After two decades of extensive travel, I’ve uncovered several strategies that can save you money on your travel plans. While these may not be foolproof every time, it’s valuable to keep them in mind when organizing both domestic and international trips. Personally, I’ve saved thousands by employing these hacks, and I’m sharing them with you to assist you in optimizing your travel expenses.
Keep your travel dates flexible
Extend your travel date flexibility by 2-3 days to unlock potential savings on flight fares. Prices can fluctuate significantly, especially during long weekends. Conduct thorough research through trial and error to pinpoint the most cost-effective departure date. Consider reshaping your travel plans, such as starting your trip on a long weekend or strategically placing the long weekend in the middle of your travel week. Take advantage of the midweek advantage, with Tuesdays and Wednesdays often offering cheaper fares.
Strategic Entry and Exit Points
For multi-city/country trips, meticulously select your entry and exit points, crafting an itinerary that allows for a comparison of flight ticket prices across different destinations. Opting for a round-trip fare is generally more advisable than booking two one-way tickets or a multi-city itinerary.
Persistence Pays Off
Continue monitoring ticket prices even after confirming your flight, as there’s a higher probability of prices decreasing after a set number of seats are booked at higher rates. Conversely, if you’ve secured the cheapest fare, be alert to potential price increases immediately after booking. Leverage the 24-hour cancellation window offered by most airlines to cancel and rebook if a better deal arises.
Unlock Free Travel with Air Miles
Uncover the true value of your credit card benefits, especially with travel credit cards, which often yield substantial miles/points. Accumulate these rewards to significantly reduce or eliminate costs for air tickets and hotel stays.
Navigate Budget Airlines
Stay informed about budget airlines, renowned for offering more economical fares than their full-service counterparts. Follow them on social media platforms like Instagram and X (formerly known as Twitter) and subscribe to newsletters for exclusive offers. Every country boasts its own budget airlines, such as Flair, Swoop, Air Transact, and Wow Air in Canada; Ryan Air, Wizz Air, Easyjet, and Vueling Air in European countries; and Southwest, Porter, Jet Blue, and Wow Air in the US; Spicejet, Akasa Air, Air Asia and Indigo in India, among others.
Consider Secondary/Alternate Airports
Budget airlines often operate from secondary airports in major cities, bypassing primary airports. For example, flights may be more affordable to Paris Beauvais airport than Charles de Gaulle, or to Billy Bishop Airport and John C. Munro Hamilton Airport in Canada, as opposed to Pearson International Airport. This holds true for numerous countries and large cities.
Prefer flights with Layovers
When booking flights with layovers, such as Toronto to Delhi with a layover in Amsterdam, explore the possibility of booking each leg separately. While not foolproof, this approach may occasionally lead to a better deal.
Two Yellow Jackets 