Find cheap flights: The importance of flexibility

Everyone wants to find the best flight deals and avoid spending a fortune when they want to travel. There are many ways to find cheap flights, but many are hit and miss.

However, there’s one thing that always works, and that is being flexible. If you learn to be flexible about your departure dates, times, and locations, you will increase your chances to find cheap flights significantly.


How to become a flexible flyer

How do you become a flexible flyer? And how much money will you save? And what happens if you really can’t or don’t want to alter your travel plans? If these are some of the questions running through your head now, keep reading this blog post to learn how to be flexible to find cheap flights.

It can take you less than 1 hour

1. Find cheap flights by comparing several destinations

compare flight destinations

If you just want a vacation to relax and discover a new place, don’t choose your destination right from the start. Create a list of places you’d like to get to, then start comparing the flight costs. This is what we did when deciding where to go on our honeymoon. We looked at several destinations with budget-friendly plane tickets and considered Hungary, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, and Cyprus. All very attractive places to explore. But I wanted to get to the seaside, so we decided on Cyprus. Not only did we find cheap flights to Cyprus, but everything was budget-friendly on the island. And we had such an amazing time!

But even if you do have your heart set on a specific destination, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. There are other ways to save money before and during the trip, and you get to see a place you’ve always wanted. For example, if you really want to travel to Paris, you can avoid the summer months and choose to land at Beauvais or Orly instead of Charles de Gaulle airport.

2. Find cheap flights to other airports

cheap flights at other airports

If you want to find cheap flights, you should consider flying to one of the secondary airports in your destination city. Or you can take a flight that takes you close to where you want to go and finish the last bit of your trip by plane, bus or rental car. Flights to less popular airports can end up costing you a lot less, even if you do have to book some other means of transport to get to your destination.
Flights with one or several stops will also cost less than a direct flight. If you’ve got time to spare, you should consider this as an alternative.

3. Save money by flying outside the holiday season

If you want to travel to see your friends and family back home, odds are you’re planning to do it during the holiday season. However, this means saying bye-bye to a lot of money, because the holidays aren’t the cheapest days to fly.

To reduce the amount of money you’ll be spending on your flight, do your best to book your plane tickets several months in advance. The closer the holidays are, the more difficult it is to find cheap flights.

You can also consider taking a few extra days off work to arrive early and save a bit more money.

4. Choose to fly out on Wednesdays to get better flight deals

If you are going on vacation, avoid flying out on Mondays or Fridays. On Mondays, the flights are full of business travelers, while on Fridays there are all the city breakers. On Wednesdays, you have the best chances to find cheap flights. By flying out on a Wednesday instead of a Friday, you may save around 100$ or more.

5. Find cheap flights on the competitors’ websites

cheap flights websites

Do you usually fly with a specific airline company? It’s understandable: maybe they have excellent customer service or their flight attendants are amazing! However, they may not always have the best flight deals for you.

Become a bit more flexible by checking the offers their competitors have to offer. You can expand your horizons even further and choose to travel by charter plane or a flight with a low-cost airline. Remember the end goal: getting from A to B by spending as little money as possible. Keep your options open, then run a comparison to see who’s the best fit to get you there.

6. Check out last-minute flight deals

Last-minute travel usually makes it easier to find cheap flights. Sure, there are some airline companies which increase the cost of their plane tickets, but most of them are interested in getting their seats filled fast. Flexibility helps you take action and book immediately or travel on very short notice.

It’s easier to quickly book cheap plane tickets on last-minute discounts when you travel alone. When traveling with someone else, you just have to keep in mind that you may not get to sit together when booking seats at the last minute.

Supply:

  • Internet connection

Tools:

  • PC, laptop, or smartphone

As I told you, there are many ways to find cheap flights. The most important one is to always run comparisons to get the best flight deals. And, if you can, then try to be as flexible as you can. You may end up saving hundreds of dollars if you succeed. And all that money can be put to good use when booking your next travel adventures!


About the author

Mirela Letailleur The Travel Bunny

Mirela Letailleur is a Romanian travel blogger living in the South of France. She writes on The Travel Bunny travel blog about affordable travel in Europe, creator of unique free travel guides, local travel expert. Problem solver. Wannabe coffee guru.

Read more about Mirela Letailleur

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