15 tips & hacks on how to save money on airline tickets. Air travel doesn't have to cost a fortune if you know the tricks of the trade. I'll share some basics tips to save a bit, and some more advanced hacks to book the cheapest flights possible. Tip #1: Be Flexible. Want to fly at Christmas?It’s going to be expensive! Be flexible on your dates, and your destination, and perhaps your oubtound airport. Use the “flexible dates” feature that many search engines have. The difference of one day can be hundreds of dollars. Google Flights has a “Explore Destinations” feature. I often find it can be cheaper to fly to Japan than New York.
2. Use multiple airfare search engines
I like Kayak, Google Flights, Momondo, Skyscanner
3. Plan in advance
Start at least 12 weeks out… book before 6 weeks out is usually best. Unless it’s an award booking, then when the schedule opens, often a year ahead… or last minute, like the day before.
Exception is holiday travel… you might want to book those way way out… but only if you KNOW you are traveling. Change fees will quickly eat up any savings.
4. Know how to spot a good price
Airline prices are a little bit like the weather, they fluctuate wildly Search your route over time to see the fare go up, down… Kayak has a price forecast, and a “fare watch” tool
5. Pay attention to the fare rules
7, 14, 21 days before, saturday stay over… travel on a certain day
6. Look out for fare sales
Sign up for your favorite airlines e-mail list Theflightdeal.com is a good site Or mistake fares -- be quick -- but these sometimes get cancelled
7. Look for tickets as one person
Sometimes buying tickets for “2” or more is more expensive But you can buy “1”... and then another “1”
8. Use one-way fares, multiple airlines for a round trip Yes, you can fly United there, and Jet Blue back But if you book 2 one ways, or multiple carriers your change fees can be higher
9. Fly a budget carrier Southwest Norwegian WOW Air Ryan Air, etc
10. Book from a different city / pay in a foreign currency Japan Airlines might be cheaper if you book the ticket from their Japan website and pay in Yen.
11. Use a travel agent or consolidator
Some airlines -- particularly Asian carriers will offer heavily discounted tickets to travel agents
12. Book a connecting flight
Airlines know people like non-stops… so connecting flights are often (but not always) cheaper. Just make sure to have plenty of time at your connecting point.
13. Book a hidden city ticket
Book a flight with a stop-over, then get off at the stop-over instead of the final destination Don’t check a bag though And airlines really don’t like this
Best website for this is skiplagged -- to tell you how much the airlines don’t like this, United sued skiplagged
14. Fuel Dump
Book an extra city at the end that will cause the ticket to price without fuel surcharges, or lower fuel surcharges
LAX to Narita, Haneda to Burbank, then Burbank to the Caribbean
But you don’t take the last leg… airlines don’t like this one either
15. Award tickets But this is a topic for a whole other video
Things that don’t matter: Day of the week Time of day After Midnight Incognito Mode Incense Standing on one foot Human Sacrifice
