Your step by step guide to book cheaper flight tickets
1. Determine Optimal Booking Times:
Advance Booking: If you’re looking for the perfect timeframe to start ticket hunting you should aim for 3-4 months before departure for those of you that are early planners, or 3 weeks before if you’re that traveler that likes to book closer to their trip as prices are usually priced more competitively during those periods.
Timing Matters: Flight prices even change during different times of day so keep an eye out for these times of day.
Even though these are subject to change we notice that on following off-peak moments flights are usually cheaper.
- Tuesday afternoons around 3-5 pm (GMT).
- Wednesday nights around 1-3 am (GMT).
- Sunday evenings also do well as this is when a lot of airlines post their sales for the upcoming week.
2. Take a trip with your VPN:
South/Central America: Experiment with VPN servers in Brazil, Argentina or Mexico.
Asia: Set your VPN to India or Indonesia for potential savings.
Europe: Connect through servers in Eastern European countries like Poland or Hungary.
NOTE: Airlines price differently for each country and usually adapt to local incomes and flight frequencies per country. We usually try out most of these options until we find the cheapest price. Taking a trip from the Netherlands to Madeira island might still be cheaper with your VPN in Mexico than it would be from Poland so make sure to try different options and see what gives you the best results.
3. Research the Best Websites to Compare Flights:
Skyscanner: Skyscanner advanced search makes it easy to look for flexible dates. By having a day to day overview for 2 months at a time so you can find the cheapest moment to fly out. Another cool feature is that you can search for flights from an entire country rather than from a specific city or airport.
Google Flights: Google Flights is a super fast flight search site with lots of great options to help you find the lowest price quickly and easily. You can search for flexible dates, airports and use our favourite feature to set up price alerts and stay notified when prices are raising, dropping or reach an specified amount you would like to book at.
TIP: after finding your ideal tickets on skyscanner or google flights, you could go directly to the airline website and usually get another extra discount! (this is not always the case, so check for both options)
NOTE: There are many apps and website that help you find your ideal flights, these are just the ones we use and recommend the most due to their own specific features and ease of use.
5. Last-Minute Flight Strategies:
Use Apps: Download the Skyscanner or any similar app to receive real-time updates on last-minute deals.
Follow Airlines on Social Media: Stay tuned to airline social media channels for announcements of last-minute promotions.
Check Airline Websites Directly: Sometimes, the best last-minute deals are on the airlines' official websites.
Red-Eye and Midweek Flights: Opt for red-eye or midweek flights for potential cost savings on last-minute bookings.
6. Additional Tips for Savings:
Clear Browser Cookies: Clear cookies or use incognito mode to avoid inflated prices based on previous searches.
Consider Nearby Airports: Check nearby airports and consider layovers for potential lower fares.
Book One Way: Sometimes booking one-way tickets on different airlines can be more cost-effective.
Monitor Flash Sales: Keep an eye out for flash sales that airlines occasionally announce for short periods.
Conclusion: By following this detailed step-by-step guide, you are now locked and loaded with the perfect tools to find the cheapest flight tickets online. From leveraging VPN settings to exploring the ideal timing for your booking, your journey to affordable airfare is now well-guided. Safe travels and we hope your future flights take you to one of our The Viomati Co Retreats or Workations!
