Booking Flights On a Budget

4 tips for booking flights on a budget

Booking flights on a budget can often be a significant expense, especially if you are traveling long distances or during peak season. However, with a bit of research and careful planning, you can save a considerable amount of money on your flights. In this blog post, I share 4 tips for booking flights on a budget. Here are some tips on how to save money when booking flights:

1) Be Flexible when booking flights

Having date and time flexibility is my first tip for booking flights on a budget. It has saved me hundreds of dollars on flights! The cost of flights varies greatly depending on the day of the week, time of day, and time of year. Being flexible with your travel dates is one of the most effective ways to save money when booking flights. Here are a few ways you can be flexible with your travel dates:

Travel during off-peak times: Flying during off-peak times, such as mid-week or during the shoulder season (the period between peak and off-peak travel times), can often result in significant savings. For example, if you’re flying from SFO to SEA, flying on a Tuesday or Wednesday instead of a Friday or Sunday can potentially save you hundreds of dollars.

Consider alternative dates: If you’re traveling for leisure, consider traveling on non-traditional dates such as holidays or weekends. For example, if you’re flying for Thanksgiving, consider flying on Thanksgiving Day itself rather than the day before or after. Similarly, flying on a Saturday or Sunday can often be more expensive than flying on a weekday.

Be open to layovers: Direct flights are often more expensive than flights with layovers. By being open to layovers, you can potentially save a significant amount of money on your flight. Additionally, by choosing a longer layover, you can even turn it into a mini adventure and explore a new city! I have done this in Singapore.

Overall, being flexible with your travel dates can potentially save you a significant amount of money when booking flights. By considering alternative travel dates and being open to layovers, you can find the best deal for your budget.

2) Research flights to fit your budget

I’ve spent hours upon hours researching for the best deal. Research is my second tip for booking flights on a budget. It is a crucial part of finding the best deals on flights. Before booking your flight, it’s important to take some time to do your research and compare prices from different airlines and travel sites. 

Use price comparison sites: One of the best ways to research flights is to use online travel agencies (OTAs) such as Expedia, Kayak, or Google Flights. These sites allow you to compare prices from multiple airlines and often offer additional discounts or promo codes. My personal favorite is Google Flights.

Be Open – Be open to the order of your trip or to different destinations. Flight Connection is an excellent aid in my search. While Google Flights helps me to compare airline prices, Flight Connections helps me to expand my options by seeing where I could fly from to a certain destination or where I could fly to from a certain destination. It helps me to stack multiple destinations within one trip in a way that will be most affordable. And it helps me to find alternative destinations that are just as great or better for a cheaper price.

Don’t Rush!: It’s important not to rush into booking the first flight you find. Take some time to compare prices, flight times, and layovers. You may even want to take a break from your research and come back later with fresh eyes to make a more informed decision.

By doing your research and taking your time, you can book your flight with confidence knowing that you found the best deal available. 

3) Departure & Arrival Airport Flexibility

Having flexibility with airports that are close to each other is my third tip for booking flights on a budget. It has helped me to decrease costs. Depending on where you are traveling, there may be multiple airports in the area. Checking flights to and from different airports can help you find cheaper fares. For example, flying into a smaller airport nearby could be significantly cheaper than flying into a major airport.

For example, I am from the San Francisco Bay Area. San Francisco has three airports: San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Oakland International Airport (OAK), and Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC). Depending on your destination and travel dates, flying into or out of one of these airports may be more affordable than the others.

For example, if you are traveling to San Francisco and SFO is significantly more expensive than OAK or SJC, you might consider flying into one of the other airports and taking public transportation or a shuttle to your final destination. Similarly, if you are flying out of San Francisco and SFO has higher fares than OAK or SJC, you could consider departing from one of the other airports.

It’s always a good idea to compare the prices and flight times for all the airports in the area to find the best deal. Just be sure to factor in any additional transportation costs or time it may take to get to your final destination.

4) Use Points & Miles to decrease flight costs

I have saved thousands of dollars by accruing points with both airline loyalty programs and travel credit cards. Using points and miles is my fourth tip for booking flights on a budget.

Airline Loyalty Programs – Many airlines offer loyalty programs that allow you to earn points or miles for your flights. These points can be redeemed for free or discounted flights, upgrades, and other perks. Joining loyalty programs can help you save money in the long run, especially if you travel frequently.

Travel Credit Cards – One way to earn points quickly is by using a travel credit card that offers rewards points for every purchase. Many travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be transferred to airline loyalty programs, giving you even more options for redeeming your rewards. For example, some credit cards may offer a sign-up bonus of tens of thousands of points or miles after you spend a certain amount in the first few months. These points can then be transferred to airline loyalty programs and used to book flights or upgrades. Additionally, many travel credit cards offer bonus points for purchases in specific categories such as airfare, hotels, and restaurants.

When choosing a travel credit card, it’s important to consider the annual fee and the rewards program’s transfer partners. Some credit cards charge a high annual fee, but offer generous rewards and perks, while others have lower fees and rewards but may not offer as many transfer partners or perks.Once you have a travel credit card and have accumulated points or miles, you can transfer them to your preferred airline loyalty program. Each airline has its own rules and transfer ratios, so be sure to check the airline’s website before transferring your points.

In conclusion, being flexible, doing your research, and using the tips above, you can save money on your next trip and book flights on a budget. Remember to be flexible, do research, be open to different airports, and start accruing points and miles.