Travelers know how difficult it can be to find cheap airfare, especially for cheaper international flights. It’s even more difficult if you take multiple trips per year, travel to multiple destinations , or travel during the holidays. Costs can easily add up, but if you know a few simple tricks, you can find cheaper international flights to make your next trip as affordable as possible.
We’ve put together the following tips to help you find cheap international flights to your destination. This way, you can visit friends and family, vacation with loved ones, or simply travel for fun, all while saving some of your hard-earned cash.
1. Stay flexible on your travel dates.
If you’re on a tight schedule, staying flexible isn’t always an option. However, it could make a difference in the price you pay for your international airfare. If possible, check flight prices before you book a car rental or hotel reservation, as moving your trip back a day or two can get you a better deal.
There is a myth in the travel community that the cheapest day to fly is Tuesday and that Fridays and Sundays are the most expensive. This is not always the case, but it is true that you will usually find the lowest fares on weekdays instead of weekends, so keep that in mind when buying tickets.
2. Avoid shopping during peak season.
Certain times of the year are more advantageous for buying cheaper airline tickets than others. The most expensive times are mid-summer and the end-of-year holidays. This is when most people travel, and airlines are well aware of this.
Ticket prices skyrocket in July and August, as well as in the periods before and after Christmas and New Year’s. But, the cheapest time, according to Business Insider , is late August. Try to buy your tickets during the seasons when ticket purchases are least in demand to avoid high prices, and you could save a lot of money on your flight.
3. Don’t buy your ticket at the last minute.
Along the same lines, ticket prices tend to spike at the last minute, so make sure to book your ticket as early as possible.
A report from Google Flights found that domestic flights tend to be cheapest 21 to 60 days before departure, but flights to Europe were cheapest around 129 days in advance, so book your flight to London or Paris early enough !
It is better to book in advance if you intend to travel by plane during a peak season, since the fares will be higher than usual. This way, you will benefit from the best value for money, as long as the airline’s cancellation conditions suit you.
If you plan to travel during the off-season, you will have more opportunities to find a cheap international flight.
4. Use comparison websites to find cheaper international flights.
There are thousands of booking sites you can use to book flights and find the best prices.
Some sites to check out include: Skyscanner , Momondo , Kiwi.com , CheapOair , and Google Flights . Regardless of which site you choose to book, it is always recommended to check multiple sites and search engines to find the best and cheapest options.
Some sites offer special features along with travel deals. For example, Hopper shows you the cheapest days to book your flight, gives you an estimate of how much the price might drop, and even notifies you when the price drops.
You may find better deals than if you booked directly with an airline, but keep in mind that if you need to make changes to your booking, you’ll need to contact the site you booked through, rather than, say, United Airlines or American Airlines.
Also, don’t forget to check out the Southwest website . Southwest flights don’t appear on traditional search engines.
5. Put your browser in incognito mode.
When you search for flights, your browser keeps track of your search using cookies, so if you search for a flight multiple times, the prices will increase.
This is a tactic that airlines use to encourage you to “book now” rather than wait for prices to drop.
This will ensure that your searches are not impacted by the prices displayed, and you will be able to find the cheapest options available.