When searching for cheaper airfare it's always best to search for fresh and new data so that you have up-to-date prices on your next destination. This feature helps disguise away from travel search engines. Your computer stores and plugs new data from these sites which is convenient when you want to quickly go to their page without having to wait for some period of time. But this data is reciprocating back to the company's website recording and documenting what you search, what you click on, how long you stay on their page, and etc. You are being monitored as soon as you go on their page with their main goal is to get you to buy as soon as you can. So nearly all websites will have cookies stored in your computer so that what you looked at in the past will resurface in the future. Basically they'll show you what they want to show you. By going incognito mode of your browser websites cannot recognize nor input stored cookies in your computer making you seem like a new visitor every time, didn't think going incognito had other uses in mind huh? Definitely get your 007 on and become a spy on their websites your mission is to find that cheaper ticket.
2. Delete your cookies
2. Delete your cookies
Just like above, if you don't like the concept of being under the radar then stay on your current public browser and delete the cookies of the website. This can be done by history tab on chrome settings and go to to advance settings then under privacy and manage your cookies button.
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3. after step 2 you just then find your site and delete the cookies. This is somewhat a lengthy process but it gets the job done.
For firefox click here for the tutorial on how to individually delete cookies if you haven't already.
The same concept applies is to delete browsing preference for company's websites so you have fresh and updated data to search for.
3. Fly IN and OUT on TUESDAY
Usually Monday, Tuesday and Saturday are the slowest and non-busiest days to fly in and out of your destination. BUT particularly TUESDAY is the cheapest day to fly out on. You can see above that Tuesday's prices stay consistently low throughout each week. This is just an example of a flight from San Francisco to Miami in the month of April on a one way ticket. On my research posts you'd notice many of my flights are booked on Tuesdays which now you know why. Since most people choose the weekends to fly this is generally the most expensive and a way to capture that stream of money fast. One of the best ways to save money on your trip. So make sure request days off on those Tuesdays people!
4. Fly during the LOW SEASON
This method is pretty straightforward, just do a little research and find out the low and non-tourist packed season of your destination. These will help you fly on the slow days where people are generally not going to around that time. But you must be warned these are the days where weather can be extremely hot or cold depending on the place. So if your cheap mentality is stronger than your weather mentality then by all means book it. And also you are the one determining how to enjoy your vacation so don't let weather suppress your happiness.
4. Fly during the LOW SEASON
This method is pretty straightforward, just do a little research and find out the low and non-tourist packed season of your destination. These will help you fly on the slow days where people are generally not going to around that time. But you must be warned these are the days where weather can be extremely hot or cold depending on the place. So if your cheap mentality is stronger than your weather mentality then by all means book it. And also you are the one determining how to enjoy your vacation so don't let weather suppress your happiness.
5. Book 1-2 months in advance
Now for this method I have came across tests and experiments on booking many months in advance versus booking closer to the desire booking date. Since either method can yield cheap results but it will not work all the time. So when is the best way? The best way is to take a conservative approach where we are in the middle. Since it's always about timing then what must do is to RESEARCH on your destination on where you are going. Many travelers and cheap gurus say this a lot. What we mean about your research is to start searching high and low seasons of your vacation spot. Or even the shoulder season where it's in between the high and low so finding this out first will help you choose which date you would like to book. After figuring this out, say for example your are planning to FLY in January so you would begin searching 1-2 months prior so say about Nov-Dec.
Airlines are constantly fluctuating their prices like the stock exchange. You don't want to book too far in advance where you end up buying and a month later they cut prices considerably low leaving you with a heart full of regret. Also you don't want to buy tickets too late where they jack the prices where your money will take on its own vacation. So gamble smart and risk a little to gain big.
6. Sign up for deals and price alerts
Websites such as CheapFlights, AirfareWatchDog, and Kayak have amazing alerts and deals that they constantly update you on. Sometimes we do not have time to look for cheap prices and it can become cumbersome sitting and looking through many different sites. So I suggest you signup for weekly email newsletters so that you can seek these out on your own time whenever you receive them. And by the way these deals are cheap so having this subscription to save and do the dirty work for you can really be a time saver. I personally subscribed to all three. So it's always good to have airfare coverage on your selected vacation spots to get that day-to-day alerts whenever possible.
7. Book flights on separate legs
Another cheap trick you can try is to search flights on different airlines on both one way tickets. Meaning you book one way there on one airline and you book one way back on a different airline. Then add your total and see if it is less than buying a round trip altogether. Or you can just use one search engine and check one way on both directions instead of going on two different airline websites. Or maybe flying from 3 different cities for example I might fly from San Diego to Las vegas to San Francisco my last destination in order to have a cheaper sum ticket. This a mix match method so creativity and research will play out on this one. They are great websites that do this and I'll provide you on a next post.
8. Sign up for a airline rewards credit card
This method is a long-term method for those who do/don't really travel as much but frequently use credit cards. By having a rewards card each purchase you'll receive points per every dollar spend and this all depends on the airline and type of card you choose. So the more points you accumulate the greater amount you will be able to exchange those for a free flight. I'll do a full in-depth analysis so stay tuned.
9. Pay in foreign currencies
Many of my researches I have came across an instance where paying in different currencies will save you significant amount of money than paying your local currency. This is pretty logical the fact the conversion rate is lower than what we actually pay. So a cool trick is to use a website from a different country. Usually euros which may have a lower rate than usd BUT are price cheaper than usd. So there is some competitive pricing going on here where you can get a price below their American counterparts. But warning there may or may not be attached with foreign currency fees from the airline and from your bank so read up on this before buying. But the fees shouldn't be that much of an impact and still remain cheaper than other competitors. I'll do another in-depth analysis on this one.
10. Have room for flexibility
Leave some room for flexibility meaning sometimes airline search engines will TELL YOU that if you leave a day later OR earlier that you can save more than your current booking date. This can help you save a good amount of money for extra spending during your vacation. It may not look so much but it definitely feels like alot when you are paying less than what you were originally paying for. This picture above is from the same San Francisco to Miami flight with same dates but using Hipmunk. So definitely watch out for these signals.
Airlines are constantly fluctuating their prices like the stock exchange. You don't want to book too far in advance where you end up buying and a month later they cut prices considerably low leaving you with a heart full of regret. Also you don't want to buy tickets too late where they jack the prices where your money will take on its own vacation. So gamble smart and risk a little to gain big.
6. Sign up for deals and price alerts
Websites such as CheapFlights, AirfareWatchDog, and Kayak have amazing alerts and deals that they constantly update you on. Sometimes we do not have time to look for cheap prices and it can become cumbersome sitting and looking through many different sites. So I suggest you signup for weekly email newsletters so that you can seek these out on your own time whenever you receive them. And by the way these deals are cheap so having this subscription to save and do the dirty work for you can really be a time saver. I personally subscribed to all three. So it's always good to have airfare coverage on your selected vacation spots to get that day-to-day alerts whenever possible.
7. Book flights on separate legs
Another cheap trick you can try is to search flights on different airlines on both one way tickets. Meaning you book one way there on one airline and you book one way back on a different airline. Then add your total and see if it is less than buying a round trip altogether. Or you can just use one search engine and check one way on both directions instead of going on two different airline websites. Or maybe flying from 3 different cities for example I might fly from San Diego to Las vegas to San Francisco my last destination in order to have a cheaper sum ticket. This a mix match method so creativity and research will play out on this one. They are great websites that do this and I'll provide you on a next post.
8. Sign up for a airline rewards credit card
This method is a long-term method for those who do/don't really travel as much but frequently use credit cards. By having a rewards card each purchase you'll receive points per every dollar spend and this all depends on the airline and type of card you choose. So the more points you accumulate the greater amount you will be able to exchange those for a free flight. I'll do a full in-depth analysis so stay tuned.
9. Pay in foreign currencies
Many of my researches I have came across an instance where paying in different currencies will save you significant amount of money than paying your local currency. This is pretty logical the fact the conversion rate is lower than what we actually pay. So a cool trick is to use a website from a different country. Usually euros which may have a lower rate than usd BUT are price cheaper than usd. So there is some competitive pricing going on here where you can get a price below their American counterparts. But warning there may or may not be attached with foreign currency fees from the airline and from your bank so read up on this before buying. But the fees shouldn't be that much of an impact and still remain cheaper than other competitors. I'll do another in-depth analysis on this one.
10. Have room for flexibility
Leave some room for flexibility meaning sometimes airline search engines will TELL YOU that if you leave a day later OR earlier that you can save more than your current booking date. This can help you save a good amount of money for extra spending during your vacation. It may not look so much but it definitely feels like alot when you are paying less than what you were originally paying for. This picture above is from the same San Francisco to Miami flight with same dates but using Hipmunk. So definitely watch out for these signals.
