Buzz
While there are countless travel platforms and online booking agencies available to find flights, combining multiple websites can often lead to the best deals. If you have some time and flexibility, consider bookmarking these sites for your next adventure.
Monitor Flight Prices on Skyscanner
You can set up price alerts on Skyscanner or Airfarewatchdog if you're flexible with your travel dates. Additionally, consider checking Priceline, Kayak in incognito mode, and even visiting an airline’s website directly. For instance, Southwest flights don't show up on search engines like Google Flights, so it’s worth checking their website directly.
Consider a Short Layover
Airwander is a platform that allows you to add a 24-hour (or longer) stopover to your journey, giving you the opportunity to explore a new destination while saving money. If you're flexible, you can also use tools like Google Flights to include nearby airports in your search for better deals.
Be Careful with Hidden City Fares
A well-known trick is to book a flight with a layover that happens to be your final stop, a strategy that Skiplagged helps you easily find. These 'hidden city fares' can often be cheaper than direct flights, though they are generally not supported by airlines.
In fact, United filed a lawsuit against Skiplagged, which was ultimately dismissed. However, 'the National Association of Airline Passengers warns that the fine print on most tickets typically prohibits hidden city fares,' reports NY1. Airlines may withhold your luggage or remove you from the flight altogether.
Additionally, 'never purchase a round-trip ticket when using this tactic,' advises Business Insider. 'If you don't disembark at the designated stop, the airline will cancel the rest of your journey.'
Consider Booking One-Way Tickets
As we wrote previously, 'one-way tickets are becoming an increasingly affordable choice for international travelers.' The trick is not to look for round-trip flights to destinations like Paris, for instance. Instead, use a platform like Google Flights to search for cheaper options to and from neighboring countries. Don't forget to take advantage of budget airlines like Norwegian Air and Ryanair. Kayak’s Hacker Fares can also help you find a pair of affordable one-way tickets.
Search for Fifth Freedom Flights
As we covered recently, fifth freedom flights give airlines the ability to 'sell tickets on direct city-to-city routes in countries where they wouldn't normally operate,' as long as it's part of a route starting or ending in the airline’s home country, according to Airfare Watchdog. These flights offer better schedules, more comfortable planes, and in some cases, cheaper or more direct options. Take a look at some of the options here.
For all of these strategies, a bit of flexibility can go a long way in securing a great fare, if your schedule allows. Here are a few other tips and tricks to keep in mind.
