Booking international flights can be an exciting yet daunting task, especially when you’re on a budget. Whether you’re planning a dream vacation or a crucial business trip, finding ways to save money on flights can make your journey even more enjoyable.
Not everyone has the luxury of shopping among airports for the best deals on international flights. For many of us, there’s one airport nearby and then it’s a layover at a major hub before heading on to your international destination.
But if you’re lucky enough to be able to travel from certain airports, your chances of scoring cheap international flights could be higher.
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If you are planning a vacation outside your home country, you may probably be wondering about ways to get budget-friendly flight tickets. After all, overseas flight tickets are too expensive, especially for solo travelers, students or people having tight budgets. If you are looking for some some tested travel hacks to help you to save your time, effort, and money when booking your next flight.
Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to save money booking international flights, filled with practical tips and strategies to help you fly smarter without breaking the bank.
Finding good deals on booking international flights has a lot to do with where you’re flying from. Here’s where you’ll find some of those cheap airports, and tips on how to save no matter where you’re traveling from.
Ways To Save Money on Booking International Flight Tickets
Planning a trip involves a lot of things like booking hotels, and tour operators, buying an overseas
travel health insurance according to the destination, flight bookings, etc.
Many of you may assume that flight tickets are affordable during the off-season, but that is not entirely correct. Below are some tips for searching, comparing, and booking economical flight tickets:
1. Start Early but Stay Flexible
When it comes to booking international flights, timing is everything. Start your search early, ideally several months in advance. However, flexibility is just as important.
Planning a trip involves a lot of thinking and time. I suggest you be flexible with your dates.
Avoid travelling during festivals like Holi, Diwali or Christmas, as the flight fares will be slightly higher than on usual days. Similarly, try to book tickets midweek as the ticket fares are comparatively lower than at the weekends.
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You can opt for the calendar view booking system on any flight booking app or website and see the entire list for upto a few months. This will help you find the cheapest flight tickets and let you save money on flight tickets
If you can be flexible with your travel dates, you have a better chance of snagging cheaper tickets. Airlines often have fluctuating prices depending on the season, day of the week, and even time of the day.
Use fare comparison tools like Google Flights or Skyscanner to monitor prices and identify the best times to book.
2. Set Fare Alerts – When Booking International Flights
Don’t want to constantly check flight prices? Set up fare alerts on websites like Kayak, Hopper, or Airfarewatchdog. These tools will notify you when ticket prices drop, ensuring you never miss a deal. Fare alerts can save you hundreds of dollars and reduce the stress of searching for the best prices.
3. Use Incognito Mode
Ever noticed how flight prices seem to increase after you’ve searched for the same route multiple times?
This isn’t your imagination. Airlines and travel sites use cookies to track your searches and may hike prices when they notice repeated searches.
To avoid this, always search for flights in incognito mode or clear your browser cookies before starting a new search.
When you search for a specific flight online, your browser stores your cookies and browsing data. It means your search engine has all the details like the flight route, the number of passengers, and the journey date for which you are searching a flight.
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This data is shared by the airline and travel booking websites who will hike the price of the particular flight tickets seeing the demand. But you can avoid such a situation by using an incognito browser when searching for flights.
It will block those websites from saving your cookies and browsing data. If you can, use a VPN to browse and book tickets.
This way your last searches are not tracked and you won’t see hiked flight fares. If possible, use credit cards to pay for your flight tickets as they often offer plenty of discounts or cashback that you can use to your benefit.
If you have a credit card with travel insurance, it will provide you considerable protection, hence saving you some money on travel insurance as well!
4. Consider Alternative Airports when Booking International Flights
Major airports often have higher taxes and fees, which can increase the overall cost of your flight. Instead, consider flying into or out of smaller, nearby airports.
For example, if you’re traveling to New York City, check flights to Newark (EWR) or even Philadelphia (PHL). The savings can be significant, and a little extra travel time could be worth it.
Generally speaking, travel to Europe from the East Coast will be cheaper — and you’ll have many more options in terms of airlines and routes to fly.
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Conversely, travel to places like Asia and Australia will be less expensive from the West Coast, and nonstop options will open up considerably.
Wherever your home airport, use sites like Google Flights or Skyscanner to explore prices for a few different destinations that interest you. If you can, travel outside of heavy peak season at your destination. You could save hundreds of dollars that way.
5. Be Open to Layovers
Direct flights are convenient, but they can also be more expensive. If you don’t mind a bit of extra travel time, consider booking flights with layovers.
Not only can this save you money, but it also provides an opportunity to explore a new city if you have a long layover. Just make sure the layover is long enough to comfortably catch your connecting flight.
A lot of the cheapest flights are the ones most people consider the worst–with long layovers. This mindset is for people who simply aren’t good at life.
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Last year, I found myself flying Emirates Air (amazing) with a long layover in Dubai. I called the airlines, and arranged an even longer, 24 hour stopover, and had a blast.
I rode camels in the desert, swam in the Persian Gulf, saw the Burj Khalifa, Palm Islands, indoor skiing, and had dinner with a friend from college. Not a bad day.
Icelandair offers up to seven days free stopover if you connect in Reykjavík. Flying to Europe this year? Book your flight on Icelandair, and go spend the day relaxing in the Blue Lagoon. It’s natural beauty will blow your mind, and it’s very close to the airport.
6. Use Airline Miles and Points Booking International Flights
If you travel frequently, join airline loyalty programs and start earning miles. You can accumulate points through flights, credit card purchases, and even shopping or dining with partner merchants.
Redeem these points for free or discounted flights. Sign up for newsletters from your favorite airlines to stay updated on promotions and special deals.
The savings don’t stop when you find that cheap international flight: You can earn travel rewards to make the effective cost of a ticket even cheaper.
One of the easiest ways to do this is by joining an airline’s loyalty rewards program, such as United MileagePlus or Delta SkyMiles.
To earn points no matter what airline you’re flying on, use a travel rewards credit card to buy your ticket. Some cards are tied to specific airlines, but those points tend to be less flexible.
7. Compare Air Tickets on Multiple Platforms / Search Engines
Never book the first flight you find. Compare prices across multiple booking platforms such as Expedia, Momondo, and directly on airline websites.
Sometimes, airlines offer exclusive deals that aren’t available on third-party sites. Also, consider booking round-trip tickets instead of one-way flights, as they can sometimes be cheaper.
Gone are the days when agents use to send travel itineraries and book tickets for you. Now in a few clicks, you can plan an entire vacation sitting on the couch at your home.
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Using a single-flight search engine does not guarantee you the lowest flight price. Also, always check prices for one-way tickets first instead of round trips.
It will show you the cheapest airfare for the flight and you can pick the least expensive one.
We strongly suggest you try different international flight search engines instead of just relying on one. Do not forget to open the browser in incognito mode before searching on ticket booking websites. Here, you can search, compare and choose the best flight within your budget.
8. Take Advantage of Error Fares
Occasionally, airlines make pricing mistakes, resulting in unbelievably low fares. Websites like Secret Flying and Airfare Spot specialize in finding and sharing these error fares.
If you spot an error fare, book it immediately as they don’t last long. Make sure to check the airline’s policy on handling such fares to avoid potential cancellation hassles.
9. Book at the Right Time – When Booking International Flights
While there’s no magic formula for the perfect booking time, studies suggest that the best time to start booking international flights is typically between five and six months before your departure date.
Additionally, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are often considered the best days to find cheaper fares, as airlines tend to release deals early in the week.
An essential rule for finding a low airfare price is knowing when to look for it.
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Keyes uses what he calls “the Goldilocks window” — a period of time when cheap fares are most likely to pop up for domestic and international flights.
“For domestic flights, if you’re talking peak season, it’s about three to seven months in advance,” he says. “For international flights — [it’s] four to 10 months.”
If you’re traveling during an off-peak season, you’re going to want to look at airfares one to three months in advance for domestic flights, and two to eight months ahead of the flight for international trips.
10. Leverage Travel Rewards Credit Cards
Using a travel rewards credit card can provide significant savings on international flights.
Look for cards that offer generous sign-up bonuses, points for travel purchases, and benefits like free checked bags or priority boarding. Some cards also offer travel insurance, which can be a valuable perk for international trips.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards:
11. Travel During Off-Peak Times When Booking International Flights
Peak travel times, such as summer holidays, Christmas, and New Year’s, usually come with higher airfare. If possible, plan your trip during off-peak seasons.
Not only will you save on flights, but you’ll also enjoy fewer crowds and better deals on accommodations and activities.
12. Check for Student, Military, and Senior Discounts
Many airlines offer special discounts for students, military personnel, and seniors. If you fall into any of these categories, check the airline’s website or contact their customer service to see if you qualify for any discounts. These savings can be substantial and are often overlooked.
13. Search Flight Ticket Fare for a Single Person
Whether you are travelling with your family or a group of friends, do not make the mistake of searching for multiple tickets on a flight search engine. Instead, search for fare for a single person.
This is because airlines eagerly wait to sell the tickets at the highest price possible and when they find multiple tickets together, they quote their highest price.
If you’re a student, you can opt for student discounts offered by several airlines. You can easily save on flight tickets using these discounts given that you can provide a valid ID proving that you’re a student.
14. Use Tactics To Avoid Cancellations and Delays When Booking International Flights
Canceled or delayed flights can wreak havoc on your plans — and your wallet. You might have to pay for meals you didn’t budget for or even get an extra night at a hotel.
While a canceled or delayed flight might not be something you can easily plan for, you can take steps to minimize the risk of it happening to you — or the consequences if it still does.
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Here’s what Keyes suggests:
- Book Non-stop Flights. When you have no layovers to worry about, you’re more likely to avoid serious disruptions. If your non-stop flight is late, you might just need to wait for an extra hour or two. But if you have a connecting flight, the delay might cause you to miss it. “And then all of a sudden, you’re reliant on being rebooked,” Keyes says. “But in some situations, it could be a day or two until the next available flight.”
- Pick Early Morning Flights. According to Keyes, early morning flights have a higher completion rate due to better flying conditions. Plus, airplanes awaiting early flights are parked at the airport overnight, waiting and ready to go.
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- Avoid Checking a Bag. A delay or cancellation can be much easier to deal with if you don’t have checked luggage. “If you show up at your connecting flight and it gets canceled and they need to accommodate you, it’s just much simpler if they don’t have to also try to find your bag in the belly of one plane and switch it to another plane,” Keyes says. On top of that, you’ll avoid becoming an unfortunate hero of the all-too-common story where your bag gets lost or leaves for your destination without you.
- Call the Airline’s International Office. In case your trip does get interrupted, you’ll want to have it rebooked as soon as possible to prevent further disruptions. Chances are, standing in line at the airport with fellow travelers will take a while, as well as trying to get through to the airline’s customer service in the U.S. “Basically, all airlines have offices all around the world,” Keyes says. “You can call any one of those offices and get through to an agent much quicker, but that agent can help rebook you just the same.”
Conclusion on How To Save Money Booking International Flights
Saving money on booking international flights requires a bit of strategy, flexibility, and patience.
By following these tips and staying proactive in your search, you can significantly reduce your travel expenses and make your dream trip more affordable.
Flights tickets are a major expense of a trip. So, make sure to consider the above-mentioned tips for saving money on buying flight tickets.
But before you book your flight tickets with a budget airline, look into their safety record, maintenance issues, the frequency of on-time flights, and customer reviews & ratings.
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Moreover, plan your trip carefully and cover it under the best travel health insurance policy to secure yourself against any medical emergencies faced during the trip.
Remember, the money you save on flights can be used to enhance your travel experience, whether it’s for a luxurious hotel stay, a special dining experience, or an exciting excursion. Happy travels!
Feel free to share your own tips and tricks for saving on booking international flights in the comments below. Bon voyage!
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