Are you planning to travel soon? Worried that your airfare tickets will hurt your travel budget? Airfare is usually one of the biggest travel expenses, but this doesn’t mean that you have to compromise your travel budget to fly with your preferred airlines.
There are plenty of ways to stay on budget when you’re traveling by air. Regardless if you’re a first-time or frequent flyer, the tips listed below can help you save money when air traveling. Practice all of these tips, and you’ll be surprised at the amount of money you can save!
- Learn More about Flight Delay Compensation
Delayed flights are every traveler’s worst nightmare. Being in this situation can cause stress and might require you to spend more money on accommodation, food, and rebooking of your flights. In general, the longer your flight has been delayed, the more additional expenses you’ll incur.
Having sufficient knowledge of flight delay compensation helps pacify the situation and entitles you to file claims from the airlines. The amount of compensation you’ll receive will depend on the airline you’re flying with. For instance, British Airways flight delay compensation allows you to claim up to €600 or about $632. On the other hand, Delta Airlines gives up to €664 or $700 as compensation for delayed flights.
Spend time learning about your airline’s flight delay compensation, so you’ll know what to do when your flight is delayed. This information will save you from a lot of stress and expenses as you’re traveling!
- Utilize a Flight Aggregator
Checking and comparing airfare tickets from different airlines is time-consuming and daunting. You’ll have to visit and open several web pages at the same time to determine which airline has the best (and cheapest) offer.
To make this process easier, use a flight aggregator. Flight aggregators are search engines that pull out data from different travel suppliers, like online travel agencies and airlines. Aside from being able to compare options on one page, flight aggregators also help you search for the cheapest days or months to travel to your preferred destination.
- Choose to Fly on Cheaper Hours and Dates
Do you know that airfare varies throughout the week? By booking your flight in the middle of the week — say during Tuesdays and Wednesdays — you’ll be able to save money on your airfare tickets. Conversely, airfare during weekends and holidays tends to be more expensive, so make sure to avoid booking a flight during those days.
As for the time of your flight, late nights and early mornings are usually the cheapest. Flying during these times of the day might be inconvenient but will be worth it since you’ll be able to save money. Besides, you can always sleep on the plane if you fly during these times.
- Beware of Baggage Fees
Baggage fees can put a dent in your travel budget, especially if you choose to fly on budget carriers. Finding out that your baggage exceeded the allowable weight when you’re already checking in at the airport will require you to spend more and might put you in a bad mood.
To save money when traveling by air, be informed about your airline’s baggage fees. Check their website months or weeks ahead to determine the allowable weight for hand-carry and check-in baggage. If you plan to bring a lot of things, opt to buy additional baggage online as it’s cheaper than paying for them at the airport.
- Pick Your Location Wisely
Often, you’re traveling before you want to visit a specific location. But if you want to save more money on your airfare, be flexible when it comes to location.
Where you’re going and traveling from can affect the price of your airfare. For instance, if you live in New York, you’ll have access to some of the cheapest flights heading to Europe. If you’re a resident in a southern state, like Texas or Florida, you’ll save more when you choose flights going to Latin America.
- Clear Your Cookies
The internet has become incredibly smart and can determine what you’re searching for online. For example, if you searched for flights heading to Mexico ten times last week, websites will raise the price of airfares knowing that you’ll still pay for them as your travel date approaches.
You can outsmart the search engines online by regularly deleting the cookies and history of your browser and using incognito mode when searching for airfare online. You can also turn on a Virtual Private Network or VPN to prevent search engines from knowing your location.
- Check In Online
You can always check in when you arrive at the airport, but do you know that this will actually cost you more? Many airlines will charge you up to $10 per piece of paper when you check in at the airport and have them print your boarding pass. Save yourself from paying this unnecessary fee by checking in online and downloading your boarding pass on your phone.
Knowledge Is Power
Who says air travel has to be expensive? With the tips presented in this article, you can finally travel by air without the need to compromise your budget. Over time, these tips can help you travel as often as you want to!
