine out for a few meals.

Let you next adventure take off without the stress of overspending.

What’s your go-to tip that has saved you money on flights? We’d love to hear from you, so drop a comment below.

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