My Favorite Tips for Booking Cheap Flights

It’s no secret that I live to travel.  I am a homebody, for about 3 months at a time, and then the itch sets in, and I gotta get out and see some other part of the world.  Luckily for me, the HH has always been content to send me on my merry way while he and Monkey Boy stay at home, eat Dorritos and play video games {he doesn’t have the same itch}.

The only real caveat to my travelling has been to find good deals so that I don’t break the bank.  Saving money here and there at home gives me extra cash to spend on travelling, but still, I try to make that money stretch as far as possible.  Flights and hotel rooms are usually the biggest portion of my travel expenses, so over the years, I’ve honed my booking skills to make sure I get the best deal on my airline tickets.  Because sharing is rad, I thought I’d pass on those tips to you.

1. Choose to fly out and back home on a Tuesday or Wednesday.  They are notoriously cheaper days to fly.  Sure, you get some business travel, but for the most part, the masses travel over weekends…probably due to the whole less time taken off work thing.
2. Prices tend to go down in the middle of the month.  I never really got this phenomenon until I read somewhere that it’s because people get paid at the beginning and end of the month—which is when the usually decide that they have money to travel—making the costs a bit higher.
3. If you aren’t picky about your schedule and are an incredibly fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type of person {literally and figuratively}, you can score some pretty awesome deals a day or two before traveling.  The airline is looking to fill flights, and if you’re willing to be that body, it’s a match made in heaven.  In the interest of fair-warning, though, this one can backfire on you.  Occasionally, there are no open seats and you’re left paying a premium.
4. Call the airline directly.  Occasionally talking to an actual human being can get you pretty darn good deals.
5. Sign up for deal alerts on the major travel websites.  This one comes in handy if you know you want to go on vacation about a year out.  It allows you to see the fluctuations in prices, and then jump on a deal when it comes your way.
6. Consider traveling on a couple different airlines.  This is a pain in the butt if you want to check-in baggage, but if you are just doing your carry-on, you can take advantage of each airlines best deal.  So, maybe you fly from Seattle to Milwaukee on Delta, and then jump over to United on the final leg to your destination.
7. Consider a credit card that gives you travel points.  If you aren’t opposed to charging ALL of your expenses each month and then paying it OFF each month, points add up super fast–leading to significant savings on travel.  I figure, it you were already going to spend the money on gas and groceries, you might as well get some perks from it.

How do YOU score great deals on your airline tickets?

~Mavis