The Most Effective Ways To Save Money While Booking Flights

You're planning meticulously to have the best vacation of your life, perhaps at a warm weather European island for a budget-friendly vacation, or a low-cost place to stay in Fiji. Despite all the preparation and budgeting, there is one part of a trip that most people assume will always be expensive: the flight. Flying indeed is one of the most expensive parts of traveling. 

As of 2024, U.S. domestic flights cost an average of $367 roundtrip, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, and international flights go for a hefty standard price of $1,217,  according to FCM and Corporate Traveler. With rates that high, most people are desperate for ways to make their flights a bit cheaper and free up some of their budget for more fun purchases. Thankfully, there are a few strategies that can save you tons of money while booking flights. Read on to learn how you can lower the cost of your next trip's airfare.  

One of the simplest ways to reduce your flight's cost by a ridiculous amount is to give yourself plenty of time between your booking and departure date. Waiting until the very last second makes the price of flights soar because there are usually fewer seats available onboard. There is a debate about what time is the ideal window to find the lowest flight prices, though. 

For instance, Jack's Flight Club recommends nabbing your flight between three and nine months before take-off to get the very best deal. Whereas Hopper consumer travel expert Lindsay Schwimer told The Points Guy that travelers should start looking at prices approximately three to four months before their intended departure, but to book the flight one to two months beforehand. 

It can also be very financially helpful to be flexible with your travel dates. Instead of booking everything for specific dates and then booking the flight to match that timeframe, work the other way around. Check when the cheapest flights will be first and then plan your trip around that time slot. Since prices can change dramatically from week to week based on several factors, this simple adjustment to your planning schedule can save you tons in the long run.

Most people start browsing potential flights long before they actually pull out their wallets and take the plunge. Even if you're not quite ready to go through with your flight purchase just yet, you should still keep an eye on the options to ensure you're getting the best possible deal before it's too late. That's why price alerts are such a blessing for travelers on a budget. 

A variety of sites like Google Flights, Skyscanner, and more allow users to effortlessly set up price alerts with their email. On Skyscanner, all you have to do is input the date and route of your trip, click on the bell at the bottom left corner of the screen, and create an account to receive updates about the flight's price changes. This can be invaluable for anyone hoping to score a low-cost flight because you'll be one of the first to know if there is a big dip in the price.

A credit card can be the golden ticket to getting extremely reduced or even free flights. Certain credit cards are practically designed to help travelers get amazing deals on their excursions. However, you have to do a little research to determine the right card for you. 

Users on Reddit had a few different suggestions on the best travel credit cards. One person said, "Wells Fargo Autograph is probably the best no AF travel card (3x back on dining, travel, gas, transit, streaming, and cell service)." For frequent travelers willing to pay an annual fee, another Reddit commenter shared, "Chase Sapphire Reserve. High AF, but you automatically get $300 in annual travel reimbursements, plus $100 for Global Entry, Priority Pass membership, a large sign-up bonus, and so much more (DoorDash DashPass and monthly credits, Lyft Pink, Gopuff credits, travel insurance, etc.). You get 3x points on travel and dining and Pay Yourself Back is nice to have." 

Once you find a travel credit card that works for you, all you have to do is use it for your everyday purchases and be responsible for payments. Soon you'll be flying for as little as possible with rewards points or miles. These cards can also come with lots of other cool advantages, such as free upgrades, including checked bags, and priority boarding. 

The low season is a magical time when travelers can find flights to incredible destinations at a fraction of the usual cost because the area is getting fewer tourists than normal. With that being said, low season isn't universal and every destination has a specific part of the year when the tourism industry slows down, bringing down travel costs. For instance, the low season in New York City is January through March. On the other hand, the cheapest time of year to visit Australia is from June to August. 

If you do some research into the local low season pre-booking, you may be able to cut the price of flying down by hundreds of dollars. However, it's important to keep in mind that there are fewer travelers during this time for good reason. Typically, the weather won't be great around the low season and many of a destination's top attractions could even be closed. If you're willing to brave that reality, you could be traveling for cheap even if you book last minute. 

Three airlines all traveling the same route at the same time could be offering completely different prices to customers. It sounds crazy, but the price of your plane ticket is actually based on several factors, like how many tickets have been sold so far, the length of the trip, airline competition at the airport, and even fuel costs. It might feel like you have no control over the flight prices with things being so complicated, but there is a way to use these variations to your advantage with flight comparison tools. 

Websites like Skyscanner, FareCompare, Momondo, and Google Flights all have a price comparison tool that allows travelers to easily evaluate which airline is the cheapest to fly with for their trip. On Google Flights, all you have to do is provide the details of your trip and it will show you a list of every possible flight for that route with the baseline prices. It's a genius tip for planning a successful vacation because you don't have to go searching across the internet for the best flight option.

Some traveler's bodies tense up at the mere mention of using a budget airline. Even Rick Steves says to be cautious when flying with budget airlines in Europe. While these cheaper air carriers don't have the best reputation, booking their highly reduced flights can be a surefire way to save some dough. Just be realistic about the experience because it will be leaps and bounds away from luxurious. 

The budget airline options available might differ depending on where you are traveling. For instance, Ryanair and EasyJet have super cheap flights around the U.K. and Europe, while airlines like Spirit and Frontier cover the United States. Certain journeys can be less than $50 roundtrip when you use these low-cost airlines. For example, a round-trip flight from Barcelona to Paris on RyanAir only costs $34 in October 2024. 

While flying with budget airlines can be a good money-saving solution in some situations, they aren't always the best choice. They aren't ideal for flights that are more than a few hours long because every little snack and amenity will cost you money. So, only opt for the budget airline if you're embarking on a quick journey with minimal luggage and expectations. 

Most people just automatically book a round-trip ticket with the same airline, but this could actually be hiking up their travel costs. Sometimes it can be much cheaper to fly to your destination with one airline but depart with another. As previously discussed, flight costs are very fickle and can change based on a multitude of factors. Many of these variables have nothing to do with the season or timing, but instead the airline's internal conditions, such as the number of available seats left and how desperate they are to sell them. 

For instance, let's say that Delta might have a great inbound flight to your destination, but they're nearly sold out for the day you want to return. However, JetBlue happens to have tons of availability on a return flight that day and wants to get rid of their tickets even if it's for a low cost. Booking the two separate airlines could save a few dollars in that case. Sites like Google Flights will be able to give you all these options to decide if booking with two airlines is the right move for you.

Google Flights is the ultimate travel hack to save money flying around the world. While several travel sites provide similar services, Google's collection of useful tools is so convenient that it makes getting the lowest price possible feel like the norm. The first beneficial feature is that they basically rank the best flight for you. 

Based on the price, length of the journey, and number of stops, they tell you exactly which flight is the best deal. They analyze the prices of more than 300 airlines and travel agencies to develop these results. There are tons of other tools that can make booking your flight more economical as well. 

The Explore Map is fantastic for flexible budget travelers because it shows you the price of flying to different destinations from your home airport at any given time. You can also search from multiple origin airports at once and review results in a straightforward calendar that shows the price fluctuations for each day. Plus, Google Flights tells you if the current price is higher or lower than usual, offers price tracking, breaks down all the additional fee information, and has the option to book a multi-city flight plan to save money.

Web-savvy travelers swear that they have the secret to getting the cheapest possible price on every flight you book: a VPN. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) enables you to stay secure on the internet or while using public Wi-Fi by hiding your IP address and browsing history. Not only does this protect your privacy in the lawless land of the web, but it can also be the holy grail for getting a low-cost flight. 

Two of the many factors that allegedly influence flight prices are the location you're physically searching from and how many times you've looked at the page. With a VPN, you can get around an airline's measures to charge you more by limiting their access to your IP information. While many people say that this trick isn't legit, one Reddit user shared their experience with this loophole by saying, "For the people saying this doesn't work, I confirm that I have found vacation packages on Expedia for several thousand dollars less when I was searching from outside Canada." Another Reddit user suggests, "You really need to use a fresh (no cookies) immutable virtual machine to do this, but yes. This works for flights, rental cars, even staples.com prices change depending on where they think you are."

You may be familiar with scouring your bag for a coupon at the grocery store or searching Google to get a last-minute deal on your online clothing haul. Did you know you can do the same thing with your next flight? Just like with clothing or groceries, flights can actually go on sale or be offered at a discounted rate throughout the year. For instance, Delta, United, Southwest, American Airlines, Spirit, Frontier, Alaska Airlines, and more typically offer Black Friday deals to travelers. 

It's even possible to find coupon codes for flights with a little extra digging. Many airlines tell travelers about their current deals and promo codes on their official website. For example, Delta posts an updated list of deals every season to various destinations based on your origin city. If you don't come across any trip deals that pique your interest on the first look, signing up for your favorite airline's newsletter will give you easy access to all their best discounts and promo codes. 

The airport that you depart from will greatly change the price of your flight. While you might live closer to a small to midsize airport, that one might not have the cheapest flights. These tinier airports have a more relaxed atmosphere and many travelers even prefer the laidback nature of them, but this does come at a much higher cost. 

In general, larger airports can offer better prices because they have more options. As one Reddit user succinctly explains, "More flights generally means competition and that typically means lower costs." Even if you think major international travel hubs like LAX or JFK are the worst airports in the world, they almost always have cheaper flights than their quainter counterparts for this reason. If you really want to steer clear of the most hectic airports, booking with a mid-size airport just outside of a major city is your best bet for lower prices. 

Everyone wants to leave for their vacation on the weekend. It's a Sunday, you don't have to take off work, and overall it just feels like the right day to start your vacation. However, the big problem with setting off for your trip on a Sunday or even a Monday is that it's actually the most expensive time of the week to fly. 

According to a study by Hopper, the average cost of a U.S. domestic flight on a Sunday was $273, whereas the average price for the same flight on a Tuesday through Thursday was $226 to $243. That's around 12% more expensive just to depart on a Sunday instead of a weekday. While it's generally agreed that Tuesdays and Wednesdays tend to be the cheapest days to fly, the same study also discovered that Saturday could be quite reasonably priced as well, especially for international flights.  

Flying on holidays can also be a handy way to lower your travel costs. Flight costs indeed skyrocket right before and after major holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve. However, very few people are planning on traveling on the day of a major holiday itself, so it's typically an extremely cheap time to fly. 

An overnight or red-eye is a type of flight that takes off in the evening and touches down at your destination bright and early in the morning (like before 5 a.m.). The hassle of an overnight flight sounds like too much to bear for many people, but it can be a dream come true for budget travelers in search of the cheapest airfare. While there are a lot of reasons that night flights could be a drag to endure, they can also be beneficial. 

Red-eye flights allow you to get to your location first thing in the morning, which can help you fight off jet lag if you're traveling to a different time zone. Additionally, these flights are cheaper than flying during regular hours and the plane is typically very quiet with just a few sleeping passengers, so it's a more peaceful journey. As one Reddit user shared, "Best flight I ever had was from San Francisco to Houston, left SFO at 11:00 PM, got to IAH about dawn. We were on a DC-10 (really big plane) and there were 3 passengers total. Unsurprisingly, they gave us all 1st class upgrades." All these factors could make flying on a red-eye worth it if you're hoping to pay the lowest possible price for your flight. 

You've finally gone for it and decided to book your flight. You're sitting there getting all excited about the upcoming trip when you get an alert that the cost of a flight with a different airline dropped way lower than the price you just paid. While the first instinct might be to shrug off the disappointment and eat the extra costs, you don't have to.  

Instead, you can simply take advantage of the 24-hour cancellation rule as long as you're departing from or going to a United States territory. This policy states that travelers can cancel their flight for a full refund within 24 hours of booking if there is at least a week left before the departure date.  The 24-hour rule allows travelers to snag a great deal when they spot it and then work out their travel details later or even cancel their current trip if they happen to find a better deal. Alternatively, you can pay a small fee to hold the current flight price for a few days to get your funds in order.