Don’t let traveling break the bank! Listen to this week’s episode for the full low-down on the tips and personal experiences of using these tools to find the best deals and steals out there.
Should you use incognito mode to search for flights?
There’s a rumor out there that airfare websites will increase the prices of flights that you’ve previously searched for, but doing your searching in incognito mode can get around this. Honestly? It’s very hard to say whether it’s true. Some research seems to completely debunk it, and other articles say that they’re in the industry and it’s true. My philosophy is, why not? There’s no harm in the extra click of a button, and if there’s a chance you’re saving yourself some money, go for it!
Be flexible!
- Search for tickets on different dates
- Inconvenient flight times are often cheaper–take that red eye if it works for you!
- Choose where you’re going based on the ticket price! A lot of travel sites will let you search for “everywhere” or “anywhere” and show you tickets from your destination all round the world. This is a great way to be spontaneous and experience amazing new places that you may not have considered.
- Compare prices to different local airports
- Try to travel on the off season (and seasons vary around the world, so the on/off season depends on where you’re going)
Be creative!
- Treat your travels like a puzzle and see how you can rearrange your things to make them less expensive. For example, maybe you can get a budget flight to a nearby city then take a train to your final destination.
- Buy your ticket segments separately instead of using the flight/layover combinations that most websites will give you. kiwi.com is a great website for this.
- Explore “hidden city ticketing.” Sometimes tickets that have your destination as a layover stop will be cheaper than booking directly to your destination. You can just get off on your layover and never take the final flight. kiwi.com and skipplagged.com can also find these type of tickets. Make sure you listen to this episode for the full rundown on hidden city ticketing and why you have to be really careful about it! It can save you money, though 🤑.
- See if you can pay in another currency that saves you money with the conversion rate
Be thorough!
- Don’t just do one search for tickets and buy the first ticket you see, or even the cheapest of the first tickets you find. Cross reference and do different searches on different sites
- Set price alerts
- Follow airlines on social media to be the first to know about sales and deals
Don’t forget budget airlines
Think Spirit and JetBlue in the US and RyanAir and EasyJet in Europe, and there are dozens and dozens of other great budget airlines all over the world! We’ll save the full list for the episode on budget airlines that is definitely coming in the future! But now let’s just say that booking budget can save you a heck of a lot of money, especially if you’re traveling outside the US. Budget flights are especially great if you’re just traveling with a carry-on.
Recommended flight searching websites:
Make sure to listen to the episode for all the details, then go forth and find your cheap plane tickets! Let me know where you end up 🌍😃. You can comment here or send an email to goingoutyourdoortravel@gmail.com. Also follow @goingoutyourdoor on Instagram for more travel content and a close-up look at an expat’s everyday life in Taiwan!
Going Out Your Door 