How to Save Money on Air Travel – 11 Out of the Box Tips
Air travel prices have come down quite significantly in recent years. However, with many airlines not making a profit, don’t expect these low fees to last for ever. There is going to be a lot of consolidation over the next few years, and that means higher prices. Luckily, there are a lot of things you can do to ensure you get the cheapest air fare possible. Follow these 11 tips and you will have more to spend at the bar when you arrive at your destination!
Tip 1: Stay at home:. An obvious one, but one where you can use perspective to your benefit. Like in “Angela’s Ashes”, where downstairs was the summer cottage, and upstairs was the winter cottage when it flooded and was uninhabitable. It all comes down to attitude man.
Tip 2: Travel only with cabin luggage if you can: Budget airlines save money by speeding up check in times. If you only have carry on baggage you will save money, so try and travel light! You’ll also be thanking your lucky stars when your baggage doesn’t get mixed up, and you don’t end up at your destination with all kinds of B&D outfits.
Tip 3: Shop online for the cheapest fares: The Internet has a range of sites that offer cheap airfares, often considerable cheaper than going through a travel agent. Note: Saturday is the cheapest day to book airfares.
Tip 4: Be flexible in the time you travel: Prices can change significantly depending on the day you fly. If you are flexible (eg a few days on each side of your proposed flight date) you could save yourself some significant money.
Tip 5: Travel at night: Red eye flights are often cheaper because people don’t want to travel at night. Do a search on the Internet and see if you can find any good deals.
Tip 6: Travel out of seasons: If you go in the off seasons you can save substantial amounts of money on travel and accommodation. For example September in Europe is a great time to travel as all the locals have gone back to work and school, but the weather is still good.
Tip 7: Check out multiple websites: Don’t limit your internet searching to one site. Check out at least three sites, and see which one offers the best deal.
Tip 8: Travel early in the morning: Very early flights, especially on the weekend are often cheaper as people don’t want to travel at that time.
Tip 9: Travel with a group: If you are travelling in a large group (eg booking more than four rooms) you can receive a discount of around 10 percent.
Tip 10: Bring less: For times when you do have to bring checked in luggage, try to travel with a lot less than the set amount. This way you won’t be hit up with over weight costs on the way back. You often don’t use half the stuff you pack, and if you run out and really need something you can always buy it, which hardly ever happens.
Tip 11: Limit the travel toys: Most aircraft these days are decked out with a lot of games, television shows and movies that will keep you entertained for hours. Take advantage of these, or more importantly let your kids take advantage of these, rather than buying extra toys or gadgets for the trip.
