The Best of Budget Traveling
Nullam nec urna in sem lacinia malesuada sed mollis tortor
March 12, 2014
View over Brasov Romania
April 23, 2014Securing the best deals for cheap airline tickets
Years ago, traveling was only limited to those with fat wallets and overflowing bank accounts, and flights around the world could set people back, more than just a pretty penny. Because of this, vacations were planned out extensively and months in advance, and there was no room for spontaneous travel.
All of the above is now a distant memory and frequent traveling is more prevalent, many different airline companies have started offering discounted flights to potential travelers, although these flights may not be immediately apparent to those who are less versed in the art of budget traveling.
According to the Art of Travel, while working with a travel agent is a good way to get started with finding cheap flights, most of the better deals can be found on the airline’s websites. “In some cases you sign-up with the airline and they notify you via email of hugely-restricted but incredibly cheap specials a few days before the flight.”
Many frequent travelers have often been caught off-guard with how big the disparity is between the prices of regular tickets and discounted tickets, but it’s important to remember that you shouldn’t purchase a ticket just because it’s on sale. The devil is in the details, as a blog post on Parking 4 less notes, some airlines suddenly pile on tax and processing fees, making you pay more than you thought you would. The price of securing check-in luggage is also often increasingly high on cheaper flights, and planes often land in the most inconvenient terminals, forcing passengers to spend more on airport transfer costs.
A great rule of thumb is to secure the best-value refundable tickets from a reliable airline early on, and then wait until a better, discounted deal comes up. When searching for tickets, FareCompare recommends trying to book tickets on Tuesday afternoons, as most airlines put their tickets on sale between Tuesday and Thursday. Nomadic Matt also says that you need to be flexible when it comes to your flight dates, as there are certain times of the year where flights are impossibly expensive, such as holidays and spring break. If you really want to score those cheap tickets, you’ll need to work your vacation time around a little!
