Everyone always wants to know how they can find cheap flights, including me. The truth is there are always new websites and apps popping up to help travelers find deals, but many of the strategies I’ve used for years haven’t changed. One of the most important is to be flexible, not only with your dates and times but with your airports and even how you book your tickets.
One of my favorite examples happened several years ago when I needed to get from New York to Sardinia in Italy. When I priced tickets all the way to Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport (OLB), the airlines wanted around $2,700 and I couldn’t afford that.
I started playing around with different options and figured out that I could buy one ticket from New York to London on a major airline, then buy a separate ticket from London to Olbia on a low-cost carrier. I ended up saving more than $1,500!
This trick isn’t just for Europe. If you’re flying somewhere expensive, especially a smaller or secondary destination, see what it costs to fly to a major city nearby and then buy a separate ticket from there. It takes a little more work, but the savings can be huge.
The same goes for alternate airports. Don’t just search one. If you’re headed to South Florida, for example, compare Miami (MIA), Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and West Palm Beach (DJT). Depending on where you’re staying, one airport could be significantly cheaper than another.
And be flexible with your dates and times, too. Everyone wants to fly at the same convenient times and that’s usually when tickets are most expensive. Thanksgiving is a perfect example. Most people want to leave on Tuesday or Wednesday and come home Sunday. If you can travel a day or two earlier or later, you can often save a lot of money. Google Flights makes this easy since you can quickly see which dates have the lowest fares.
There is one big warning if you’re going to book separate tickets: Give yourself plenty of time between flights. If your first flight is delayed and you miss the second one, the second airline usually isn’t going to care that your first flight was late because the tickets aren’t connected.
That’s why, especially on an international trip, I would leave a huge cushion and preferably spend the night. Besides, a night in London, Paris, Rome or another city along the way isn’t exactly a bad thing.
Also make sure your flights are leaving from the same airport. Low-cost carriers often use secondary airports and you don’t want to discover after you land that your next flight leaves from the other side of town.
And don’t forget to check the baggage rules. Low-cost carriers can have crazy baggage fees and strict size and weight limits, so pack light and know what you’re paying for before you book.
The next time you find an airfare that’s way too expensive, don’t just assume that’s the price you have to pay. Play around with the dates, check alternate airports and see what happens if you break the trip into two tickets. It saved me over $1,000 on that trip to Sardinia and it’s a trick I still check today.
Have you tried this trick before? How much did you save and was it worth the extra effort? Please let me know in the comments below.
