how to save money on airline tickets?
There are some days I was chatting with a friend on facebook. He was talking about his future trip to Canada and what he would do it. However confessed to be bothered by the price of the ticket, he had spent more than 900 euros for her to /.
So I asked him if he had indeed compared the rates on different comparators flights.
He answered no ... BALL
A few minutes after I told him I found a to /, almost the same dates, for 550 euros ... At this point I reckon he wanted to hang himself.
It was then that I realized that people who are not accustomed to travel do not necessarily have good reflexes to dig and find a cheap plane ticket.
There are some times I wrote a comprehensive article on how to travel cheap around the world (I suggest you check out this article if it is not already, it is packed with tips) but today I will try to be more specific on airline tickets because one of the issues that comes up most often is by email:
how to save money on airline tickets?
The increase in oil prices, the cost of personnel, the decreasing capacity and material costs have only increased the prices of flights.
The period of ultra low cost trip is over and when the ticket is the largest part of your travel budget, finding the right deal can be as important as finding the right destination, good travel agency, the right bag backpack or the right place to stay.
While the bargains are not as common as before, it remains several ways to avoid being the person on the plane who paid the most expensive.
Here are 7 tips (rather generic but still good to have in mind) to help you find a cheaper airline ticket
1- BE FLEXIBLE WITH YOUR TRAVEL DATES
Dates flexiblesLe ticket price depends on the day of the week, the time of year or upcoming holidays such as Christmas or New Year, for example.
August is the month of departures in Europe and tickets are more expensive.
Off in the middle of the week comes up very often cheaper than weekends because most people travel on weekends. As the demand is higher, the price increases.
Flights early morning or late at night are also cheaper because few people like to travel to those hours.
Before confirming your departure date, be sure to check the dates to select the cheapest day. If you are flexible on your flying dates, you will never find cheap airline tickets.
You can save several hundred dollars a day apart!
2- BE FLEXIBLE WITH YOUR DESTINATION
Instead of going to a country where the ticket is expensive, go to a destination where the flight is cheaper. With the feature "Explore" to Kayak.com, you can enter your departure airport and watch the cheapest destinations.
For example during my trip to India, I made a flight to Dubai before flying to Mumbai in South India, I was able to save 200 euros with this call.
If you are flexible about your destination, it is a good way to begin your research.
3- FLY WITH LOW-COST COMPANIES AND FROM SECONDARY AIRPORTS
Most large cities have a secondary airport, smaller. It was at this airport that most low-cost flights arrive and depart as landing fees are cheaper there. Ask about airlines in transit to these airports.
In France, RyanAir flights depart from Beauvais airport instead of Charles de Gaulle or Orly. In Los Angeles, you can go to Long Beach, an airport close to the city, instead of landing at LAX.
In Kuala Lumpur, Air Asia, the largest low-cost airline in Asia, flying to a distant airport's main airport (and offers on cheap bus trips to the city!).
Most of the time, you only pay tax on these low-cost tickets. So it is a very good alternative to standard flight companies when you can.
The service on these flights is very limited but they can save you lots of money.
Remember to check the distance from the city center is the airport. Sometimes the transportation from the airport to the city center can make the total cost of your low-cost transportation more expensive than a normal ticket. But in general, low-cost remain good business and I use them very often for my short flights.
4. REMEMBER THAT ALL FLIGHT COMPARATORS DOES NOT APPLY
Most people who want their tickets online tend to go on GoVoyage or Expedia. As shown in this article, you make a big mistake if you are in this situation. These sites are owned by airlines or work along with them. The deals they offer are therefore not unbiased.
I suggest you look at the most possible comparators to ensure you have the best deal. In addition, many comparators do not list the low-cost airlines because they will not pay commission.
The best comparators are those who have no affiliation with airlines and earn their money with advertising (not via reservations). It is important to check several sites when booking as prices may vary and it would be a shame to miss a more attractive offer.
There is no perfect search engine and even the best have their faults.
That said, here are my favorite 3 to find a cheap airline ticket: Skyscanner.net, Kayak.com, or vol24.fr Momondo.com
5- ENJOY THE STUDENT DISCOUNTS
If you are a student, you have access to many discounts. Visit statravel.fr website and search engine. You can find flights to student fare on the website and their agency.
6 - JOIN A LOYALTY PROGRAM
Loyalty programs of airlines are a good way to get flights and free upgrades.
Whether you fly frequently or not, I suggest you sign up for a loyalty program to earn "miles" over time.
Sign up for a national company program that is part of an airline alliance. This way, you will earn miles even taking flights on other airlines of the alliance because they are partners.
For example, if you join the Air France Flying Blue program, which is part of the SkyTeam alliance, you gain points even with other companies of this alliance: Delta for a flight to the US or Vietnam Airlines, Alitalia etc.
So just sign up to a program of an airline of your country, part of a covenant (OneWorld, SkyTeam or Star Alliance).
In addition, there are plenty of ways to earn miles if you do not spend your soon to travel the world.
For example you can do your shopping in partner stores. Most airlines offering a loyalty program allow you to gain about 2 to 4 miles per dollar spent at partner stores such as Fnac, GAP, Apple etc. Sometimes it is possible to earn up to 10 miles per dollar spent.
If you spend € 1000 less, you can earn 3,000 miles just going through the links present on the website of the loyalty program. You do not pay more, so it's win-win. I make my purchases through the partner program just for additional miles.
Do all your travel expenses with the credit card that comes with the loyalty program, be it a coffee at StarBuck or your mobile phone bills. This way, you will earn a free flight regularly without doing anything special (count every year every 3 years, depending on the amount of your expenses).
Using these tips, you will manage to earn miles without even flying.
7- RESERVE YOUR FLIGHT EARLY IN ADVANCE
The price of an airline ticket depends on the price of oil. And with the constant increase of the latter, to fly will cost still more. There was a time when the best time to book his ticket was between 6 to 8 weeks before the departure date. But today, I recommend you book your flight as soon as you know your departure date.
Because if the oil price continues to rise, the price of the ticket will do the same.
I hope these tips will help you see more clearly on the hunt for cheap airline tickets. If you have any tips to share please leave them in the comments!
MORE TIPS ON FINDING A CHEAP PLANE TICKET
(Thank you to those who post these tips in comments)
ORDER BETWEEN HIS TICKET AND 1H 4H MORNING
Check out his ticket between 1am and 4am is cheaper and good cost (up to 25% decrease compared to the "peak").
Just by Agnes and Tip Tip
GETTING TO KNOW FREIGHT PILOT! :-D
Ok, it is not given to everyone but I have hosted across a driver this week (via Airbnb) and regularly flies to Lisbon. It has the ability to take up to 3 passengers with him for a price of € 25 (+ tax) per person. The downside is that flights are often done at night but the advantage is that we discovered another way to travel. I intend to enjoy the occasion, I tell you;-)
Fred blog YummyPlanet
A TOKYO LONDON FOR 68 EUROS!
I met the Philippines, there are about 3 months, a Pole who threw me a pretty amazing info.
He gave me a Polish site for tickets at unbeatable prices from Europe to the world.
This site is www.fly4free.pl
He manages to have a return ticket London-Tokyo for 68 euro!
I did not believe it but after seeing the hard tickets do not give up.
I do not know how the site works, I know that the process is not so simple and has watched 2 times a day for 2 weeks to have his ticket but we must admit that it is worth it.
By Sha Dy
FLIGHTS DELAYED UNTIL = TRAVELLERS compensated € 600!
If your flight was canceled, overbooked or delayed for longer than 3 hours, it is possible that you have a right to compensation (unless it is a case of force majeure).
I discovered vol-retarde.fr site that lets you know just a few clicks if you have the right to compensation and how much! To keep absolutely in his favorites.
So I asked him if he had indeed compared the rates on different comparators flights.
He answered no ... BALL
A few minutes after I told him I found a to /, almost the same dates, for 550 euros ... At this point I reckon he wanted to hang himself.
It was then that I realized that people who are not accustomed to travel do not necessarily have good reflexes to dig and find a cheap plane ticket.
There are some times I wrote a comprehensive article on how to travel cheap around the world (I suggest you check out this article if it is not already, it is packed with tips) but today I will try to be more specific on airline tickets because one of the issues that comes up most often is by email:
how to save money on airline tickets?
The increase in oil prices, the cost of personnel, the decreasing capacity and material costs have only increased the prices of flights.
The period of ultra low cost trip is over and when the ticket is the largest part of your travel budget, finding the right deal can be as important as finding the right destination, good travel agency, the right bag backpack or the right place to stay.
While the bargains are not as common as before, it remains several ways to avoid being the person on the plane who paid the most expensive.
Here are 7 tips (rather generic but still good to have in mind) to help you find a cheaper airline ticket
1- BE FLEXIBLE WITH YOUR TRAVEL DATES
Dates flexiblesLe ticket price depends on the day of the week, the time of year or upcoming holidays such as Christmas or New Year, for example.
August is the month of departures in Europe and tickets are more expensive.
Off in the middle of the week comes up very often cheaper than weekends because most people travel on weekends. As the demand is higher, the price increases.
Flights early morning or late at night are also cheaper because few people like to travel to those hours.
Before confirming your departure date, be sure to check the dates to select the cheapest day. If you are flexible on your flying dates, you will never find cheap airline tickets.
You can save several hundred dollars a day apart!
2- BE FLEXIBLE WITH YOUR DESTINATION
Instead of going to a country where the ticket is expensive, go to a destination where the flight is cheaper. With the feature "Explore" to Kayak.com, you can enter your departure airport and watch the cheapest destinations.
For example during my trip to India, I made a flight to Dubai before flying to Mumbai in South India, I was able to save 200 euros with this call.
If you are flexible about your destination, it is a good way to begin your research.
3- FLY WITH LOW-COST COMPANIES AND FROM SECONDARY AIRPORTS
Most large cities have a secondary airport, smaller. It was at this airport that most low-cost flights arrive and depart as landing fees are cheaper there. Ask about airlines in transit to these airports.
In France, RyanAir flights depart from Beauvais airport instead of Charles de Gaulle or Orly. In Los Angeles, you can go to Long Beach, an airport close to the city, instead of landing at LAX.
In Kuala Lumpur, Air Asia, the largest low-cost airline in Asia, flying to a distant airport's main airport (and offers on cheap bus trips to the city!).
Most of the time, you only pay tax on these low-cost tickets. So it is a very good alternative to standard flight companies when you can.
The service on these flights is very limited but they can save you lots of money.
Remember to check the distance from the city center is the airport. Sometimes the transportation from the airport to the city center can make the total cost of your low-cost transportation more expensive than a normal ticket. But in general, low-cost remain good business and I use them very often for my short flights.
4. REMEMBER THAT ALL FLIGHT COMPARATORS DOES NOT APPLY
Most people who want their tickets online tend to go on GoVoyage or Expedia. As shown in this article, you make a big mistake if you are in this situation. These sites are owned by airlines or work along with them. The deals they offer are therefore not unbiased.
I suggest you look at the most possible comparators to ensure you have the best deal. In addition, many comparators do not list the low-cost airlines because they will not pay commission.
The best comparators are those who have no affiliation with airlines and earn their money with advertising (not via reservations). It is important to check several sites when booking as prices may vary and it would be a shame to miss a more attractive offer.
There is no perfect search engine and even the best have their faults.
That said, here are my favorite 3 to find a cheap airline ticket: Skyscanner.net, Kayak.com, or vol24.fr Momondo.com
5- ENJOY THE STUDENT DISCOUNTS
If you are a student, you have access to many discounts. Visit statravel.fr website and search engine. You can find flights to student fare on the website and their agency.
6 - JOIN A LOYALTY PROGRAM
Loyalty programs of airlines are a good way to get flights and free upgrades.
Whether you fly frequently or not, I suggest you sign up for a loyalty program to earn "miles" over time.
Sign up for a national company program that is part of an airline alliance. This way, you will earn miles even taking flights on other airlines of the alliance because they are partners.
For example, if you join the Air France Flying Blue program, which is part of the SkyTeam alliance, you gain points even with other companies of this alliance: Delta for a flight to the US or Vietnam Airlines, Alitalia etc.
So just sign up to a program of an airline of your country, part of a covenant (OneWorld, SkyTeam or Star Alliance).
In addition, there are plenty of ways to earn miles if you do not spend your soon to travel the world.
For example you can do your shopping in partner stores. Most airlines offering a loyalty program allow you to gain about 2 to 4 miles per dollar spent at partner stores such as Fnac, GAP, Apple etc. Sometimes it is possible to earn up to 10 miles per dollar spent.
If you spend € 1000 less, you can earn 3,000 miles just going through the links present on the website of the loyalty program. You do not pay more, so it's win-win. I make my purchases through the partner program just for additional miles.
Do all your travel expenses with the credit card that comes with the loyalty program, be it a coffee at StarBuck or your mobile phone bills. This way, you will earn a free flight regularly without doing anything special (count every year every 3 years, depending on the amount of your expenses).
Using these tips, you will manage to earn miles without even flying.
7- RESERVE YOUR FLIGHT EARLY IN ADVANCE
The price of an airline ticket depends on the price of oil. And with the constant increase of the latter, to fly will cost still more. There was a time when the best time to book his ticket was between 6 to 8 weeks before the departure date. But today, I recommend you book your flight as soon as you know your departure date.
Because if the oil price continues to rise, the price of the ticket will do the same.
I hope these tips will help you see more clearly on the hunt for cheap airline tickets. If you have any tips to share please leave them in the comments!
MORE TIPS ON FINDING A CHEAP PLANE TICKET
(Thank you to those who post these tips in comments)
ORDER BETWEEN HIS TICKET AND 1H 4H MORNING
Check out his ticket between 1am and 4am is cheaper and good cost (up to 25% decrease compared to the "peak").
Just by Agnes and Tip Tip
GETTING TO KNOW FREIGHT PILOT! :-D
Ok, it is not given to everyone but I have hosted across a driver this week (via Airbnb) and regularly flies to Lisbon. It has the ability to take up to 3 passengers with him for a price of € 25 (+ tax) per person. The downside is that flights are often done at night but the advantage is that we discovered another way to travel. I intend to enjoy the occasion, I tell you;-)
Fred blog YummyPlanet
A TOKYO LONDON FOR 68 EUROS!
I met the Philippines, there are about 3 months, a Pole who threw me a pretty amazing info.
He gave me a Polish site for tickets at unbeatable prices from Europe to the world.
This site is www.fly4free.pl
He manages to have a return ticket London-Tokyo for 68 euro!
I did not believe it but after seeing the hard tickets do not give up.
I do not know how the site works, I know that the process is not so simple and has watched 2 times a day for 2 weeks to have his ticket but we must admit that it is worth it.
By Sha Dy
FLIGHTS DELAYED UNTIL = TRAVELLERS compensated € 600!
If your flight was canceled, overbooked or delayed for longer than 3 hours, it is possible that you have a right to compensation (unless it is a case of force majeure).
I discovered vol-retarde.fr site that lets you know just a few clicks if you have the right to compensation and how much! To keep absolutely in his favorites.
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