Saving on your Flights
When it comes to airfare, prices can quickly change with time and destination, so learning how to navigate the ins and outs of the flight industry is an imperative skill to have for the freedom-based lifestyle entrepreneur.
Following are a few of the ways by which you can save on your airfares.
1. Shop around – As you already know, airfares for similar flights can vary dramatically from airline to airline. Sites like Expedia.com, Dohop.com, Hipmunk.com, Travelocity.com, Kayak.com, FareCompare.com, or Adioso.com (my favorite for its intuitive interface) allow you to compare offers from multiple airlines at once. That being said, don’t rule out booking directly through the airline companies themselves, who might offer exclusive deals.
2. Set up flight alerts – If you fly any regular route, Travelzoo.com, Cheapair.com, and other travel booking sites can generate custom flight email alerts. You enter the details of your trip, and they’ll alert you whenever they find a deal matching your criteria.
3. Be flexible with your airport – The nearest airport to your origin/destination may not always have the cheapest flights, so be sure to check nearby airports for lower airfares. You can use Skyscanner.com to see how much it costs to fly to various airports by entering a country’s name instead of a specific city as your destination point (it will list the cheapest flights from your local airport in price order). Also, if your final travel destination isn’t a major hub, check fares to the hub first and then look for an extra flight from the hub to your final destination. (Every airline has a “hub” where the majority of its flights arrive/depart. This means potentially cheaper fares because there are more flights to choose from.)
4. Be flexible with your dates – Flexibility is key to finding inexpensive airfare, as flight prices vary considerably depending on the season, month, day, and even hour of travel. Search tools such as Skyscanner.com, kayak.com/explore/, and google.com/flights allow you to compare flight prices across a whole month (they also allow you to browse the cheapest fares to multiple world destinations, which gives you more flexibility); however, don’t automatically count on these tools. Instead, conduct individual searches for different days, especially Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, which are more likely to offer lower rates on airfare.
5. Know when to buy – Timing can be everything when it comes to finding flight deals. The worst time to book your trip is usually the last minute when few seats remain available. This does not mean that you can’t score a cheap airfare at the last minute, but more often than not, it’s better to book your trip a little bit in advance. Data shows that “sweet spot,” so to speak, is around 30 to 90 days before your planned trip; this is usually when prices are at their lowest. Also, I haven’t personally seen it work, but many travel experts say that it best to search for cheap airfares in the middle of the week, as some airlines update their databases on Tuesday or Wednesday. The other recommendation is to avoid shopping for flights on the weekends.
6. Two one-way flights vs. round trip – Round trips are not always cheaper, so check each leg of your trip separately. Your options are completely open and you can mix and match different airlines. You don’t even have to arrive/depart from the same airport. On the other hand, if your trip is a one-way departure, check the round-trip fares–sometimes they are actually less expensive.
7. Research Fees – Expedia, Kayak and most of the other big travel sites show you all taxes and fees upfront; sometimes, however, there are several airline charges that are not reflected in the initial price you see. Perhaps the most common one is the baggage fee. Always check baggage policies, both carry-on and checked, before you fly, as it can save you some money and disappointment.
8. Shop for one seat: If you’re traveling with a partner or a group, search for one person first and see if there is a price difference when you search for a group. If the price comes out lower, consider buying your tickets separately.
9. Clear your web browsing history – Some travel booking sites record your web browsing data and use this information to raise prices the next time you visit their site. By clearing your browser’s cache (also known as ‘temporary internet files’) and restarting your browser, you may see lower prices for the same search.
10. Don’t focus only on price – Choosing non-stop over connecting flights, for example, will save you time, which can be translated into money. Check out RouteHappy.com for its “flight-happiness” rating system. You can sort routes by ease of transit (number of connections, roomier seats, entertainment, etc.) rather than focusing strictly on price.
Earning Frequent Flyer Miles
Now let’s discuss how to earn airline miles, something that can help you travel more affordably and even for free.
There are a few primary ways to earn Frequent Flyer miles.
The most obvious one is flying. All you have to do is to include your frequent flyer number each time you purchase a flight ticket. You’ll then earn one mile for every mile flown.
Now, while flying is one of the easiest ways to earn miles, it’s also the slowest way. The fastest way to rack up your miles is on the ground through various promotions.
Here are a few:
1. Applying for a travel or co-branded airline credit card – Signing up for just one card can often give you large bonuses of 30,000 miles or more per card. Simply google “Credit Cards with Mileage Bonuses” in your local area, or check out this page if you live in the U.S. for a list of current credit cards with travel benefits.
2. Shopping through mileage portals – Every major airline has a shopping portal that features various popular online retailers, so whenever you plan to buy something online, check your airline’s mileage portal first to see if they offer it as well. If the price is the same or lower, it’s better to purchase your desired product through the portal, as you can earn lucrative bonus miles.
3. Airline dining programs – If you dine out often, you can incrementally up your mileage by dining at your airline’s preferred restaurants. All you need to do is to register your credit card with your airline’s dining program (simply google your airline’s name + “dining program”). That way, whenever you eat at one of the airline’s recommended restaurants, you earn mileage points.
4. Earning miles with car rentals – Car rentals can earn you points just like the dining programs and shopping portals. Whenever you plan to rent a car, simply google your airline’s name + “car rental miles” to find out what promotions they are offering.
5. Earn miles staying at hotels – Similar to car rentals and dining out, you can earn miles by staying at various partner hotels. These are usually advertised on the airline’s website, or you can use sites like Rocketmiles.com and Pointshound.com, which will allow you to book hotels at discounted rates and earn miles in your designated mileage program for each booking.
6. Stay informed – Airlines offer special promotions on an ongoing basis. Browse forums like FlyerTalk.com, or sign-up for the top airline free newsletters. That way, you won’t miss out a Frequent Flyer earning opportunity
The key is to accumulate miles while still on the ground. It’s extremely hard to ramp up the mileage only by flying, so take advantage of the various promotions out there, and start flying for free or at low cost.
Take Action
If you haven’t already done so, sign up for a free Frequent Flyer account with an airline in each of the three major airline alliances:
1. StarAlliance.com
2. OneWorld.com
3. SkyTeam.com
By having a Frequent Flyer account in each of the above alliances, you can earn flight miles even though you are not using the airline with which you hold frequent flyer status.
For example, in my case, I have mileage accounts with Qantas (member of OneWorld), Air Canada (member of StarAlliance), and Delta (member of SkyTeam). This means that I can earn and use miles to fly with any of their alliance partners.
Next, consider applying for a travel credit card. It’s simple and it can earn you thousands of points all at once. In addition, if you travel a lot, these cards could help save you money by eliminating foreign transaction fees and other fees associated with international travel.
From now on, be sure to use your frequent flyer number with an alliance each time you purchase a flight ticket, and keep checking your airline’s portal for special promotions.
* To gain more inspiration and motivation for your personal growth journey, I recommend visiting my SMART goals page, which offers a wide range of goal ideas to help you establish new aspirations and achieve greater success in life. This list was crucial in the development of my own life goals list, consisting of 100 goals that I pursued for ten years.
Chief Editor
Tal Gur is an impact-driven creator at heart. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 life goals around the globe. Tal's journey and recent book, The Art of Fully Living, inspired him to found Elevate Society.
