Savvy Ways To Save on Airfare

If you’re willing to do some research and be a bit flexible as to when you fly, these tools can help you score cheap ticket deals on your next flight.

by Sue Perna

Finding the lowest airline fares possible isn’t that difficult, but it does require a combination of research, comparison shopping, and flexibility on your part. In order to save the most money, you must be willing to go the extra mile to find the deals. The tips below will help save you time and money when booking your next flight.

Book Early and Save

It’s always wise to book your flight early and way in advance because an early flight can save you big bucks. In general, the earlier you go the more money you will save. Morning flights are cheaper than afternoon or evening flights, and flights departing before 7 a.m. are often the cheapest of the day.

Take Advantage of Airline Sales

Many airlines offer discounted flights for certain destinations if you book certain times of the month or year. Here is a list of some of the low-cost airlines:

Allegiant Air

Allegiant drops prices significantly much closer to the date of your departure. Search for deals at Allegiantair.com.

Spirit Airlines

Much like Allegiant, with Spirit Airlines, booking tickets closer to your date of departure will save you the most money. Find their website at Spirit.com.

Frontier Airlines

Frontier, in particular, typically has the best sales for flights that are within the following month to six weeks. Check available flights at FlyFrontier.com.

Go JetBlue

JetBlue offers cheaper fares on certain dates with their best fare finder. You can book the lowest air fare deals at JetBlue.com.

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Use Airhint.com

Airhint.com will tell you the best time to buy tickets. From the Airhint website: “If you’re using a low cost carrier for your flights, you should make sure you really buy a…low-cost flight ticket. AirHint tells you exactly when it’s the best moment to buy your plane tickets.”

You can search for several non-domestic airlines and the following domestic airlines:

United Airlines
Southwest
jetBlue
Spirit Airlines
Frontier Airlines
WestJet

Sign up For Email Alerts

You can get first dibs on deals by signing up for email alerts on various websites like:

Using the best flight search engines can save you big. Some of the best search engines include:

Kayak
Priceline
Skyscanner (can also download the app)
Airfare Watchdog
Momondo (can also download the app)
Aviasales (includes budget airlines other search engines don’t)
TripAdvisor (find the lowest airfare, restaurants, and best hotels)
Hopper (award-winning mobile app)
Just Fly
Vio (scours the internet for hotel deals and special offers)

Save Money When Flying to Europe

You can save a heap of money when flying abroad by using budget foreign carriers like WOW air. Also check out Norwegian Air Shuttle.

Check Alternate Airports

To save more money on your next flight, you might want to consider booking your next flight with a smaller airport. Some of the flight prices are extraordinarily cheap. Searching with KAYAK can automatically show you rates from nearby airports.

Other useful low-fare tools are Skyscanner, Google Flights and Hopper. You can track when and where you can find the cheapest flights. Using these tools can get you some good deals on flights. Happy Flying!

Reviewed April 2024