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Flying can be expensive. Before COVID-19, we used to be able to fly to Europe for $300 round-trip. Now, prices for international flights have nearly doubled in the last few months. Although this can be discouraging for a lot of people, there are actually a few ways that you can save some money when booking flights.
By following some simple tips and tricks, you can reduce the amount that you'd typically spend on a ticket. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the best times to book flights, the best websites for finding cheap flight deals, the cheapest days and times to fly, and some other tips and tricks for buying airline tickets .
Cheapest Days & Times to Fly
When it comes to making savings on flights, timing is everything! Generally speaking Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays tend to be the cheapest days of the week for flying while early morning or late night flights are typically cheaper than those scheduled during peak hours (e.g., between 6am-10am or 4pm-8pm).
Check out these flight prices shown on Google Flights from New York JFK to London Heathrow airports below. These dates are for one way tickets in June and July of 2023. As you can see, tickets are cheaper during the beginning of the week versus the weekends.
However keep in mind that these prices may vary depending on where you're travelling from/to so it’s worth checking a few different websites before making your final decision.
Best Time to Book Flights
The general rule of thumb is that if you book your flight at least three months in advance, you will get the cheapest rate. It's also important to understand when airline companies tend to release their discounts and promotions. Airlines usually offer discounts in January or February as they try to encourage people to book flights during the “off-season” months.
Likewise, airlines will typically increase their prices during peak travel times such as summer holidays. Knowing when airlines tend to put out cheaper airfare rates is an important part of finding cheap flight deals. Basically, if you are flexible with your travel dates you're most likely to find a good deal.
While Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the cheapest days to fly, Sunday is the best day of the week to book. I saw someone sharing this tip on Instagram and thought I'd test it out for myself. It actually turned out to be true. I monitored a flight from Boston to the Caribbean for three straight weeks, checking pricing changes every day. The ticket prices were always the lowest if I chose to fly out on Tuesdays, and the overall pricing for all of the flights were cheapest on Sundays.
Best Websites for Flight Deals
The internet is full of websites dedicated to helping you find cheap flight deals. Some of the top sites include Google Flights, Skyscanner, Kayak, Expedia, Hopper and Momondo. All of these sites have different features that make them unique so it's worth taking a look at each one before booking your next flight.
For example, Google Flights offers price predictions which can help you decide when it's best time to buy your tickets while Skyscanner lets you compare fares across multiple airlines in just a few clicks. To get email notifications on price changes, make sure you turn on the price tracking feature on Google Flights. You can find the location of the button below.
One other thing you can do to fight discounted flights is to go on Google and type the name of your favorite airline followed by the phrase "flight deals." I like to fly with Delta and any time I can be flexible with my travel dates, I search for "Delta flight deals."
You'll then click on the Delta's flight deals page and fill in which airport you'd like to fly out of. Delta will then show your their current flight deals from your local airport to multiple destinations and for whichever dates that deal is valid for. This is when being flexible with your travel dates can pay off big-time.
Other Tips & Tricks
One way you can save money on airfare is by signing up for emails from various airlines – many carriers offer special discounts or exclusive deals that are only available through email subscriptions. You should also consider using reward points when booking flights as many airlines offer loyalty programs which allow customers to redeem points for discounted or even free tickets!
Using airline miles is one of the best ways to reduce the cost of flights. I have a Delta SkyMiles Rewards credit card, where I earn miles for every dollar spent on every-day expenses like groceries, gas, etc. Every month I accumulate thousands of airline miles that I use to help lower the price of tickets.
Let me show you why this is totally worth it. Below is a photo showing ticket prices from Boston to Miami leaving on Monday, January 16th and returning on Friday, January 20th. The cost of a basic economy round-trip ticket for those dates is $288.
Now, if I choose to use miles to help me pay for my ticket, my out-of-pocket cost for that trip goes down to $12. If you put most of your day-to-day expenses on your credit card, you'll easily accumulate enough miles to help cover at least part of the cost of your ticket. If you're interested in finding out more about Delta's SkyMiles Cards, click here.
Finally remember that sometimes booking two one-way tickets can actually be cheaper than booking a round trip ticket – so take some time compare all your options before clicking ‘buy’!
Finding cheap flights deals doesn't have to be complicated.
No matter where in the world you're headed off too, saving money on airfare is always a plus! With a bit of research and some strategic planning, it's totally possible to find cheap flight deals and save yourself some serious cash while making your travel dreams come true. By following our tips here—knowing when and where to book flights online—you'll be well on your way towards finding cheaper flights than ever before! Good luck!
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