Find Air Ticket Deals: How to Find Cheap Flights

Most people love to Find Air Ticket Deals. Whether this means the cheapest total cost, or an air ticket that offers additional features and services at a value, we want that deal. We don’t want to spend any more time than we have to in order to find the deals, however. Because of this, Montrose Flyer has put together the below information, strategies and tactics to help you in your search.

 

Find Air Ticket Deals - Travel Budget

Travel Budget

Find Air Ticket Deals:
Target Your Travel Budget…

1. Know how much you want to pay for a flight.
Start with a target price in mind

Book when the target price is met!
It’s important to act when you find air ticket deals.

Hesitating to book when the price is good could cost you a deal.  People often end up paying more when waiting for a better deal. Many times these better deals don’t show up.

Travel Research

Travel Research

Research Wisely…

2.  Google Flights or ITA Matrix.
Good Research websites like these can help inspire trips, point to best dates for low fares and more.

Google Flights is easier to use than ITA Matrix. Both can dig out flight information quickly. Travel destinations, prices, airlines and date info can then be taken to a booking website.

Often the good air price deal itself can inspire a trip purchase.

Google Flights and ITA Matrix  will let you search by continent and country in addition to city.

 

Timing

Timing

Timing….

3.  Be flexible with your travel dates
→ If you lack date flexibility start your search early.
>  Search for flights departing midweek.

Fly on the actual holiday.
>  DO try to fly at least one leg of your trip on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday.
→ DON’T shy away from off-peak or shoulder-season travel.

Day of week, season, holidays and most importantly, searching early, can all help you to time your purchase to get a good deal!

 

Flexibility

Flexibility

Flexibility…

4.  Be flexible with your airport originations & destinations
If you lack airport origination or destination flexibility start your search early. 

5.  Try Alternative Routes 
Consider routings through low cost hub airports or nearby alternate regional airports.

6.  Consider Flying Budget Carriers
→ Good for simple travel when you need fewer airline services and/or features.

7.  Use blind bidding web sites & purchase white label fares (Airline/Schedule and other details are hidden)
Web sites like
Book Hotwire and Priceline – you won’t know all details until after you purchase.

There is no factor more important to finding a good deal than having flexibility.

Discount Sources

Discount Sources

Discount Sources…  

8.  Remember: Not all search engines are equal or detailed
Search more than one booking web site. There is no one website that will always get you the best deal.

We currently recommend booking on Skiplagged, Book Hotwire & Momondo 

9.  Take advantage of student or other discounts
We currently recommend Student Universe and STA Travel for students.

10.  Join an Airline or Online Travel Emailing List(s)
We currently recommend The MONTROSE FLYER email sign-up. We’ll do the tracking of multiple other mailing lists for you and boil down into one email newsletter that shares the best deals to/from the Montrose Area Airports. You only search for deals when you see one from us that you like!  

Discount Action

Discount Action

Discount Actions…  

11.  Search for air tickets one at a time.
Sometimes at the lowest rate there is only one seat. If you search for two or more you will receive the higher price for ALL SEATS. When you search and book by individual seat you can get the lowest price on the first seat then the next price up for the remaining seats and save some $vs. booking all together.

12. DO search for two one-way fares, even on different airlines.
Fares are impacted as seats are booked. Sometimes one-way fares on separate air carriers will find lighter booked flights at a lower total flight cost rather than booking all on one carrier where one direction of the flight can push up the total round-trip price. You can also fly at better flight times!

13.  Check if it’s cheaper to pay in other currencies.
Airlines will sometimes charge differently based on your purchase country or currency you are paying in. This is most often an option for international flights.

14.  DO look to book an Air + Hotel package.
Many Airlines will sometimes offer lower non-public wholesale air rates when you buy your air with a hotel in the same purchase. Your total air + hotel cost will often bring a lower total cost than booking air and hotel separately.  

15.  Book a “Separate Air Ticket” itinerary.
Often buying two separate air tickets to complete your itinerary will save you money. There are positives and negatives to separate air tickets and you should look into this type of purchase carefully.

Free or Low Fee

Free or Low Fee

FREE or LOW FEE…

16.  Sign Up for a Frequent Flier Program
Earn miles through flights and purchases that can earn you free (or low admin $fee) flights and travel.
Sign-up for an airline branded or non-airline branded credit card. (Tip: Pay-off your credit card monthly or you lose the benefit)

→ Buy Airline Miles – especially when airlines are offering bonus miles. If you also use these miles during off-peak travel periods
when total miles needed for a trip are less, this can sometimes produce a good total price for air.

Frequent Flier Programs can also earn you free stays in hotels, flight cabin upgrades and other air travel benefits.


SAVE on Other Travel Elements – We have found and shared good travel gear and services deals via our Resource Page!