How to Book Cheap Flights

Probably one of the most asked questions by travellers is how can I book cheap flights? Generally we spend around 40% of our holiday budget on flights. So just think of how many more holidays you could afford if you saved money on travel! Here are my top tips on how to find and book cheap flights.

1) Keep your searches incognito

Airline websites can track the cookies on your device and from this work out how ‘desirable’ a certain flight is, and then adjust the price accordingly.

By keeping your searches private you get to find the information you want without risking affecting the price of the fight.

To go ‘incognito’ you just need to open your browser and go into the settings and click ‘New Incognito Window’.

2) Use a flight search engine

One of the best ways to source cheap flights is via a search engine. These look at all the available airlines for your journey, so that you can find the right price for you! Skyscanner is my personal favourite flight search engine.

3) Be flexible with your destination

One of the reasons why Skyscanner is my favourite flight search engine is because of the “everywhere” option.

By being flexible with your destination, you can find the cheapest flights from your local airport.

4) Be flexible with your dates

In general flying over the weekend will cost more. Get cheaper flights by being flexible with your dates and flying midweek.

Another reason to love Skyscanner is that you can search for flights by month or even the whole year to find the best value days to fly.

Be flexible on both your destination and dates for the cheapest flights from your local airport.

5) Fly off-season

Another great way to save money on flights is to fly off-season. For example I would avoid travelling around Europe in July, August, as flight prices sky rocket during the school holidays.

6) Book in advance

Booking in advance can save you a lot of money on flights. If you have to be somewhere by a specific date it generally pays to be organised. This is particular true when flying over school holidays.

7) Fly with a budget airline

It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but flying with a budget airline is a sure way to save money. Skyscanner will allow you to see the best prices for all airlines heading to/from your desired destination.

If you are checking in luggage you will need to calculate the cost of this to see whether a budget airline is the cheapest option for you.

8) Don’t fly direct

If you’re booking a long haul flight, being flexible with a layover could save you money.

On Skyscanner you can see the prices for the easiest journey or the cheapest price (see below).

Best of luck booking your cheap flights. Remember that flexibility is key!

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