10 Tips on How to Find Cheap Flight Tickets to Anywhere

Looking for how to find cheap flight tickets for this year’s vacation?

I have traveled to 18 countries, and plan to discover more. I’ve lived in Europe and now in Bali. My husband and I fly out of the country at least twice a year, so we were always looking for cheap flights or deals and promotions.

After all of my research, I’ve come up with this 10 tips on how to find cheap flight tickets and best travel deals. And I’m happy to share them with you.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission (so I can buy vanilla ice on hot days!) at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase through a link. Please see my full disclosure for further information.

1. Be flexible with your dates

Flexibility is your friend.

If you want to save money on your travel, you’d better be flexible with your travel dates.

Check out Google Flights and Skyscanner, then view the prices for an entire month. This way, you can identify the days with cheap flight tickets.

Sometimes, it’s also cheaper to fly on a weekday instead of a weekend!

2. Be flexible with your destinations

Still talking about flexibility. But this time, it’s about your travel destination.

What I like to do the most is open Google Flights and Skyscanner, put in the departure airport, and then click search. No destinations.

(Bear in mind that to do this, you also have to be flexible with your travel dates)

You’ll see plenty of destinations to choose from with the cheapest flights. Try different departure airports or connecting flights. Do some experiments and have fun!

Another tip: you can save money by flying to a less popular destination that still offers what you want.

For example, if you love Asian food and a bit of culture, you can choose Vietnam instead of Thailand!

Getting a headache with packing? Check this article about how I pack my luggage!

3. Look for alternative airports

Another tip to get cheap flight tickets: you can look for alternative airports or nearby cities that are cheaper to fly to or from.

You might have to take a bus or a train to reach your final destination, but it could be worth it.

For example, in May 2023, we got a better deal flying out of Bangkok from Don Mueang Airport (a smaller Bangkok airport mainly used by budget airlines).

4. Book in advance, but not too early

Generally, booking your flight tickets well in advance can help you secure lower prices.

However, it’s also worth noting that booking too far in advance (more than six months ahead) may not always yield the best deals.

Airlines often release discounted tickets closer to departure to fill the remaining seats.

According to some studies, the best time to book a flight is about two months before departure for domestic flights and about five months before departure for international flights.

5. Use a VPN or clear your cookies

Did you know that some airlines and travel websites use your browsing history and location to show you different prices?

This is called dynamic pricing, meaning you might see higher fares if you search for the same flight multiple times or if you’re in a country where the average income is higher.

To avoid this, you can use a VPN (virtual private network) to change your IP address and appear as if you’re in another country.

You can also clear your cookies and cache before searching for flights or use an incognito window on your browser.

Don’t have a VPN yet?

Living in this Internet era, I think VPN is a must-have, especially if you’re traveling a lot or using public WI-FI often. You don’t want to get hacked or your personal information stolen.

I’ve been using NordVPN for years, and I’m happy with them. Reasonable price and good service. You can use my referral link to get some bonus!

Note: I don’t do this often. I find it too much work, and the price gap isn’t that much (just a few dollars sometimes).

But if you’re more patient than me, go for it. Maybe you’ll be luckier than me and find excellent deals!

6. Look for hidden fees and extras

One of the most annoying things about booking flights is finding out that the price you see is not the final price you pay.

Many airlines and travel websites add hidden fees and extras that can significantly increase your ticket’s cost.

These can include baggage fees, seat selection fees, booking fees, taxes, surcharges, and more.

To avoid these unpleasant surprises, read the fine print carefully and compare the total price across different platforms.

You can also look for airlines offering complimentary baggage allowance or seat selection.

7. Use miles and points

Miles and points are rewards you earn by flying with a specific airline or using a particular credit card or loyalty program.

You can then redeem them for flights or other travel-related products and services.

The key to collecting miles and points is loyalty. You should be a loyal customer and a frequent flyer of a particular airline and start accumulating miles.

Choose an airline that you’re comfortable with and that will suit most of your travel plans.

Amex is the most popular credit card for travelers to accumulate points. There are some others, like Chase Travel Card.

Right now, I’m only collecting miles from the airline’s loyalty program, like Miles & Smiles from Turkish Airlines.

I don’t own a Travel Card since the fee is high, and I don’t travel that often to reap its benefit.

8. Fly with low-cost carriers or budget airlines

Another tip for getting cheap flight tickets is to fly with low-cost carriers or budget airlines.

These airlines offer lower fares than traditional airlines by cutting some services or amenities.

For example, they may charge extra for checked baggage, seat selection, food and drinks, entertainment, etc.

They may also fly to smaller or less convenient airports or have less frequent or direct flights.

However, if you don’t mind these trade-offs, you can save a lot of money by flying with low-cost carriers or budget airlines.

My favorite budget airline in South East Asia is AirAsia.

They have 15 kg free baggage included plus 7kg cabin baggage. It’s perfect if you’re traveling light across South East Asia. Even the additional baggage fee is cheap if you plan to do some shopping.

Honestly, I’ve never flown with low-cost carriers in Europe.

I tried booking a few times, but then I gave up. Ryan Air, for example, doesn’t give you free baggage (except your handbag).

This means you are forced to buy an extra fee for your luggage. In the end, the price wasn’t so “cheap” anymore.

9. Travel during off-peak seasons or weekdays

To get a better deal, you should avoid holidays, weekends, and school breaks when the prices are usually higher and the crowds are larger.

This means July – August for most countries, including Asian countries like Indonesia.

10. Set up price alerts

Many travel websites and apps allow you to set up price alerts for specific destinations or flights.

I usually use Google Flights to give me alerts on some flights. You can also set up an alert on Skyscanner.

You’ll receive notifications when the prices drop or rise, enabling you to book when the fares are the most affordable.

What’s Next?

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