Finding Cheap Tickets





Booking travel on a budget can be exhausting. With all the information out there, how can you be sure that you’re seeing the lowest possible prices for airline tickets? I’ve rounded up a few techniques to help you ensure that you’re purchasing the cheapest tickets for your upcoming trip.


1. Choose the least expensive day to travel.

When booking cheap tickets, a savvy traveler can often find a better option on an alternative date. Here is a screenshot of a Google Flights ticket search from Houston (IAH) to Aruba (AUA):




There happen to be cheaper days to fly than the ones originally selected. This can be attributed to a number of factors including seat availability and public travel trends. By choosing a different date to book a plane ticket, a traveler can save some serious cash.

2. Book as far ahead of time as possible.
Once you have the date lined up of when you will be traveling, try to snap up those cheap tickets as soon as possible. The farther out the date of travel is, the less expensive those airline tickets will be. According to data from the Airlines Reporting Corporation, “Passengers pay the lowest price, nearly 10 percent below the average fare, if they buy 50 days before their flight” (1). As the travel date approaches and seating becomes limited, airlines are aware that customers are scrambling to find any remaining cheap tickets. They hike up those prices, and last-minute shoppers suffer the consequences.

3. Make your credit cards work for you.
There are a number of credit cards that offer rewards such as free miles, points, automatic additional checked bags, airport lounge access, and even hotel, restaurant, and rental car discounts. The more you use your card, the more rewards you can accumulate. Many cards even come with an intro bonus of a certain number of miles, enabling you to purchase that plane ticket as soon as you solidify your travel dates or after you spend a minimum amount on that card after a certain number of months. For a quick list of the highest-rated travel credit cards, click HERE.

4. Search using travel websites.
Aggregate sites exist that provide a comprehensive list of the cheapest tickets available for your selected travel dates. Google Flights can be useful to compare dates, but it doesn’t always show the lowest prices. That is because other sites such as Kiwi and Skyscanner combine multiple airlines to find the best prices possible, versus booking a round trip with a single airline. Sites such as these can also add in multiple stops in order to truly maximize your savings.
When conducting the same search as before (IAH to AUA) on Kiwi, here are the results:


In this particular instance, it seems Google Flights is currently showing the lowest price, with a travel date on Friday, October 19th for $396 versus the $534 shown here.
When conducting the same search as before (IAH to AUA) on Skyscanner, here are the results:


It appears that for this specific search, Skyscanner takes the trophy. A flight from Houston to Aruba on Friday, October 19th is listed here for $245 as opposed to the Google Flights quote of $396.
Airline ticket search websites such as Expedia and Kayak can be useful as well, but be aware that they receive a percentage from every purchase made through their website. For that reason, they often exaggerate ticket prices in order to receive a larger amount.

5. Subscribe to emails.
If you’re able to plan for your trip far enough in advance, you have the option of subscribing to both airline and ticket search website emails. These give you information on when new and discounted flights have been created, as well as any upcoming sales.

6. Settle for budget airlines.
To truly find the best cheap tickets, you may have to sacrifice the opportunity to fly with a luxury airline and settle for a budget one that still gets you from Point A to Point B, admittedly with fewer perks along the way. Something to keep in mind when booking with a budget airline, is the size of your luggage. Ensure that your luggage does not exceed the maximum dimensions allowed in order to avoid an unexpected gate fee. Also, some budget airlines do not provide carry-on space automatically with your airline ticket, but offer it to you as a paid option. Wikipedia has created a list of the most popular budget airlines for major countries around the world (2):

USA

Canada

Mexico

The savvy traveler has many techniques available to them to truly find cheap tickets. It just takes a little elbow grease and the willingness to sacrifice layover time or airline perks if necessary. Most importantly, don’t wait to book that ticket as soon as you find it, as you may not find that same low price when you look again.


Sources:
(1) “7 Insider Secrets to Booking Cheap Airfare.” U.S. News & World Report, U.S. News & World Report, 1 May 2018, money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/spending/articles/insider-secrets-to-booking-cheap-airfare.
(2) List of low-cost airlines. (2018, September 25). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_low-cost_airlines.

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