The U.S. dollar is weakening a bit and with travel already being expensive, that's not going to do you any favors. We're all out here trying to visit cool places, while also not going broke in the process, so how do you even accomplish that when things are so uncertain? Well, luckily, the dollar only dipped slightly, so unless that changes drastically, we're all still pretty okay.
If you don't want to travel within the U.S., and I certainly can't blame you, even though there are amazing things to see and do in this country, here are 3 ways you can a cheaper flight. Don't worry, you can also use these tips domestically:
Travel during off- or shoulder-season
Everyone wants to go to Paris in the Springtime or Germany in September or Greece in the Summer, but what that means is that everyone is there. It's crowded, it's expensive, and it's kind of a nightmare. You can't see everything you want, your flights and hotels are going to cost more than you want to spend, and you'll have to stand in All. The. Lines. Instead, go during less in-demand times, because not only will you save money, you'll also save time and sanity. You may have to pack a light sweater or enjoy shorter opening hours, but it may ultimately worth it.
We almost always take our big trip in September/October, and while the weather may be cooler and things aren't open as long, we get more things done, don't have to contend with massive crowds, and we save money overall on our trip.
Use your points
If you use the same airline(s) for your trips, chances are you have a lot of points built up. Get online and book all or even just part of your flight with points. I've used points to go round-trip to Vegas, we've used points to travel one way and paid for the way back, and we've also covered one person's flight and paid for the other. Maybe you have frequent flyer miles through a credit card or have accumulated a bunch of cashback through one. That's free money for your flight.
Book mid-week flights
More people want to be at their destination on the weekend, so they're flying on Thursday or Friday, the most expensive days to fly. Friday and Saturday are also the most expensive nights at hotels. Aim to fly Tuesday or Wednesday and early in the day. Sure, you may hate getting up at 4am to take that first flight of the day, but you'll also get to your destination earlier and you have a much lower chance of your flight being delayed or cancelled by something other than weather.
I'd much rather sleep on the plane or take a quick nap when I arrive than take a later morning flight that then gets delayed due to late flights and then I lose a good portion of my first day. Suck it up and take that first flight and you could save hundreds sometimes. Learn how to make your trip more comfortable so you can get some rest and enjoy your time right off the plane.
Did you find an awesome deal on a flight for any of your trips?
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