7 Ways to Save Money on Your Next Flight
I’ve covered the ever-relevant topic of how to save money when you fly in the past (see my recent post on who to follow on Twitter to save on airfare), but I recently heard from Janell, a money-saving blogger at Saving You Dinero, who has all kinds of fabulous tips to help you save money on airfare. Here are seven of my favorite tips to keep in mind before you book your next flight:
1) Track Airfares Early: If you plan to fly, start looking at fares early. It’s best to book your travel on Tuesdays (when the most cheap seats are available) and travel Tuesday-Thursday. Set up flight alerts on Airfare Watchdog to get low fare email alerts for travel to your destination, or to anywhere from your home airport if you’re not quite sure where you want to vacation.
2) Check Airfares After-Hours: Prices change during the evening, late night and weekend hours. This isn’t always the case, but Janell has had the most luck searching for good deals in these time blocks.
3) Make Kayak Your Go-To Travel Website: Janell really likes Kayak because it compares prices from many airline and travel aggregator websites, including Expedia and Travelocity. You can set price alerts on Kayak too so you know right away when the price on a desired flight goes down.
4) Sign Up for Email Newsletters: If you fly a particular airline frequently, get on their email list to be among the first to know about fare sales. Some airlines, especially small airlines, also include coupon codes in their email newsletters.
5) Try an Alternate Airport: If you’re served by more than one airport, be open to flying out of your second-choice airport if you can get a lower fare. I live very close to Washington-Dulles Airport, but often I can find lower fares by flying out of Baltimore-Washington Airport (a big help to this family of six!).
6) Know About Baggage Fees: Before you buy an airline ticket, be sure you know about baggage fees. Will you have to pay per bag? What is the maximum weight per bag, and how much extra will you need to pay if your bag exceeds the limit?
7) Book Your Tickets Through Cash-Back Sites: Once you find your desired airfare, book your flights through cash-back sites, like Ebates or Shop at Home. For example, you can buy your tickets on Travelocity through Shop at Home and get back 2% on each ticket you buy.
Do you have any great tips for saving money on airfare? Go ahead and leave me your best tips in the comments section below.
Photo Credit: simonsenphoto
