Navigating the complex and fluid world of plane tickets can tax the savviest of travelers and put an unfair strain on your pocketbook. It seems like every week there’s a new tax being added on to every ticket: segment taxes, security fees, baggage fees, passenger facility charges, fuel and cargo surcharges and international arrival and departure taxes. Most often, these extra costs “pass go” and land directly on the consumer. Finding cheap plane tickets in this convoluted system, especially for international travel, seems meant to be unraveled only by members of Mensa but there are a few tried and true techniques that you can use to increase the chances of scoring a thrifty flight.
Weekly Website Deals
There are many online sites that specialize in last-minute deals. These can be flights, hotels, vacation packages and rental cars. Most major airlines will often advertise special daily or weekly airfares between specific destinations, offering huge discounts if you’re lucky enough to find a match.
Frequent travelers know that the cheap plane tickets are almost exclusively mid-week and early morning or late evening departure times. Not only will this help with the cost of the flight but a lot of times these flights have unbooked seats and you can spread out comfortably or move around after the flight has taken off. Allowing for one or more stops can exponentially lower the cost of your trip. Giving yourself plenty of time on traveling days and staying flexible can earn huge dividends.
Shop Around
Never book the first fare you find. A lot of online travel sites will search multiple airlines for “special” pricing. A lot of times, this pricing is only good for two to five seats and they’re gone fairly quickly. Checking multiple online sources and comparing prices can sometimes save you double, even triple digits. As tempting and amazing these online conglomerates are, many times you can land fantastic deals directly from the airlines websites.
Air Passes (for International Travel)
If you’re traveling abroad and will be doing a lot of hopping around consider purchasing an Air Pass. Basically, it allows you to fly many times within a particular area (Asia, Australia, etc.) and can save you a wallet full of cash. If you decide to stay an extra day or two in a particular city, using your Air Pass will save the stress of extra booking fees on international travel.
Finding a cheap plane ticket can seem a daunting task. Grab a glass of tea and plan on spending some time in front of the computer. Being smart about comparing flight costs and flexible travel schedules will open the door to super great deals that will often surprise you with cheap plane tickets. Don’t forget about those pesky fees though, always remember to give yourself extra time at the airport for screenings and enjoy your vacation. You deserve it!
Steve Jack - Steve Jack is a full-time software developer and writer based out of San Diego, California. He has held positions in Information ...
