Categories

In a world where travel isn´t just possible, but necessary, airlines have been a saving grace for those who need to cover vast distances in a short amount of time. However, airlines have also begun to realize the demand for their services and answered with higher prices, higher added fees, and less flexibility in travel schedules. What´s a traveler to do? The everyday person that wants to leave home from time to time needs to learn the tricks of saving on airline travel. Here are three.

#1 – Know When to Shop for Tickets

While it´s common knowledge that buying your ticket far in advance is the best way to save money on the final price, there are better times of the week to shop as well. For whatever reason, airlines tend to drop their prices last on Tuesday and into early Wednesday. This might be due to the upcoming weekend or because those are the dates when they tend to be less busy. In either case, shopping for tickets during this timeframe has been shown to save hundreds of dollars per vacation. And if you can, try to purchase your tickets at least 2 months before the departure date. Seats are filling up fast on smaller fly schedules – and those seats will cost a premium if you delay.

#2 – Become a Preferred Member

If you tend to fly with the same airline when you travel, it´s time to sign up for their frequent flyer program. While these memberships used to be less useful to the everyday traveler, they have begun to work in the favor of the customer more so than the airline. Though there are still blackout dates with which to contend, airlines are allowing customers to swap out their miles for discounts on airfare, which can add up to big savings for you when you travel in certain areas. In addition, try to find a credit card that provides a miles program. Together with the airline´s program, this can add up to savings each and every trip you take.

#3 – Learn to Be a Night Owl and a Layover Lover

Airlines charge more money for the flights which are the ´easiest,´ it seems. That is to say, flights that do not include any stopovers or are at a reasonable departure time tend to be more costly. But, for those who can handle a few stops along the way and who do not mind flying the redeye flights, you can find tickets greatly reduced. And if one of your planes is delayed and makes you late for the next plane, airlines are often willing to hand out reimbursement for your trouble – as well as a seat on the next available plane to your destination. Choosing to fly is more popular than ever – and more necessary in the world of international business. But when you take the time to save money, everyone wins. While the airlines are now trying to cut prices in order to lure more travelers, you can still save cash before you reach your final destination by following these proven tips.