7 Simple Tricks To Pay Less For Flights
You can Pay less for flights once you are able to avoid the highlighted don’ts. Some are easy to overlook when planning a trip but if you don’t want to pay more than you should for a flight ticket, Ahead, we’ve rounded up 7 simple tricks to pay less for your flights.
Don’t fly on a weekend
The least expensive days to fly are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday. The means that if your departure or return flight falls on a Monday, Thursday, Friday, or Sunday, you’re paying more than you need to. It may take some creative use of your vacation time–such as a trip that runs Tuesday to Tuesday rather than Sunday to Sunday–but what you lose in flexibility you more than makeup for in savings.
Don’t depart in the afternoon
Want to cost yourself some extra money? Book a flight that departs in the afternoon. That’s the travel industry’s version of rush hour, and for the privilege of flying when the skies are most congested (and delays are most common), you’ll pay more than if you selected an early or late departure. Higher fares and more delays? Talk about adding insult to injury.
Don’t stick to one airline
Unless you’re aiming for elite status on a specific airline–which generally requires a minimum of 25,000 air miles flown per the calendar year–it doesn’t make a lot of sense to base your purchasing decisions around loyalty to an airline or its frequent-flyer program. Put simply: The value of a mile isn’t what it used to be. Shop around on Wakanow, mix and match airlines for the best suitability.
Don’t shop at night
Airlines generally release a limited number of inexpensive coach-class seats at midnight, in the early morning or early afternoon. From a consumer standpoint, that means the early bird gets the worm. If you’re booking late at night, you stand a greater chance of finding only the leftover (read: more expensive) seats.
Don’t ignore bag fees
If you remember nothing else about shopping for airfare, remember this: Not all base prices are created equal. A $200 round-trip flight will cost you $250 if you check a bag. Calculate the cost of bag fees when comparing prices. They really add up.
Don’t remain inflexible
This is a big one. Want to pay less for your flight? Use a flexible-date search tool like the search window found on Wakanow’s homepage. But if by chance you do want to see the cheapest days to fly and then plan your trip accordingly, take advantage of the flex-search tools before you commit to travelling on any specific days.
Don’t delay
It’s such a hassle searching for cheap flights, right? It’s fine to keep putting it off until the last minute–assuming you don’t mind paying through the nose when you do finally get around to it. Sure, sometimes people find a good deal at the last minute, but that’s the exception rather than the rule. In most cases, the longer you wait, the more you pay. Start searching a few months before you fly and book early. The sweet spot for finding a good fare is about six weeks ahead of departure.
More: USAToday