While travelling, the airfare is where you probably end up spending most of your vacation money. But with a little planning (and luck), it is easy to find cheap airfare for your trips. So before you book your next vacation, skim through our money-saving tips.
Plan ahead
The best way to avoid spending your month’s salary on the tickets is by booking flights in advance. If you can, plan ahead. Airlines usually go on sale up to 11 months before the departure date.
Last-minute trips
If, however, you are not a planner, try the last-minute booking. Airlines are known to cut their prices when the departure flight is not full.
The 24-hour rule
In most cases, it has worked. Book a flight and check the prices the next morning. If the price has gone down, call the airlines to cancel your ticket (in most cases done without a penalty), and then rebook.
Leave mid-week
It is said that Wednesday is the cheapest day to fly. Most travellers leave on the weekend, which means more seats during the week. And more the number of empty seats, more likely that the Airlines will drop their prices.
Fly out early/late
If you’re an insomniac, you are in luck. Early morning and late night flights are the cheapest.
Plan manually
Plan your route manually instead of relying on flight search engines. This way, you can avoid long layovers. It is also sometimes cheaper to fly out of certain airports.
Be flexible
Avoid peak travelling dates by adding a few extra days before/after your vacation dates. And if you are not too fussy about your destination, you’ll be surprised to find that it is much cheaper to fly to some cities than others.
E-mail notifications
Sign up for e-mail notifications from flight search engines such as Skyscanner. These websites will instantly alert you with an e-mail in your mailbox of the best deals available.
