Looking for deals on flights can be a confusing process. There are so many factors we supposedly need to take into consideration when viewing deals online. Admittedly, I'm no travel agent or flight finding expert, but I have noticed a few things that make a difference when browsing for flights online. I'll probably miss a lot of useful tips, but here are my tips for booking the best airfare.
Finding the "best" airfare for most people is probably to find the cheapest flight. However, when I'm looking, I'm not simply looking to fork over as little cash as possible. I'm also looking for reasonable layover times, so I don't feel like I'm wasting my life away at the airport. Keep in mind, having lengthy layovers may allow you to get more out of your travels if they're longer than six hours. Getting into that would be a whole other post entirely, so we'll just stick to flight finding tips for now:
1. Check more than one website. This may seem like a given, but you should never buy the first flight you see on the first website you check. The chances of you finding the "best deal" right of the bat are basically non-existent. if you have managed to find the best deal possible as soon as you started looking, teach me your ways! Personally, I don't have a "go to" website for buying plane tickets, but I've found great deals on sites linked to the ones listed below:
- Momondo
- Kayak
- Cheapoair (I personally haven't had much luck on this site, but my mom swears by it)
- Skybooker (Their payment process can be a bit of a hassle, but they have some great deals!)
2. Change the currency. Again, this may seem like a given, but I've made the mistake of "finding deals" while browsing in USD which led to me being incredibly disappointed in myself (economy's current state) when I had to switch over to CAD only to find that the flights I was looking at were as expensive as always.
3. Use an incognito search. Private browsing can be for more than just looking up inappropriate stuff on the interweb! When looking for flights regularly, the websites you're checking will catch on, and up their prices. I always thought that people were just pulling my leg when they mentioned this tip to me until I had the price for an airfare go up by twenty dollars when I refreshed the page. Twenty bucks might not seem like that big a difference, but when you've spent a few weeks waiting for ticket prices to decrease, it feels like the worst kind of robbery.
4. Browse for flights in the middle of the week. This tip has two meanings. First off, when looking for tickets, I've found that the prices are usually lower in the middle of the week. By this, I mean if I look at flights on a Wednesday or Thursday, the prices are less expensive than if I look over the weekend or on a Monday. I'm not completely sure why this is the case, but I have a feeling it has something to do with people planning last minute getaways.
The other meaning I have for "browsing for flights in the middle of the week" is linked to your departure date. If possible, try booking your departure flight between Tuesday, and Thursday, since they're the least convenient days for most people to take trips. Think about it: a lot of people will want to fly out/ fly in from a place during the weekend when they're not working. Similarly, Fridays and Mondays can sometimes be linked to a long weekend, which make them more desirable days to travel places.
I haven't found jaw dropping variances in price when comparing browsing days, and departure days to each other. However, it has saved me a couple hundred dollars in the past, so it's a rule a firmly stand by.
5. Don't book flights right away if you don't have to. Being able to set your travel plans in stone by purchasing your plane tickets is one of the most exciting things in the world, I get that. However, if you can, try to get a feel for the price fluctuations before you commit to a specific airfare. There are few things more heartbreaking than buying your plane ticket, only to check back a week later and see the fare dropped by a couple hundred dollars. Patience is a virtue, and when trip planning, it's one of the best virtues to have. Of course, if you're booking a last-minute flight, you don't have time to waste so just find the best deal you can at the time you're looking to buy.
There you go, five flight finding tips that you may or not find useful when planning your next trip.
If you have any suggestions I may have missed, please let me know by emailing me at journeywithjana@gmail.com!
Wishing you the smoothest and safest of travels,
Jana