Airfare is unique because prices fluctuate wildly for the identical service, often varying by over $1,000. To maximize savings, you should prioritize finding a deal over selecting a specific destination or date first. Planning your trip around a cheap flight can save you hundreds of dollars instantly, making it the most critical step in travel budgeting.
11. Don't pay for seat selection
Accept sitting anywhere. Or check in online exactly 24 hours before your flight to usually get free seat selection.
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Coming soon.
12. Book the cheapest airline
Look at the prices and schedules, and that's it. No airlines are worth paying extra for; they are all the same. The exception is ultra-low-cost carriers (ULCCs), which are really not as bad as everyone says (they are just as safe and don't have more disrupted flights), but they have one real disadvantage: when flights are canceled, you will wait longer because they have fewer flights.
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Coming soon.
13. Check change policies
If you truly intend to travel, you don't need to worry (by paying with the right credit card, you have free insurance that covers changes for valid reasons). But if your plans are not fixed, check the change policies, because plane tickets are obviously non-refundable.
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Coming soon.
14. Consider public transit options for early/late flights
It's not worth saving $30 on a flight that arrives very early or late if you are forced to pay $50 more because your only option is one of the most expensive scams in the travel world (airport taxis/Ubers), since cheap transport options aren't always running 24/7. Always look at the total equation for everything.
More information:
Coming soon.
15. Use points to get outsized/unlimited value
If your flights are expensive in cash, that's when travel rewards have the most value. Unlike the terrible ordinary points everyone usually uses (which have a fixed value) or, even worse, cashback, certain types of valuable rewards can literally give you unlimited value.
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Coming soon.
16. Look for alternative departure airports
Flights departing from neighboring cities are sometimes much cheaper, even taking into account the extra costs (especially if you aren't traveling solo, because the savings on tickets are multiplied by the number of travelers while the costs are shared). There are many American airports near the Canadian border. But sometimes, the alternative departure airport can be further away and still save you money thanks to a positioning flight to get there.
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Coming soon.
17. Look for alternative arrival airports
The same principle applies to your destination. Flying to Paris and then taking the train to Brussels can be much cheaper than flying directly to Brussels.
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Coming soon.
18. Book self-transfer flights
Flying from Canada to Bulgaria often costs $1,200 round-trip. But flying from Canada to Paris often costs $500 round-trip, and Paris-Bulgaria often costs $100 round-trip. Booking separate tickets and doing a self-transfer can save you a lot of money.
19. Book separate one-ways instead of a round-trip
For short flights, the price of a round-trip is just the sum of the one-way prices. But the cheapest airline for the outbound journey is not necessarily the cheapest for the return, so booking separate one-ways can often be cheaper.
More information:
Coming soon.
20. Book a hidden-city ticket
Non-stop flights are often more expensive because they are more convenient (see tip number 8). So in some cases, booking a flight to somewhere else that has a layover at your destination can be much cheaper than booking a flight directly to your destination. Your destination is the "hidden city" in a ticket to somewhere else; that is hidden-city ticketing.
More information:
Coming soon.