Let's be honest, the flight should NOT be the most expensive part of your trip.
When it comes to international travel, the biggest hurdle to get over is your flight from one destination to the other. Hotels can also be a major money-spender, but there are much easier ways to find cheaper accommodation than there are ways to find cheap flights.
Diversity of options are the reason that hotels, spending on food, attractions, etc have more wiggle room in a budget. And because far too many people aren't aware of the fact that there are options for flights, airfare ends up being the one of the most expensive parts of any trip. And you don't always have to opt for a different mode of travel like train or boat to cut down on travel costs (though especially for shorter trips, these options are a lot better for the environment).
So, before you grit your teeth and book that $600+ ticket to London, let me give you some advice:
Sign Up for a Rewards Travel Credit Card
The easiest way to start earning miles is to use your credit card on everyday purchases and expenses. If that's how you choose to use your credit card, I recommend using it and then immediately paying it off from your debit card, to avoid a bill at the end of the month.
I personally don't use a travel credit card for regular purchases, but I make sure to bring it whenever I travel. Especially if you travel for long periods of time (like study abroad) or are planning a big trip, using a travel credit card will save up points that you can use to travel more and afford more expensive flights.
Combine your sign-up bonus with a few months of expenses, and you’ll be able to cash in those points for plane tickets!
Some of the biggest benefits are earning points to use for free flights and hotels. Plus, many cards offer additional points when making travel-related purchases. Some cards also provide travel protection when you pay for a trip with the card. Bank of America has great travel card options, as well as partner banks all over the world, which helps you avoid those pesky international fees!
Finding Airfare Deals
Track airfare alerts to get notified of deals and discounts. I use Google Flights, Skyscanner and Hopper and compare prices across all three platforms.
I’d also recommend signing up for Scott’s Cheap Flights newsletter for more flight deals.
It has a subscription cost to actually take advantage of their deals, but the newsletters are free -- I use them to compare prices to what I see elsewhere online, and to know if I should wait or buy a ticket.
Use a Fake Location
Some airlines will sell cheaper tickets depending on the location of the sale, so it is based on where you purchase them. This is especially the case if you’re trying to book a domestic flight. Okay, consider you're from the United States, buying a ticket from Tangier to Marrakech. It'll be much more expensive than if you'd bought the ticket while in France.
Avoid this with a simple internet hack: change your country location on the airline website!
And if the website adapts to the new country's language, use Google Translate instead of using the toggle extension to translate the page for you. Sometimes, using the toggle can mess with the website's functions.
Consider Extra Fees
Don't get tricked by super low airfare fees. Before purchasing, make sure to weigh in all the end costs and extra fees.
Some airlines charge low fares and then up the prices for certain seats, meals, luggage, extra legroom, etc.
I've found cheap tickets only to discover that a carry-on bag wasn't included. For example, if one airline has a ticket for $150 but another has a ticket for $200, and you end up buying seats and paying for checking luggage on your $150 trip, you should have just gone with the $200 ticket. The cheapest ticket price at face value isn't always the best option.
Know When To Buy
There is no set day or time to score cheap tickets, but generally, Friday to Sunday will be more expensive, with Tuesdays and Thursdays usually having better deals. Usually. It all goes up and down based on demand.
However, a simple hack is to use the month-viewer on Google Flights, Skyscanner, etc. to see which dates offer the lowest prices. This is especially handy of you're flexible with your trip dates.
Be careful of waiting too late to book a flight. Airlines will increase the price as fewer seats become available -- they know you're desperate! If you try this tip, aim to book within one week before the flight. I've gotten many great deals by waiting last minute (like a one-way ticket of $240 from DC to Paris), so there are special cases.
Work the Search Engines
Search engines are great for comparing prices between different airlines. The downside is that they often add hidden fees, like charging extra for seats or baggage. I've mentioned Skyscanner and Google Flights for comparing prices, but there's also Kayak, Trip Advisor, EasyJet, and Student Universe. Search engines will let you search the cheapest flights from your hometown, and the best part is that you don’t need to have a specific destination in mind to see the deals!
Google Flights is probably the least intimidating search engine, as it's very broad in its searching and has a simple interface. You can search multiple airports at a time or pick a departing destination and browse the cheapest cities to visit over a set period of time.
Using Google Flights
Search Multiple Dates: After entering your departure and arrival cities, click on the calendar icon and you’ll see prices for each day of the month. If you’re flexible with your travel dates, you can use the tool to book the cheapest roundtrip tickets.
Search Multiple Destinations: You can search up to seven departure and arrival destinations at a time. This is great for those living in or traveling to cities with multiple airports. Sometimes, flying into Orly in Paris will be much cheaper than flying into CDG.
Flight Insights: You can save even more on airfare by using Google Flight’s Insights feature. The toggle will give you advice like changing your dates to find cheaper options, analyzing price trends, flying into a different airport, or combining airfare with a hotel booking for to a package rate.
Use Discover Destinations: If you don't have a specific destination in mind for your trip, you can use Google Flight’s Discover Destinations feature. Just put in your prospective travel dates and check off the boxes for potential travel destinations and get instant travel inspiration! Choose the cheapest option for a destination that stands out to you, and you're on your way.
Try Different Combinations
Taking the most direct route (like avoiding layovers) to your destination can often be expensive. To save money, consider looking at alternative routes with one or two stops along the way. Besides, a 12 hour layover in Reykjavik can't be all bad, right? Use it as an opportunity to get out and walk around -- two destinations for the price of one!
Also, sometimes booking one-way flights on different days will end up being cheaper than a round-trip journey. I always look to see if it would be less expensive to book two different legs to my destination rather than just one.
If you have a flexible return date, note that nonstop one-way flights are more expensive than the one way of a roundtrip flight. So consider purchasing a roundtrip flight then paying the change fee of $200-300 to change your return date -- it's probably cheaper in the end.
And if you’re going to take two flights on separate days, try to buy these on the same ticket, even if it’s not roundtrip.
TLDR: Have multiple sources for researching and tracking flights. Keep an eye out for price drops, and be aware of high season versus low season pricing! You don't have to be super crafty to score a good deal -- just aware enough of the way flight trackers and airlines work!
