“How to Find Cheap Flights: 10 Practical Tips”

Experienced travelers probably know some of these tricks already, but for most people, we’ll reveal several excellent opportunities to save on flights right away!

It’s long been known that booking flights in advance is key to budget travel. Statistics show it’s most advantageous to purchase domestic flights about 8 weeks before departure and international flights about 24 weeks before. However, planning a trip months ahead is a luxury many modern people can’t afford.

Therefore, there’s an alternative (or rather, the opposite extreme) — buying airline tickets literally the day before departure. Sometimes carriers drastically reduce prices to attract passengers and sell remaining tickets. However, keep in mind that for the most popular flights, tickets may not be available on the last day.

“Fly from Monday to Thursday.”

Another very simple rule that will help you buy cheap airline tickets: plan your trip so that you spend weekends abroad and make flights during weekdays. It’s considered that Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are the most advantageous days for flights.

As for booking tickets, you can do it any day except Friday: firstly, by the end of the week, economy class offers are running out; secondly, secretaries usually book tickets for their bosses’ business trips on this day; thirdly, many people start thinking about vacations just before the weekend — well, they get into a “relaxation” mood.

“Get some sleep on the plane.”

Another travel trick is to travel at night. Typically, overnight flights are cheaper than daytime ones (which is why many low-cost carriers operate during inconvenient hours).

Just remember to factor in taxi costs to the airport, as public transportation often doesn’t run during the night.

“Extend the season.”

This advice applies not only to buying airline tickets but also to planning your entire trip. Don’t restrict yourself to seasonal peaks, especially the “high season,” because airlines and hotels significantly inflate prices for popular destinations during specific periods.

A great example of this is Cyprus. It’s considered that the season here starts at the end of May and ends in September. However, you might be surprised to find that in early May and even late October (!), the weather is still beautiful and you can go swimming. During this “off-season” period, flight and accommodation prices are significantly lower.

WATCH FOR DEALS

We believe that finding cheap airline tickets is like magic because prices change literally every second. Every day, one of the airlines launches a promotion or sells tickets at reduced prices, not to mention that budget airlines don’t fly every day, so you need to keep track of their schedules as well.

In general, if you want to find really cheap airline tickets, don’t stick to specific dates and destinations. tripmydream regularly publishes all the most advantageous flight offers at the moment. Often, the more advantageous the price, the faster all the tickets are sold out, so we recommend keeping a close eye on our promotions.

Also, when monitoring flights, always check prices for the next 3-4 days—sometimes the price can differ by a factor of two.

TRAVEL LIGHT

Many know that budget airlines (low-cost carriers) set low ticket prices partly because baggage is not included. It’s paid for separately and significantly increases the cost. Regular airlines often have reduced fares without baggage included as well.

For each additional suitcase, you’ll be asked to pay an additional amount, which can be quite substantial. So travel light!

EXPLORE ALTERNATIVE AIRPORTS

When traveling through Europe, always explore flights to neighboring cities and secondary airports. You’ll be surprised, but this can save you half of your budget.

For example, to get to Brussels, you can travel through Brussels Airport, where a Kiev-Brussels ticket would cost around €190. Alternatively, flying to Brussels-Charleroi Airport, which is 46 km from Brussels, would cost only €65 (Wizz Air flight with a short layover in Vilnius). The difference is obvious.

BE CREATIVE

Many know that flights with layovers are often cheaper than direct flights. But there’s a way to save even more—manually combine flights yourself. From Ukraine, Wizz Air offers cheap flights to Vilnius, Budapest, Katowice, Warsaw, Wroclaw, and other European cities. From these cities, you can build a route using low-cost carriers like Wizz Air, Ryanair, or EasyJet.