Do you like travelling but often find plane tickets too expensive? Are you always looking for creative ways to save money when booking flights? If the answer to any of those questions is yes, you’ve come to the right place.
Thanks to Passport Photo Online’s lengthy list of ingenious ways to save money on flight tickets, we’ll give you ten amazing tips that will free up a portion of your travelling budget. You’ll learn that there are many ways to find only the best deals on both domestic and international flights. Without further ado, let’s jump in.
Chrome extensions are your ace in the sleeve
Searching for the best flight deals on FlightList and scouring the internet for any bargain can be both tricky and time-consuming. It usually requires considerable research effort as you search around and compare flight prices and calculate all the other expenses that add up to the final fee for a plane ticket.
The good news is that every bargain hunter out there can count on Chrome extensions like Honey to do their best to find you a coupon. They’ll scour the internet looking for any codes that could be applied during checkout and effectively lower the asking price.
There are a number of extensions you can try out as you begin your search for cheap fares, and they’ll all come in handy when you’re eyeing any other purchase as well.
Take advantage of your student status
I’m sure you’re used to seeing special deals for students in various businesses. Many companies and services offer special deals and discounts to youngsters or college students, and lucky for you, flying’s on the list as well.
There are several websites and online travel agencies that cater to younger travellers’ needs and offer cheap flights, suitable for more restrictive budgets. Moreover, some airlines are known to allow students to get a discount as well. Emirates or Etihad used to offer such a service in the past and chances are that cheaper airline tickets for students will make a comeback.
Make use of senior discounts
Not only the younger generation can count on possible discounts on plane tickets. Many airlines consider it a standard service to offer older passengers, usually 65 years old and older, a slight discount. In most cases, it will amount to 10%, which might turn out to be a sizeable cut.
Just to be sure, ask ahead of time if the airline you’re interested in offers such a discount and how you can take advantage of it. It might require buying a ticket directly from the airline’s website or booking it over the phone.
Join a Frequent Flyer program
While some of us fly in a plane maybe once or twice a year, others do it all the time. Suppose you’re one of them and are used to travelling by plane on a much more regular basis. In that case, you should definitely consider joining a Frequent Flyer program.
All major airlines in the US offer such a membership, and what it does is it allows you to get redeemable points you can spend on, for instance, free flights.
You collect points by flying the same carrier, and if you truly fly a lot, you should collect quite a lot of them in no time and then save money by using the points for either seat upgrades or discounts.
Loyalty might not be the best strategy
Even though we’ve just talked about the benefits of committing to one carrier, it would also be fair to say that when trying to save money, loyalty is not necessarily the best policy.
You might be tempted to stick to what’s familiar and pick airlines you trust. Still, sometimes you can find a better deal elsewhere. The same goes for travel agencies or websites you frequented in the past while hunting for bargain flights. It would be wise to look around every time you plan a trip and require air travel and don’t pay for the first good offer you see.
Price tracking will make saving money easy
If you’re planning a trip well in advance and know exactly where and when you’ll be travelling, you should definitely try price tracking. Luckily, that doesn’t mean staying online every waking hour and keeping an eye on various airlines or travel agencies.
You can count on Google Flights, a highly reliable search engine that helps you find and book flights best suited for you. All you need to do to take full advantage of its impressive capabilities is to toggle on price tracking and then enjoy the show. The app will notify you whenever it spots a price change, so you can be sure you’ll be immediately informed when it’s the best time to pounce on a sudden, great deal.
Don’t forget about the 24-hour cancellation rule
According to federal law, every flight that arrives or departs from the US is 100% refundable if you cancel the booking within the first 24 hours. It’s a rule you definitely should keep in mind.
Picture a scenario where you need to fly urgently within the next few days, and you’re struggling to find any good flights that aren’t already full. You find one that seems okay, and you immediately book a ticket. Crisis averted, right?
Now, the 24-hour cancellation rule allows you to continue with bargain hunting without the fear of missing out on a flight. Once you complete the booking, you still have a whole day to find a more suitable and cheaper flight to take you exactly where you need to go.
Should you manage to find another flight that will allow you to save more money on a ticket within that 24-hour window, you’re free to cancel, get a refund, and enjoy being a smart and strategic flyer.
Perhaps you’re eligible for compensation?
Unfortunately, delays are a pretty common thing on airports, and sometimes it takes way longer to board a plane than it says on your ticket. Whenever you experience a particularly big delay, you must be thinking that this calls for some sort of compensation. As it happens, you actually might be right, provided you’re flying to, from, or within Europe.
According to the EU Regulation 261 from 2004, any major disruption to your flight, such as a significant delay or a cancellation, will result in compensation that can rise up to €600 per passenger. Mind you, the size of compensation is directly dependent on the distance you were supposed to travel, and only the longest flights of over 3500 kilometres are up for the maximum reimbursement. Still, it definitely is something you should keep in mind if you’re planning to visit Europe anytime soon. It’s a perfect example of why it’s important to know one’s rights.
Being a night owl might help
If you’ve ever travelled by plane, you know that taking care of all the formalities and waiting to board your flight can take a while. Because of that, and a healthy dose of cautiousness, people arrive way earlier at the airport. They do, however, draw the line when it comes to either very late or very early flights, as no one wants to spend night hours at the airport.
Those flights, however, are usually cheaper, so should you want to save money, you definitely ought to consider those very early or late flights. You can always sleep on the plane after you’ve boarded it, not having to worry you overspent.
Check prices in foreign currencies
Perhaps one of the most often disregarded tips for the sake of convenience, checking ticket prices in a different currency might help you save money as well. Of course, it’s not a rule that paying in such a way will effectively cut the costs of your tickets, but it is worth a shot.
If you’re travelling abroad and you’re going to need a different currency anyway, you might as well use it to book your flight as well.
To Sum Up
As you can see, there’s no shortage of smart ways to cut down on plane ticket costs and ensure you can go on a trip without going bankrupt. Sometimes there are dedicated programs that help you find the best deals, airlines might reward loyalty with discounts, or you can take advantage of early or late flights that no one else chooses. Keep these tips and tricks in mind, and you will never get the feeling of overpaying for a plane ticket.
