Traveling can be one of the most expensive hobbies. You can always upgrade your luxuries and there’s always more to see. Of course getting there is half the battle. The half that sucks and usually costs the most. In a world with ridiculously over priced airfare, there are a few beacons of hope. These are some of the best websites I use when I’m trying to fly on the cheap flights. Don’t spend all your money before you even get to your destination. Use these tips to have more cash for actually enjoying your vacation. Each one has its own pros and cons so I recommend checking each one based on what your travel style is.
*side note* I’m not getting kickback (unfortunately) from promoting any of these sites, I just think they are some good options for finding cheap flights. Also get ready for some truly mediocre pictures from the tiny smudgy hole they call a window on the airplane…
Kayak
Probably One of the more well-rounded of the sites, Kayak offers an easy to use search engine that allows you to pick flight details based on specific dates. They offer a variety of flights and usually have some of the cheapest sales through a wide range of Airlines. As long as you know where your going and have a pretty rigid schedule for dates, its a good idea to start with this site. You can also filter out more options using the customizing boxes on the sides of the page. This offers some flexibility in what time of day you fly out, certain price ranges, and if you want to avoid certain airlines (more on that another time). The best tactic to save you money here is to adjust departing and arrival flights by a day or two. Start checking out some flights here Kayak.
A Few Bonus Tips for Purchasing Cheap Flights
- Book flights ahead of time, at least 6 weeks to a couple months in advance for regional flights and at least 3 to 4 months in advance for international flights.
- Flights during the week are usually significantly cheaper, especially Tuesday or Wednesday. Leaving on a Saturday can sometimes be a little cheaper as well.
- Going off season to a destination will mean missing out on some huge events or festivals but the amount you’ll save from picking a different time of year will save you loads of cash.
Fly.com
I know they really didn’t try to hard with this one, But despite the most basic name imaginable for an airline ticket provider, Fly.com is definitely worth checking out. It offers the same standard search for flights as Kayak with a few unique features. Using the “Today’s Best Fares” option, you can select a place you want to visit based on extremely reasonably priced fares. This also helps you find which seasons are most expensive when traveling to a particular destination. Great for last minute trips or vacations, I absolutely recommend checking it out if your the more spontaneous type. See what’s got a great value here Fly.com.
Skiplagged
This next one is great if you don’t mind taking small detours before arriving at your destinations or if you have a little more leeway with time. Skiplagged allows you to search for connecting flights which may happen to be magnitudes cheaper. The one way option really offers up some flexibility if your trying to save some more money at the expense of time. Usually flying with a single nonstop airline flight jacks up the price, but this site gives the options on taking different connecting flights in various layover airports which may offer cheaper rates. This can even open up the possibility of exploring your layover airport while waiting for your expected trip to start. a Two-fer! Check out some of the sweet deals here Skiplagged.
TheFlightDeal
The flights deal takes advantage of flash sales and gives you amazing valued flights all in one. Especially useful for international flights, this site is the most useful for finally taking that dream vacation you always wanted to for an outrageously affordable price. The catch is the deals don’t last very long so you have to constantly be checking to see if there any deals everyday or so. But its all worth is to take the ultimate vacation through another country you’ve always wanted or one you may have not even considered. Chase your dreams here at TheFlightDeal.
And there you have it, my go to sites for when I start planning my trips. You don’t have to be super rich to travel to epic destinations. A little bit of planning goes a long way towards seeing the world. Hopefully your able to find some awesome deals and start planning your own adventures. As always thanks for reading and keep leveling up.