1. Search on flight comparison websites, not on airline booking websites.
Finding the best flight booking website is not an easy task since flight ticket prices are constantly changing. There are several flight booking websites you may know of, but there are also others you might not be aware of that offer discounted airfares and cheap flight deals at different and varying times.
Focusing on specific airline booking websites or a particular flight booking site greatly reduces your chances of finding the cheapest option. Instead, you should search on websites specialized in comparing flight prices through a single search engine that looks across all these booking websites simultaneously.
2- Search for flights to and from other airports in the same city.
Don't limit yourself to searching for flights from a specific airport in one city to another specific airport in a different city. There are many cities that have multiple airports. For example, in Paris, there is not only the main airport, Charles de Gaulle Airport, but also other airports such as Paris Orly Airport, Beauvais-Tillé Airport, and Paris-Le Bourget Airport. Similarly, in Dubai, there are Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport, and in Rome, there are Rome Ciampino Airport and Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport.
The advantage here is that some of these airports may be close to the main airport or closer to your destination or even closer to your hotel, which gives you the option to find a cheaper and more optimal flight booking for your journey.
Additionally, there are often cheap flight offers from these other airports, which creates an ideal opportunity if the airport is closer to your hotel or fits better with your travel itinerary. In such cases, flight ticket prices may be better, even if they are similar to the prices offered at the main airport but are farther from your intended destination.
Of course, booking a flight to a different airport does not guarantee finding the absolute cheapest flight ticket, but it always creates an additional opportunity to find cheaper flight prices if they exist.
Note:
Before starting to book flights to a different airport, the traveler should be cautious. In some cases, if the airport is farther away and the flight ticket offers are cheaper, the overall cost of the trip may still be higher after considering transportation expenses. Therefore, it is essential to exercise caution before booking travel tickets and ensure that the distance to and from the airport does not negate the savings achieved during the flight booking process.
3- Search for flights to and from other cities within the same country.
Merely comparing ticket prices to and from the same city you wish to book a flight to may not be sufficient. Therefore, it is advisable to look for the best flight deals in neighboring cities, whether they are cities you are currently in or the city you are heading to.
If you find cheap flights in a neighboring city to your destination, consider booking a flight from or to that city, or even a round trip between them. In such cases, there are a few factors to consider before booking a flight that wasn't initially part of your plan:
- Calculate the transportation cost difference to and from the airports of the neighboring cities compared to the city you intended to book your ticket to or from. Compare if the cost reduction justifies the extra effort, or if the overall price difference for the flights is not significant enough to warrant the additional hassle.
- If you come across inexpensive flight deals to a city that was already part of your travel plans or is close to your desired destinations, but wasn't prioritized initially, you can rearrange your travel priorities and make visiting that city a priority, adjusting the rest of your itinerary accordingly.
- Also, if you find discounted flight offers to a city that wasn't originally part of your plan but is worth exploring and taking advantage of the low-cost flight, you can incorporate that city into your travel itinerary and start your journey there.
- If you manage to find cheaper available flights to a city you had already planned to visit, but didn't intend to start your trip from there, you can seize the opportunity and travel there while benefiting from the savings. In this case, you can even look for cheaper domestic flights from the city you had initially booked to, to save more time and make the most of your travel journey.
In general, this not only helps find the best flight bookings but also creates an opportunity to book discounted hotels and accommodations in neighboring cities to the capital, which usually offer more affordable prices compared to other cities.
4- Be flexible about booking flights at different times.
Many people often have to book flights at specific times due to their busy schedules or limited vacation periods, which can hinder finding the best flight deals. However, if you have the opportunity and are not bound to book a flight on specific dates, do not miss the chance to search for discounted flight tickets at different times that suit your schedule.
It is recommended to search for the cheapest flight ticket prices in approximate periods or on dates close to your intended travel date. The more flexibility you have in searching for flight tickets within a broader timeframe, even exploring different months, the greater the chances of finding the best flight deals.
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5- Avoid booking flights during occasions or holidays.
One of the main factors that increase flight ticket prices is the higher demand than usual. Airfare prices follow the economic model of supply and demand, similar to most products and services.
The best way to find cheaper flight prices is to avoid peak seasons, occasions, school holidays, and general public holidays, especially if your travel is not specifically tied to a certain event or celebration. Avoid traveling during Eid, New Year, or summer vacations.
Traveling during holidays not only affects flight ticket prices but also impacts hotel prices, leading to an overall increase in travel costs. Therefore, if your main goal is to book the cheapest flight, it's better to avoid those crowded periods.
6- Try to book flights well in advance before your travel.
It's well-known that booking flights in advance allows you to find cheaper airfares more often. However, the effectiveness of this strategy depends on the time gap between booking and the travel date. The larger the gap, the higher the chances of finding cheaper flight prices.
Studies from various flight booking websites suggest that the ideal period for booking domestic flights is between two weeks and a month in advance. This period often ensures finding the cheapest domestic flights based on data from multiple booking platforms.
For international flights, the optimal booking window is typically between one and a half months to five and a half months in advance, according to cumulative statistics from various flight booking sites. However, exceptions can occur, and cheaper international flights can be found closer or farther from your travel date.
If you plan to travel during holidays or special occasions like New Year's Eve or major festivals, it's recommended to book flights at least two months in advance.
7- Choosing the right month guarantees the best flight prices.
To find the best flight prices, it's crucial to search during months with lower demand, which is often related to seasonal or climatic factors and holidays, among other factors.
For example, if your destination is in Asia, you are likely to find the lowest airfares in August and October, followed by April and September. If you're traveling to Africa, May is typically the month with the cheapest flight tickets.
For discounted flights within Europe, the ideal months are August, October, and November, according to statistics.
For South America, October tends to offer the lowest airfare prices. For Australia and New Zealand, the cheapest months are November, January, and July.
8- Luggage can significantly increase flight prices.
Many travelers reach the baggage counter without knowing the weight of their luggage in advance, and whether you are booking with budget airlines or premium carriers, this point applies to everyone, regardless of good luck, prior knowledge, or pure chance that might save you from paying extra on flight tickets.
Protests at this stage often, unfortunately, do not yield favorable results, and the optimal solution to avoid any price increases on the original flight ticket is to adhere to the specified baggage weights.
Some airlines may be lenient and overlook minor increases, but generally, those overseeing the process are not obligated to do so.
Therefore, travelers should check what is included in the flight prices before booking and read the instructions printed on the airline ticket regarding baggage allowance and weight restrictions.
Additional advice for finding discounted plane tickets when traveling to Schengen countries:
If your travel destination is one of the Schengen countries, you can achieve dual benefits by booking cheap flights to another nearby country within the Schengen area and then booking discounted train tickets from that country, which allows you to visit two countries and take advantage of the price difference.
We hope that we have provided helpful information on finding and understanding discounted flight ticket prices and how to find the best flight booking websites. If some of the information mentioned is already known to you, it may be new to others.
If you have any additional tips on how to book cheap and discounted flight tickets, we encourage you to share them with us and our readers through messaging or by writing in the comments.
