Sometimes, the only thing keeping you from your dream trip is the crazy high price of a plane ticket. There are certain destinations where deals may seem impossible, but there are a few tips you can follow to potentially score cheap plane tickets.
Be Spontaneous!
- Brainstorm the places you’d like to travel someday and purchase plane tickets when there’s an irresistible deal.
- Subscribe to services like Going and FareDrop that will send you emails when there are cheap plane ticket deals. Services like these offer both paid and free versions.
- An example of this spontaneity? I’ve always dreamed of going to Iceland but had never set aside time to go. On Black Friday 2022, I got an email from Going about nonstop round trip tickets to Iceland for just over $600. I purchased them within an hour! Just buckle up for all the blog posts that will come out of that trip 🙂
Plan in Advance
Well, wait just a minute, Mackenzie. You JUST said “be spontaneous”. Good news! Both of these methods can score you cheap plane tickets.
- Identify where and when you want to travel about 9 months in advance. Then, set Google Flight Alerts to monitor prices around your needed flights.
- Click here to see how to set these Google Flight Alerts.
- Google Flight Alerts led me to my crowning travel achievement: $438 Delta plane tickets to Dublin with only one layover.
- Be flexible with your dates
- I’ve often found it cheaper to fly on Tuesdays or Wednesdays as opposed to weekend flights. Unless it will negatively impact your budget, your experience, etc., it may be more affordable to travel on the weekdays.
- Consider traveling to your destination in shoulder season or off-season
- Peak travel times, like summer in Greece, often lead to higher plane ticket prices. Shoulder season is when you’re more likely to find cheap plane tickets. The two best plane deals I’ve scored were for travel in May.
- In addition to cheaper flights, traveling in these seasons can lead to cheaper accommodations and fewer tourists. Unless I’m planning to hike mountains or lay out on the beach, I prefer to travel in shoulder season.
Financial Tips When Looking for Cheap Plane Tickets
- If a cheap plane ticket only saves you between $100-200 but will require an extra night in a hotel or an extra day with a rental car, it may not be worth it. For example, a flight that lands at 10:00pm as opposed to a flight landing at 10:00am may not be worth it.
- Consider opening a travel credit card for additional savings! Almost every airline has their own credit card now. Additionally, certain card companies like Capital One have cards with travel-specific reward systems.
- My Delta Amex Platinum saves me a considerable amount of money on my travels each year! I get free checked bags on domestic flights, a yearly companion certificate for a domestic flight, and miles that can be used towards ticket purchases.
There’s no rush of endorphins like scoring a cheap plane ticket. I hope these tips will help you make your dream vacation a reality.
Happy Travels!
XOXO, Mackenzie
