Finding cheaper flights

Budget

Make sure you have an understanding of how much you're actually willing to pay for a flight. How much is the flight worth to you and how much can you afford?

Test the water

Check prices of flights regularly over a wide period of time to get an understanding what's happening in the market. Use ITA Software's Matrix search tool, which hooks into all of the reservation systems. Google have shown their intention to buy this company, so that might be an indication of its power.

You cannot book your flight through ITA, but you can see what's happening in the market. You're not bound by the so-called “330-day rule” which limits you to seeing prices for flights 11 months in advance, so you can start looking well ahead of time. This limit is artificial and a relic of the old SABRE reservation system, but keep in mind that travel agents probably cannot book these flights for you and these prices are most likely based on current pricing structures and could change.

The ITA Matrix software allows you to also plan more complicated routes, play with the dates, and even play with where the ticket will be issued to help try and get you a cheaper flight. Once you find a flight, you can print of an itinerary which will include the route codes which a travel agent can then use, or alternatively it'll give you a rough idea of what to expect on online booking sites.

You will also be able to see the break-down of the flight's price, which will help isolate airports with expensive landing taxes and security charges, airlines with expensive servicing charges through their hub, and allow you to discover other surcharges that may be added on (such as the YQ or YR surcharge for fuel).

ITA may also highlight “holiday” airlines which only operate routes to certain destinations on a seasonal basis.

Play with the routes

Alternative routes can be significantly cheaper, but it depends on the season. For example, if you're flying to Brussels, it may be cheaper to fly into Amsterdam and take a high-speed train down to Brussels. Experimenting with routes (and airlines) can also change the price of your flights by hundreds.

Try two trips rather than a round trip

Sometimes two one-way trips can be cheaper than a round-trip ticket, so it's worth trying. Keep in mind that for international flights you will almost always need to explain why you came into the country on a one-way trip and provide proof of your return flight in the form of both the ticket and payment receipt, so be prepared for this.

If you don't have luggage, you might be tempted to take two one-way flights to reach your destination with the second being your connecting flight, but often the airport taxes and the inconvenience don't make this worthwhile.

Check the airline's website

Check prices directly on the airline's website as sometimes you may be pleasantly surprised. Large airlines like Qantas offer discounted flights on their website only, and often they're deep-discounted tickets available for short periods of time. If you've been doing your research on ITA's Matrix, you'll know when these prices have suddenly become attractive.

Many airlines operate a few different websites for different countries, so check those too as the prices differences might be significant (once you consider the exchange rate). This is similar to changing the ticket origin (or “sales city”) on the ITA Matrix website.

If you do buy from another country, consider the exchange rate used by your credit card company rather than the exchange rates posted on the Internet as these will be different, and also consider some credit card companies will add a currency exchange surcharge.

Book well ahead of time

Booking ahead of time can save you a heap of money, so long as you're booking for the right period. Christmas flights and summer holiday flights are always going to be more expensive, so booking ahead might not give you the cheapest flights in these circumstances. This of course depends on the cultural activities of where-ever you're visiting.

Book just before leaving

If you can, booking just before your departure may save you money too, but it's risky as you might not get a good price or a flight to where you want to go for that matter! Airlines want bums on seats, which is where the last minute flights come in. It's cheaper for them to sell these tickets at a loss rather than not sell them at all. If you don't particularly care where you wind up, this might be an idea.

Watch for big events

Large events can also impact prices. Events such as the Olympics and the World Cup will hike up the prices for the host countries, but will also hike up the prices for surrounding countries as well, particularly in dense areas like Western Europe.

In recent years, airlines have been adding a fuel surcharge (usually seen on tickets as a YQ or YR surcharge, if at all). If things in the Middle East are not looking too rosy again, watch the prices carefully as airlines may be raising their fuel surcharges to offset potential losses due to fluctuating oil prices.

Natural disasters and political problems can also cause a price jumps.

Fly mid-week and be flexible

Depending on the route, look for flights departing on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays, as most people will want to travel on weekends, or at the start of end of a week. It's important to be flexible with your dates as one day's difference can easily cost you hundreds.

Don't go too cheap

Don't be tempted by flights where you need to change planes within a very short period of time. Keep in mind how long it takes to get all the passengers on and off a plane, and how long you're going to have to spend walking in terminal buildings and waiting as passport control. For example, flying into the US from another country through a major hub like Atlanta with a foreign passport and a connecting domestic flight is a challenge, and you're going to want at least two hours there.

On the other hand, while waiting in a terminal building for 12 hours for your connecting flight may save you money, it may be worth more to you to pay a bit more to get a better connection.

Factor in other costs

Flying cheap may also mean you're using cheaper airports, which can save you a heap of money. However you should also consider the cost of long term parking or transportation, as cheap airports are often much harder to get to and might be more expensive. Some cheap airlines fly into major airports, and despite those flights having high landing taxes it may be offset by cheaper transportation costs on the ground.

Cheaper airlines will also charge you silly money if you haven't pre-printed your boarding pass, or if you're just over your weight limit for luggage, and for food and drink on the flight. Despite all of this though, they can still come out to being significantly cheaper, but it depends on your style of travel, such as if you usually buy lots of things on holiday you may wind up paying huge costs for excess baggage.

Check the terms and conditions of the flight carefully, as not all flights are equal, particularly short flights, but most long-haul international flights are comparable.

Comfort is also a cost, just not one that hurts your wallet. If you prefer a bit more comfort, research the planes and seating arrangements used by the flights shown on the ITA Matrix website to see if a budget flight also means horrible seats. Often expensive airlines also have horrible seats. Cross-referencing with a website like SeatGuru can help.

The cheapest airline may not still be in business when you're scheduled to fly! Do your research, and if in doubt, don't use them, or at least pay by credit card for added protection.

Don't get travel insurance through your travel agent or airline

Value added services like travel insurance bring in a lot of money for travel agents, but you can save a considerable amount of money getting travel insurance directly from a travel insurance company.

If you fly often, become a member

If you fly frequently, it might be worth becoming a frequent flyer member, but don't feel forced into always using one airline or group of airlines just because of a membership card.

If you can cope with the spam, sign up to mailing lists while you're searching for your flight as airlines often publish discounted fares and coupon codes that may be useful.

Do you have some good tips for finding those cheap flights? Leave a comment below and share the wealth!