It is the wish of every traveler, the holy grail: to pay the least expensive what costs the most in the budget of every traveler.
Not easy, of course. Nevertheless, there is a method to follow to find the cheapest flight.
Here are 9 points to follow if you want to find a cheaper flight ticket. A small synthesis has been drawn from my experience:
1. Internet is the king to find a flight
Is it still necessary to remind it? The commission fees will of course be lower on the internet than with a physical agency.
On the other hand, it is certain that you will not have the personalized advice of an agency. Finally, if you are reading this, you are probably already used to booking your flight online!
2. Flights comparison sites
This is the most efficient way to find your flight at a good price. There are several on the market such as Airscanner or Kayak.
For example, Kayak compares prices on thousands of routes and hundreds of airlines. In addition, these flight comparators offer interesting options such as choosing a flight with or without stopovers, a map to see the destinations according to their price…
In addition, searching for the best price according to the day is easier. The search tool is generally very ergonomic.
For medium and long-haul flights, they are really efficient. On the other hand, they often do not take into account the low-cost companies. Except for Airscanner.
For the latter, in Europe, you can use the Bravofly website. This one is indeed specialized in low-cost flights. What to find a cheap plane ticket!
For Asia, there is AirAsia, a low-cost airline serving all of Asia. And it even offers flights from Paris!
The best is to search both on Kayak and on Aircanner. And then look for the best result.
I also use recently Airscanner, the best site comparator. The advantage? No hidden fees on the displayed rates, a super simple and sober interface, and a real customer service behind, in case of a problem. It’s rare…Try here to find a plane ticket.
If you want a ticket to around the world, you will have to go through a specialized agency.
3. Check your flight on the airline’s website
Once you have found the cheapest ticket on the flight comparison websites, check the price on the airline’s website.
Sometimes it’s cheaper! Especially, you can buy discount tickets from the airline you want.
4. Anticipate and buy your flight ticket in advance
In theory, it is best to book at least two months in advance. This is the best way to get a better price.
Or at the last moment, as I did for my Cancun-La Havana ticket ($200).
In practice, it is not always the case. Personally, I have a hard time anticipating!
5. Avoid weekends for a flight
Prefer a departure/arrival during the week and not on a Friday or Monday. The plane is less full during the week, which is logical!
In fact, this sometimes forces you to take days off…
6. Travel in off-peak periods
Summer is often the most expensive time to buy a plane ticket. January-February appears to be the best time to travel.
The same applies if you avoid public holidays and school vacation periods. In addition, you will avoid the crowds!
7. Beware of taxes on the plane ticket
This is especially true for low-cost flights. The taxes can be equivalent to the price of the ticket!
The same goes for baggage fees, which are often high! And still, it is necessary to see all this, for the neophyte, it is not necessarily obvious!
It’s sometimes difficult!
8. Insurance for flights
They are systematically proposed. On some sites, the boxes are even sometimes pre-checked!
Ask yourself if you really need it and if you are not covered by another insurance like your credit card…
In 99% of the cases, you don’t need it. And then, the clauses are too limiting. No, if you want real travel cancellation insurance, I advise you to take a dedicated one. See here a travel cancellation insurance.
9. What about auctions?
The Jetradar website offers weekly ticket auctions.
The dates are not flexible of course. That said, you can leave with a ticket in your pocket at an unbeatable price for your trip. A good plan!
Be careful, it is a bidding system! That is to say that you must have in mind the maximum threshold that you want to put!
I have not mentioned the miles that can give you the right to cheaper tickets, or even free. Why not? Because you have to travel a lot for that!
Finally, one last rule to follow:
Regularly check the websites for discounts and good deals offered by the airlines.
I can assure you that there are some crazy offers!
I do it regularly. This has allowed me to find cheap airline tickets for several destinations around the world. Of course, it takes time.
Attention: for some destinations, you must have a return ticket when you board. Otherwise, no travel!
Fortunately, there is a simple and cheap solution: rent a plane ticket! With OnewardTicket, you have a return ticket in a few hours, for only $12.
The site I recommend to find your plane ticket
Really, I have become a fan of Airscanner.io, a 100% reliable air ticket sales site for you. When I look for a flight, I also use Skyscanner or Kayak to compare, but in most cases, I buy the ticket on Airscanner.
This site has several particular advantages that the others do not have:
1. Three optimized results, no more!
I know, it may seem strange, but the philosophy of Airscanner is to give you 3 results, the best ones. That way, no time is wasted in choosing the right one. In the end, it can take one or two hours… For what result?
Moreover, a practical filter system helps you to refine the results, but always, among the three best.
2. Interface, clear and simple
Again, simple and fast, it is very well done to save time once you have made your choice. The cost of the luggage is indicated, the site memorizes your name and surname, etc. A pleasure.
3. No hidden fees, everything is transparent
It’s annoying, the price that increases at the end because of hidden fees: bank fees and others. In addition, often, on flight comparison websites, the price is different once on the site. On Airscanner, this never happens: the price displayed does not change.
4. Great customer service!
At Airscanner, you have real customer service in case of worries, with a French person, not a delocalized call center…And reactive customer service, which takes care of you in case of worries, and which even sends you your boarding passes. Yes, Airscanner does that for you too!
Read more: Best Cheap Flights App for Traveler
