29 Best Ways to Save on Flights

1. Check for Special Airline Promotions

Difficulty: Medium Savings Potential: ★★★★☆

Airlines often offer flash sales, discounts, and limited-time promotions that can significantly reduce flight costs. By frequently checking airline websites or subscribing to their newsletters, you can stay in the loop for these special deals. These promotions may only last a few hours or days, so acting fast is crucial to securing a discounted fare before prices return to normal.

Helpful Tools: • Airline websites (sign up for newsletters) • Scott’s Cheap Flights (for flight deal alerts) • Secret Flying (for global flight deals)

2. Book Early to Lock in Lower Prices

Difficulty: Very easy Savings Potential: ★★★★☆

Flight prices tend to increase as the departure date nears. Booking your flights early—ideally, a few months in advance—can help you secure lower prices before demand drives up the cost. Airlines often release their tickets at competitive rates initially, so the earlier you plan, the more likely you are to find a good deal.

Helpful Tools: • Google Flights (for tracking price trends) • Kayak (for price forecasting) • Hopper (for predicting price drops)

3. Be Open to Different Travel Dates

Difficulty: Medium Savings Potential: ★★★★☆

Flexibility with your travel dates can be a huge plus for finding cheaper flights. By adjusting your departure or return by just a day or two, you could find significant price differences. Many flight search engines allow you to compare prices across a range of dates, making it easier to spot when fares are lower.

Helpful Tools: • Skyscanner (flexible date search or see the cheapest month to fly) • Google Flights (calendar view for price comparison and flexible searches) • Momondo (offers flexible search options and shows the cheapest dates)

4. Fly Through Alternate Airports

Difficulty: Hard Savings Potential: ★★★★☆

Major airports aren’t always the cheapest option. Smaller, regional airports, or those located slightly farther from your destination, may offer much lower fares. Even with the added time and cost of ground transportation, using an alternate airport can result in overall savings, making it a strategy worth exploring.

Helpful Tools: • Google Flights (search for nearby airports) • Skyscanner (compares multiple airports) • Kiwi.com (finds unconventional routes and airports)

5. Avoid Extra Costs by Packing Smart

Difficulty: Very easy Savings Potential: ★★★☆☆

Budget airlines often charge extra for checked baggage, seat selection, and even carry-on luggage. To avoid these fees, pack light and stick to only a carry-on that complies with the airline's size restrictions. By traveling light, you can reduce your overall travel expenses and skip long baggage claim lines.

Helpful Tools: • Airline websites (for baggage policies) • PackPoint (packing list organizer) • AmazonBasics Travel (affordable travel packing gear)

6. Set Fare Alerts to Monitor Price Drops

Difficulty: Medium Savings Potential: ★★★★☆

Using tools like Google Flights or Hopper, you can set up fare alerts that notify you when ticket prices drop for your desired route. This allows you to monitor price fluctuations and pounce on a good deal when it appears. Fare alerts save you the hassle of constantly checking for price changes.

Helpful Tools: • Hopper (notifies when prices drop) • Google Flights (track prices for specific routes) • Skyscanner (price alerts)

7. Book on Weekends for Potential Deals

Difficulty: Very easy Savings Potential: ★★★☆☆

Traditionally, mid-week was considered the best time to book flights, but recent trends suggest weekends, particularly Sundays, can offer competitive fares. Keep an eye on prices over the weekend when airlines may release lower fares to entice travelers making last-minute booking decisions.

Helpful Tools: • Google Flights (track weekend trends) • Expedia (for weekend-specific deals) • Momondo (for weekend fare comparison)

8. Avoid Peak Holiday Travel Times

Difficulty: Hard Savings Potential: ★★★★★

Holiday periods, school vacations, and popular event dates are notorious for driving up airfare. By planning your travel outside of these peak times, you can find significantly lower prices. Avoiding the holiday rush is one of the simplest and most effective ways to save on flights.

Helpful Tools: • Kayak Explore (explore off-peak destinations) • Skyscanner (compare peak and off-peak times) • Google Flights (compare dates and peak times)

9. Find Cheap Flights with Comparison Tools

Difficulty: Hard Savings Potential: ★★★★★

Flight comparison websites allow you to quickly view and compare prices from multiple airlines in one place. These tools are invaluable for identifying the cheapest options available without the need to visit each airline's site individually.

Helpful Tools: • Skyscanner (excellent for global comparisons) • Google Flights (comprehensive search tool) • Momondo (great for comparing flight deals) • Flighthub (for comparing 400+ airlines)

10. Consider Connecting Flights

Difficulty: Medium Savings Potential: ★★★★☆

While direct flights are more convenient, adding a layover can save you a substantial amount of money. If you’re flexible with your time, booking a flight with one or more stops may reduce your overall fare. It may take longer, but the savings can be worth the extra travel time.

Helpful Tools: • Kiwi.com (find creative routes with layovers) • Skyscanner (for multi-city and layover flights) • Google Flights (explore layover options)

11. Use Credit Card Points or Miles

Difficulty: Medium Savings Potential: ★★★★☆

Many credit cards offer rewards programs that allow you to redeem points or miles for flights. If you’ve accumulated points from your purchases, now’s the time to use them to offset your ticket cost. Some cards even offer free companion tickets or bonus points for travel expenses.

Helpful Tools: • Chase Ultimate Rewards (travel points) • American Express Membership Rewards • Citi ThankYou Points (for redeeming miles) • Barclays Avios

12. Check Regional Airlines for Hidden Deals

Difficulty: Easy Savings Potential: ★★★★☆

Local or regional airlines may not appear on major travel search engines, but they often provide lower fares for certain routes. It’s worth doing some extra research or visiting their websites directly to find hidden deals that larger, more popular airlines might not offer.

Helpful Tools: • Google Flights (find smaller, regional carriers) • Skyscanner (compare regional airline deals) • Airline-specific websites (for regional promotions)

13. Try Browsing in Incognito Mode

Difficulty: Very easy Savings Potential: ★★★☆☆

Flight search engines can track your browsing activity and adjust prices based on your search history. To avoid inflated prices on repeat searches, use your browser’s incognito mode or clear your cookies. This prevents websites from manipulating prices based on your previous activity.

Helpful Tools: • Google Chrome (for incognito browsing) • Mozilla Firefox (for private browsing mode) • Skyscanner (hidden fare tracking)

14. Search Flights with a VPN

Difficulty: Medium Savings Potential: ★★★☆☆

Flight prices can vary based on your location, with some regions seeing higher fares than others. Using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) allows you to browse as if you're in a different country, which could unlock cheaper flight options. By masking your real location, you can take advantage of lower fares offered to users in different regions.

Helpful Tools: • NordVPN (fast and reliable location switching) • ExpressVPN (global servers for varied locations) • TunnelBear (user-friendly and free options)

15. Book an Open-Jaw Ticket for Flexibility

Difficulty: Very hard Savings Potential: ★★★★☆

An open-jaw ticket, where you fly into one city and leave from another, can provide cost savings and flexibility. It’s perfect for travelers planning multi-city trips, allowing you to explore more destinations without needing to return to your starting point, sometimes at a lower overall cost.

Helpful Tools: • Google Flights (best for multi-city bookings) • Kayak (compare multi-destination options) • Skyscanner (for open-jaw and multi-city flights)

16. Explore Different Flight Times

Difficulty: Medium Savings Potential: ★★★★☆

Not all flight times are priced the same. Early morning, late night, or mid-week flights often come with lower price tags because they’re less popular. If you’re flexible with the time of day you travel, you can save by opting for these less desirable departure times.

Helpful Tools: • Google Flights (explore cheaper times) • Skyscanner (compares flight time prices) • Airline-specific websites

17. Track Airlines on Social Media

Difficulty: Medium Savings Potential: ★★★☆☆

Many airlines announce flash sales or exclusive deals on their social media platforms. Following your favorite airlines on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram can help you stay updated on these offers, giving you a chance to score lower fares before they’re widely known.

Helpful Tools: • Twitter (for flash sales from airlines) • Instagram (follow airlines for promo codes) • Facebook (monitor last-minute deals)

18. Use “Hidden-City” Ticketing (With Caution)

Difficulty: Very hard Savings Potential: ★★★★☆

Hidden-city ticketing is a strategy where you book a flight with a layover at your actual destination, then skip the final leg. While it can save you money, be aware that airlines may penalize you for not completing the journey, so use this tactic cautiously and at your own risk.

Helpful Tools: • Skiplagged (specializes in hidden-city ticketing) • Google Flights (find hidden-city routes) • Kiwi.com (connects hidden-city options)

19. Consider Layovers as an Adventure

Difficulty: Medium Savings Potential: ★★★★☆

Instead of dreading layovers, view them as an opportunity to explore a new city. Some long layovers allow enough time for a short excursion, and flights with layovers are typically cheaper. You can even plan layovers strategically to add a mini-destination to your trip at no extra cost.

Helpful Tools: • Google Flights (look for longer layovers) • Skyscanner (find layover opportunities) • Layover Guide (plan activities during layovers)

20. Use Credit Card Travel Perks

Difficulty: Medium Savings Potential: ★★★☆☆

Many travel-focused credit cards offer perks such as free checked bags, priority boarding, or complimentary lounge access. These benefits can save you money on extra fees while making your journey more comfortable. Use these perks to cut down on expenses and enhance your travel experience.

Helpful Tools: • Chase Sapphire Reserve (travel perks) • American Express Platinum (offers travel benefits) • Citi Prestige Card (includes travel perks)

21. Try Booking on Lesser-Known Sites

Difficulty: Hard Savings Potential: ★★★☆☆

While major platforms like Expedia and Orbitz dominate, smaller, niche booking sites can sometimes offer cheaper fares. Explore region-specific or lesser-known travel websites to find deals that might be overlooked by larger search engines.

Helpful Tools: • [TravelMerry] (link) (specializes in international flights with affordable rates) • BudgetAir (focuses on low-cost flights and lesser-known airlines) • CheapOair (offers niche deals on flights and packages) • Fareboom (advanced flight search options)

22. Look for Budget Airline Deals

Difficulty: Easy Savings Potential: ★★★★☆

Budget airlines can offer incredibly cheap base fares, especially for short flights. However, they often charge for extras like seat selection, baggage, and food. If you’re willing to fly with fewer frills, sticking to budget airlines can be a great way to save on airfare.

Helpful Tools: • Ryanair (low-cost European flights) • Southwest Airlines (affordable US-based carrier) • Spirit Airlines (low-cost flights with optional add-ons)

23. Travel Insurance for Flexibility

Difficulty: Medium Savings Potential: ★★☆☆☆

Purchasing travel insurance early can provide you with coverage in case of unexpected changes to your plans. It can protect you from costly last-minute fare increases if you need to rebook your flight and offer peace of mind when making changes.

Helpful Tools: • World Nomads (comprehensive travel insurance) • Allianz Travel Insurance (flexible plans) • Travel Guard (customizable coverage)

24. Follow Local Tourism Boards

Difficulty: Medium Savings Potential: ★★★☆☆

Local tourism boards often partner with airlines to promote destinations through discounted fares, especially during off-peak seasons. By following these boards online, you can discover special deals and promotions tied to certain locations and events.

Helpful Tools: • Local tourism board websites • Visit the USA (track U.S. promotions) • Visit Britain (UK-related promotions)

25. Use Pay-What-You-Want Sites

Difficulty: Easy Savings Potential: ★★★★☆

A few emerging platforms allow travelers to bid on flights or name their own price for tickets. Though not widely known, these sites provide a unique way to potentially score a low-cost fare by setting the price you’re willing to pay.

Helpful Tools: • SkyAuction (bid on hotels and flights)

26. Coordinate Flights with Package Deliveries

Difficulty: Easy Savings Potential: ★★★★★

Some companies offer discounted flights for travelers willing to transport packages. By acting as a courier for small, approved shipments, you could save on your airfare while helping with deliveries. This unconventional option is a creative way to offset travel costs.

Helpful Tools: • AirMule (deliver packages on your flight) • Grabr (connects you with delivery needs) • CitizenShipper (act as a courier)

27. Join Frequent Flyer or Loyalty Programs

Difficulty: Medium Savings Potential: ★★★★☆

Most airlines offer free frequent flyer or loyalty programs that reward regular travelers with miles, points, and exclusive discounts. Joining these programs early can help you accumulate benefits over time, leading to cheaper flights or even free tickets down the road.

Helpful Tools: • United MileagePlus • Delta SkyMiles • American Airlines AAdvantage

28. Use a Fare Predictor Extension

Difficulty: Medium Savings Potential: ★★★★☆

Fare predictor extensions help you book at the perfect time by analyzing historical data on flight prices. These tools monitor airfare trends and notify you when prices are likely to rise or fall, giving you the chance to book when fares are at their lowest. With minimal effort, you can stay ahead of price hikes and save money on flights.

Helpful Tools: • The Flight Deal • Airfarewatchdog • Hopper Extension

29. Split Your Trip with Separate One-Way Tickets

Difficulty: Very hard Savings Potential: ★★★★☆

Instead of booking a round-trip ticket with one airline, consider purchasing two separate one-way tickets from different carriers. This strategy allows you to mix and match budget airlines with traditional carriers, often leading to better deals. It also gives you the flexibility to take advantage of sales or promotions on specific legs of your trip, potentially saving a significant amount.

Final thoughts - Best Way to Save on Flights

All in all, finding the best deals on flights doesn't have to be complicated. With the right strategies—like staying flexible, monitoring fare alerts, and taking advantage of airline promotions—you can significantly cut travel costs.

Whether you're booking early, exploring alternative airports, or using comparison tools, there are plenty of ways to optimize your travel budget. By incorporating these tips into your planning process, you'll be well on your way to snagging great deals and enjoying affordable, stress-free travel. With a bit of patience, smart research, and timely decision-making, even expensive routes can become more accessible. Happy flying!

---

Another way to save: skip the pricey airport lockers. BagsAway luggage storage starts at just $5.95/bag at 1,000+ locations worldwide.