This month, I’m teaching several workshops on travelling on a budget so I’ve got cheap airfare tips on the brain…With United Airlines and Continental Airlines merging, Mexicana Airlines going bankrupt, and more business and leisure travellers taking to the skies after staying close to home last year because of the recession, airfares are on the rise. Here are ten ways you can shave costs on flights:
1. The cheapest days to fly are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Wednesdays are usually the least expensive while Sundays are often the most expensive.
2. Early morning, just after lunch, just after dinner and the overnight flights are when you’ll often save.
3. The cheapest time to buy airfare is usually from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning because that is often when competition between airlines on airfares is particularly fierce.
4. Check out Bing Travel as they have a free “Price Predictor” service which advises you whether to wait or buy airfare now on the more common routes.
5. Track flight prices before you buy by going to Yapta which stands for “Your Amazing Personal Travel Assistant”. If you’ve already purchased tickets, this website may be able to help you get airline refunds.
6. A search on ITA Software will pull up a list of numerous airlines which fly the route you’re wanting to go and there is the option to include nearby airports. You may find airlines on the list that surprise you and those flights could be less expensive because people wouldn’t think to fly with them. For example, Korean Airlines flies between Los Angeles and Sao Paulo, Brazil. And Cathay Pacific jets between Vancouver and New York.
7. Check out these websites for budget airlines that aren’t always included in the more popular travel search engines: Which Budget, Skycanner, WeGoLo and DoHop.
8. Become a fan of your favorite airlines’ Facebook pages as more and more airlines are posting sweet deals there.
9. And while you’re social media-ing, drop by the tweets made on Twitter by airlines you fly often to find out about the latest bargains.
10. Signing up for enewsletters sent out by airlines is a good idea so that you can be in the know about sales they’re offering.
