When deciding on travelling a long distance or a nearby location, fares for flight and lodging may mark a considerable percentage of all travel costs. Regardless of how many times you travel a year, being wise on how to save money the next time you go traveling is really important. Here, you will find the best tricks, guides & strategies on how to travel cheap: Flights and Cheap Accommodation.
1. Use Flight Comparison Websites
There has never been a better way to find cheap flights than by working online through flight comparison websites. Depending on the route, it is possible to follow the prices of several airlines and travel agencies with the help of the services Skyscanner, Google Flights, and Kayak. These websites give you the flexibility to:
• View prices across multiple dates: It enables you to know the best days to travel because their prices are cheaper.
• Set price alerts: Receive alerts when the cost of fare in your favourite travel destinations falls down.
• Search for flexible destinations: If you decide to look for flights to “Anywhere” or close terminals that can be cheaper.
It is always advisable to always use the ‘private viewing’ option on the browser while using these tools because some websites monitor your searching habits and may even hike the prices on realizing that they are being tracked.
2. Book in Advance or Be Flexible with Dates
Travellers are advised to book as early as 2 – 3months before making their journey and this will help them save a lot of cash. Many carriers also refund their lowest fares ahead of time and rise gradually as the date of travel nears. In any case, even if you cannot book in advance, it is always optimal to be able to choose dates of travel more vaguely. The best and often cheapest days to fly are on weekdays and during off-peak hours, including mid of the week or early mornings.
As a further suggestion, it is also better to avoid traveling during the year-end holidays like Christmas or New Year or summer holidays. It is less costly and crowded to travel during pre-peak or post-peak when the majority of tourists are still on their respective, typical ‘summer’ vacations.
3. Use Airline Rewards Programs and Miles
Airline reward programs and the use of frequent flyer miles will enable you to make huge savings on a flight. Several airlines give frequent flyer points for each flight you make or any purchase you make with the credit card affiliated with your flight company.• Alphatrails: Links to other sites; American Airlines AAdvantage• British Airways Abbreviated name : BAEC/ EXEC Clubquent flyer miles can help you significantly cut costs on flights. Many airlines offer loyalty programs where you accumulate points with every flight or credit card purchase that can be redeemed for future flights.
Some popular reward programs include:
• American Airlines AAdvantage
• Delta SkyMiles
• United MileagePlus
• British Airways Executive Club
So, if you are a frequent traveler or have a travel credit card with an ability to accumulate some reward points, you are able to get money off or even free airline flights. Further, read credit cards that carry the logo of the airline so that you amass more points that give you priority check-in and sometimes free check bags.
4. Consider Budget Airlines
Low-cost and no frills airlines like Ryan air, Easy-Jet, Southwest and Air Asia are perfect for this. But these airlines are generally cheaper than full service airlines and don’t include services like meals, free baggage allowance or entertainment on board. Of course, some of these features are not available if you’re willing to sacrifice some of these luxuries, but the resultant savings are impressive.
A few things to keep in mind when flying budget airlines:
• Check baggage fees: Since, many low-cost companies charge their passengers for checked in baggage, pack lightly to avoid these additional costs.
• Watch out for hidden costs: Extra charges for the chosen seats, food and drinks, even for getting a paper copy of the boarding pass.
• Check airport locations: Also, some featured airlines operate through other small and distant airports compared to the central airports of the destination country.
5. Take Advantage of Flash Sales and Special Offers
A lot of airlines and accommodation services hold flash sales in which tourists are offered attractive price tags for a limited time only. To get updated with airlines, travel and flight deals join airline mailing list or create alert on flight aggregator sites.
Websites like:
can notify you of flash sales and mistake fares where the airline has a typo on their website, and list very cheap prices. These are activities that have fixed time intervals and mostly are affordable if and only if they are booked as early as possible.
6. Use Aggregators for Accommodation
Like in the case of flight search engines, it is advised to use the accommodation comparison websites in order to get the best deals. Booking , hotels , Expedia and Agoda are among some major websites that enables one to search across numerous hotels, hostels and other accommodation facilities such as Airbnb and other holiday homes, apartments among others.
Make sure to filter your search by:
• Price range
• Guest ratings
• Location
Also, do not forget about niche club that focus on hotel brands. If you are a business traveler or if you travel often, enrolling for programs such as Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, or IHG Rewards will make you get to stay in the hotel for free or pay discounted rates after meeting points earned.
7. Consider Alternative Accommodation Options
If hotels are too expensive, consider alternative accommodation options like:
• Hostels: Economical and most of them are situated within the central business districts. Most of the tourist prefer low cost lodging and Hostelworld and HostelBookers are ideal for booking hostels.
• Airbnb: If you are traveling as a group or for a long time, renting an apartment or a private room will be cheaper than renting a hotel.
• Vacation Rentals: Sites like Vrbo, HomeAway , are booking platforms that offer you to rent the whole house or apartment, it would be very beneficial for families.
• House Sitting: For example, TrustedHousesitters provide accommodation for free while the homeowner is away on the condition that you agree to take care of the homeowner’s pets or house.
• Couchsurfing: Couchsurfing is an internet community which helps travelers to find people in particular countries who can provide them with a free place to stay and usually give them a genuine local experience.
8. Book Non-Refundable Rates for Big Savings
Some hotels and many airlines have what they call non-reversible prices which can be cheaper than their reversible prices. If you have fixed dates and the date is not interchangeable then it would be wise to opt for the non refundable rates as they would cost you less. But remember that if you happen to change your mind, do not expect to get your money back from it.
9. Use Travel Deal Websites and Apps
Many websites and applications have been put in place to assist one in obtaining the best travel offers. Some popular options include:
• Hopper: Analyses the data feeds to forecast flight prices and also assist you in making the right decision of when to buy.
• Momondo: Menu search of flights, hotels, car rentals etc.
• Travelzoo: Provides information for travel promotions which may be bundled flights and accommodation.
• HolidayPirates: Offers a variety of travel offers encompassing all major flight, accommodations, and comprehensive holiday packages.
These websites more often than not come across packaged vacations involving flight and accommodation deals at a very considerable discount than what would be incurred independently.
10. Negotiate Directly with Hotels
Although many accommodations are booked through an online platform that doesn’t allow room rate bargaining, it is possible to negotiate with an independent host. Phone or email them and ask if there are any other promotions on, if there are any other hidden discounts that you may be able to use, or if there are any other additional complimentary services such as complimentary breakfast or parking. In most cases, hotels are ready to provide lower prices, for example, if you stay for several days, or if the hotel occupancy rate is low.
Final Thoughts
Getting better flights and lodging don’t happen by chance but with good flexibility, time and utilization of relevant sources. Applying these tips will help you travel on a shoestring and redirect this money to other amazing experiences such as visiting a new country or tasting exotic food. Happy travels!
