Cheap Flights

 Years ago, if you wanted to fly between continents, you were mostly stuck with traditional expensive airlines. That’s no longer true. These days, you can fly most of the way around the world on a budget airline. Sure, they might not be as comfortable and you may need to pay for premium upgrades like checked bags and meals, but they bring the world to your doorstep without breaking the bank.

 Budget airlines mainly service short and medium-haul routes. While most budget carriers (notably Norwegian Air) scrapped their long-haul routes during COVID, I imagine some of them will return once the travel industry recovers.

 For now, budget airlines mainly operate regionally so it’s really easy to find a cheap flight, even during this age of higher prices.

 (Pro tip: If you aren’t sure which budget airlines fly where, visit your departure airport’s website to get a list of airlines that fly there.)

 Flying budget airlines is a good alternative to flying “the majors” whenever possible. You get fewer perks, but you can save a bundle in price.

 Just be sure to watch out for fees. That’s how they make money! Budget airlines often charge fees for checked bags, carry-ons, printing your boarding pass, using a credit card, and anything else they can get away with. Be sure to add up the cost of the ticket AND the fees to make sure that the price is lower than a larger carrier.

 You’ll also want to double-check the location of the budget airline’s airport at your intended destination. These airlines often fly in and out of airports that are quite far from the actual city, with limited and expensive transportation options.

 For example, the shuttle to Beauvais, the budget airport for Paris, costs 29 EUR one-way. If you’re flying roundtrip, this means that you should add about 60 EUR to the price of your plane ticket to see if you’re even saving much by flying a budget airline.

 Not only does it help to be flexible with dates and destinations but being flexible with the route you take is another way to get a cheap flight. For example, sometimes it’s cheaper to fly to London and take a budget airline to Amsterdam than to fly direct to Amsterdam from your departure city.

 I did precisely this when I was going to Paris. The flight from the US was $900 USD, but I could fly to Dublin for $600 and get a $60 flight to Paris. It meant more flying time, but the $240 USD I saved was worth it to me.

 To use this method, find out how much it is to go directly to your destination. Then, open Google Flights and type in that destination’s continent to look at prices to nearby airports. If the difference is more than $150 USD, I look to see how much it is to get from the second airport to my primary destination (either by budget flight or train, if it’s not too far). You can use Rome2Rio to help search for the best ways to get between a nearby airport and your primary destination.

 You can also do this for leaving too. It might be cheaper to fly out from a nearby airport. I often search other airports to see if it’s cheaper to fly/drive/train there and then fly to my final destination. For long international flights, it can be worth the added time!

 If you do book separate segments, be sure to have at least three hours between connections. This will give you space in case there is a delay as your second flight won’t wait for you (you booked with a separate airline, so they won’t care if you’re late or not).

 Leaving a three-hour buffer will also cover you for an insurance claim since most insurance companies require you to have at least a 3-hour delay before you can make a claim.

 This method is more work since you have to figure out lots of different routes and check different airlines. But it can lower the price of your flight, which is worth the extra effort if you end up saving a few hundred bucks.

 Note: If you ever have a delayed flight to or from Europe, you might be owed additional compensation (upwards of 600 EUR). Here’s how to find out if you’re entitled to compensation!

 Before you start looking for specific lights, make sure you’ve signed up for some newsletters. Joining the mailing list for airlines and last-minute deal websites will give you access to the absolute best deals out there. Sure, 99% of them might not fit your itinerary but keeping your eye on the deals will ensure you don’t miss an amazing opportunity.

 More often than not, cheap flights are only available for a limited window (usually 24 hours). If you aren’t always scouring the web for sales, you’ll likely miss out on the best deals.

 I would have missed out on a round-trip ticket to Japan for $700 USD (normally $1,500) as well as a $500 flight to South Africa if I wasn’t signed up to flight deal websites.

Cheap Flights

 Additionally, airline newsletters often offer frequent flier bonuses. If you’re a travel hacker, those points and miles can add up to free flights and awesome upgrades.

 In order to find the best deal, you need to search multiple websites. Many major search sites don’t list budget carriers or obscure foreign carriers because those airlines don’t want to pay a booking commission. Others don’t list booking sites that aren’t in English. And others still only display prices retrieved directly from airlines.

 Since there is no perfect airline search engine, you’ll want to search a few to compare. Even the best have their faults. That said, I have a few favorites I always start with as they tend to consistently show the best results. To me, the best websites to find a cheap flight are the following:

 Skyscanner – The best booking site out there. They have a great user interface (and a great app for mobile)

 Typically, I start all my searches with Skyscanner because it searches all major AND budget airlines, non-English websites, English websites, and everything in between. They vet all the sites they link to as they have strict criteria on who they operate with. It’s one of the most comprehensive booking sites out there and they have the lowest price 99% of the time. I’ve been using them since 2008, and it’s the search engine all the other travel experts I know use too.

 If you are a student (or under 26), there are many discounts available to you. You can usually find prices 10-20% off the standard fare. Travel agencies like Flight Centre and Student Universe can help find you a cheap ticket. Don’t overlook them!

 Additionally, keep in mind that most student discounts transfer over to airline partners. For example, Lufthansa offers a student discount, which means you can use that discount on partner airlines such as Swiss Airlines and Austrian Airlines. This will allow you to go much further afield while still saving a ton of money.

 Additionally, keep in mind that most student discounts transfer over to airline partners. For example, Lufthansa offers a student discount, which means you can use that discount on partner airlines such as Swiss Airlines and Austrian Airlines. This will allow you to go much further afield while still saving a ton of money.

 If you’re not sure which airlines offer discounts (they don’t make this information easy to find), visit their website or call them. Doing a little digging to save 20% (or more) will be worth it!

 When you book directly with an airline, you’ll only be able to fly that airline and any partner airlines it has. That means your options will be limited when it comes to finding the perfect itinerary or saving the most money.

 Usually, that will suffice. However, if you’re chasing greater savings, try booking your tickets on separate airlines. For example, if you’re flying from New York to Paris, you might have a stop in London. Booking both legs as one ticket will be simple, but it likely won’t save you money.

 Instead, book your New York to London flight as one ticket and then your London to Paris ticket with another airline. That will allow you to shop around for the best bargain. it’s more work, but the savings (and flexibility) can be worth it.

 This is what most third-party booking websites like Kiwi.com do. They piece together trips using whatever flights they can find to ensure you get the cheapest price.

 If you’re hunting for the lowest possible price and aren’t happy with what you’re finding on the airline’s website, try booking separate segments. You might just stumble onto a great deal!

 As soon as you know you want to travel somewhere you should sign up for a travel rewards card. Airline rewards programs are the #1 way avid travelrs like me earn free flights, travel perks, and free hotel stays. They offer flight upgrades, huge welcome bonuses, credit toward rideshares like Uber or Lyft, access to free events, access to airport lounges, and much more.

 No matter how often you fly, you should be signed up for a reward program. You don’t need to do any extra spending either. I earn over a million miles a year — without flying or spending extra money. That translates into dozens of free flights (often in business class) for myself and my family.

 If you are smart with your money and collect points and miles (the art of “travel hacking”), you can travel around the world for very little (and often free). Here are some articles on travel hacking that can help you get started: