How To Find Cheap Flights For Your Next Trip
With summer on everyone’s minds right now, My Baggage has put together this guide on how to find cheap flights for your summer holiday. We have outlined how you can make big savings, that will give you more money to play with, from using comparison sites to being flexible with your travel dates, read below to find out more.
1) Search in secret
Did you know the more times you search for a flight on your web browser, the more the fare will increase? This is due to the cookies in your browser, so the more times you check for a flight, the higher it will be each time. Search for your flights in secret thanks to Google Incognito or the private browsing options in Safari and Firefox. Alternatively, clear your cookies before starting a search.
2) Compare everything
Don’t go straight to an airline’s website, it is best to use a price comparison website to compare flights and choose the cheapest route for you. Websites such as Skyscanner, Momondo, Kayak and STA Travel, all offer you a variety of flight options from different airlines and rank them based on their price or duration, so you can choose what flight is best for you. What’s more, Skyscanner offers a feature where you can create flight alerts so you can watch a flight and receive notifications on whether rates go up or down.
3) Be flexible with your travel dates
Unless you have specific dates in mind, be flexible! It’s true that some days like the weekend will often be the more expensive option. One way to ensure you get the best deal is to pick a month you want to fly and use a comparison website to determine the cheapest dates in that month and hey presto, you’ve got yourself a bargain!
4) Sign up to Air miles
If you fly regularly or tend to use the same airline, then a good way to save money on future flights is by signing up to an Airmiles scheme. Most airlines have this, from BA to Emirates and even budget airlines such as Wizz Air. Some charge an introduction rate for signing up to get these offers, whilst others are free to join. Depending on the scheme or number of points you can collect, you can expect to get flight discounts, free flight upgrades or a discount towards your accommodation.
5) Use a credit card associated with an airline
Like Airmiles, there are credit cards that are associated with airlines. This means that for every pound you spend using that credit card, you build up points which can go towards flight discounts or flight upgrades. One of the most popular cards is the American Express British Airways credit card, which allows you to build up points and gives you access to the BA airport lounge. Many airlines have a credit card like this, such as Aer Lingus, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Avianca and South Western Airlines, to name a few.
6) Book your own connecting flights instead of one long-haul flight
This one includes more work, but it can pay off. Long-haul flights can often be expensive, but did you know that if you book these flights separately it can work out cheaper? You could also mix up the airlines. Search for single flights and see how much money you could save. It isn’t always a guarantee but sometimes you can save big on routes that are normally expensive from your destination.
7) Check if it’s cheaper to pay in another currency
It never hurts to check the price in an alternative currency. Why not check how much the fare is in Polish Zloty or Thai Baht instead of GBP? This option works well if you are flying to a destination that has a good exchange rate against your currency. It isn’t guaranteed to be cheaper every time and the savings won’t be big, with the average saving around £30/£35 but that is still extra money in your pocket to play with when you are on your holiday.
8) Sign up for cheap deals or flight newsletters
If you haven’t heard of Jack’s Flight Club, then you need to sign up to this newsletter asap! Available in a free or paid premium mode, Jack’s Flight Club brings you daily deals on flights from the UK and Ireland to all around the world. You will receive a daily email, which outlines current deals, how long they will last and how to book. You can make real savings on flights, but the key to getting the most out of this newsletter is to be flexible with your dates. A recent offer showed you how to book return flights to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic for £300/£400 return when standard fares start off at £700. So, you can make a considerable saving!
9) Consider a stopover flight
If you are flexible and have no time constraints, then you might be interested in including a stopover in your connecting flight? A lot of long-haul flights include two flights and a stopover in between, whereas these normally last a few hours, there are some airlines that will give you a day so you can get out and explore before coming back to the airport to fly to your onward destination.
This means you will get to experience two countries for one price! Icelandic Air offer a stopover option on their flights to North America, Emirates offer a stopover option for anyone who is getting a connecting flight in Dubai, Air Canada offers this option for Toronto or Montreal and they even give you a hotel discount! This is a great option to take the stress out of traveling and experience an extra destination without attributed costs!
