Flights can become extremely expensive if bought last minute or during high search trends. Which is why I will explain the best time to buy plane tickets and the sites that I would recommend. I will also go over credit card points and how to use them to your advantage. With that being said let’s dive into the best ways to save money on flights!
As a disclaimer, there are affiliate links in the article where I would earn a small commission for any sale made.
Best Times to Buy
Source: Nerdwallet.com For domestic flights the best window is 1 month to 4 months before your planned travel dates. Make sure to have the time off for your trip approved from your school or job before booking any flights, since many airlines do not offer refunds for cancellations unless it is within 24 hours.
For International flights the best time to buy depends on the region so below is a list for each region.
- Europe: 5 months in advance
- Caribbean: 7 months in advance
- Asia: 4 months in advance
- Africa and Middle East: 6 to 7 months in advance
- South America: 3 to 4 months in advance
- Mexico and Central America: 2 to 3 months in advance
Best day of the week to buy
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are the best days to departure and return, since most flyers choose the weekend due to the typical Monday to Friday work week. If you are comfortable to fly late at night or early in the morning, you will also have a better chance to save money on your flight at the cost of your sleep schedule.
I would recommend to purchase your airline tickets through Agoda for their affordable prices. Click here to buy your flight ticket or book your hotel using Agoda.
What are Off Seasons?
Off seasons in popular tourist areas can be your best friend if you are looking for the cheapest flight you can get. The off season in the Bahamas for example, would be the winter months of October to February since the tourists enjoy the summer sun and warm clear waters. Although the Bahamas can still be a fun vacation during the winter months, the ocean water does get colder so it may be a little more difficult to enjoy.
Credit Card Points
If you are someone with a good or great credit score, then I would highly recommend taking advantage of the sign up bonus points from travel credit cards such as Chase Sapphire. I personally was able to get 80k bonus points for spending 4k in the first 3 months of receiving the card.
Typically the bonus points are 60k, but I was able to get approved for the credit card during a promotion that offered 80k points instead. The credit card points can be used to pay for your flights or hotels or even activities, with more value than if you just cashed out the points. Here is an example, if you were to choose to cash out your 60k points to pay for a flight on another website you would get 800 USD. Compared to paying with your points using your bank, you could get 1,200 USD to use for your flight instead.
Conclusion
It’s best not to drive yourself crazy constantly checking the flight prices, however checking once a week during the correct months in advance can help to make sure you got the best price. Thank you for reading how to save money on flights, check out our Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter pages for weekly updates!