Go Backpacking

  • About
  • Travel Tips
    • Accommodations
    • Budgeting & Money
    • Adventure Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Gear & Gadgets
    • Packing Tips
    • Travel Blogging
    • Travel Insurance
    • Trip Planning
    • UNESCO Sites
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Botswana
      • Egypt
      • Ethiopia
      • Morocco
      • Rwanda
      • South Africa
      • Tanzania
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Philippines
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Europe
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Iceland
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Portugal
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • Canada
      • Costa Rica
      • Cuba
      • Guatemala
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • Panama
      • United States
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • French Polynesia
      • New Zealand
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Bolivia
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Peru
  • Advertise
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Travel Tips
    • Accommodations
    • Budgeting & Money
    • Adventure Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Gear & Gadgets
    • Packing Tips
    • Travel Blogging
    • Travel Insurance
    • Trip Planning
    • UNESCO Sites
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Botswana
      • Egypt
      • Ethiopia
      • Morocco
      • Rwanda
      • South Africa
      • Tanzania
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Philippines
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Europe
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Iceland
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Portugal
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • Canada
      • Costa Rica
      • Cuba
      • Guatemala
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • Panama
      • United States
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • French Polynesia
      • New Zealand
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Bolivia
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Peru
  • Advertise
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Travel Tips
    • Accommodations
    • Budgeting & Money
    • Adventure Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Gear & Gadgets
    • Packing Tips
    • Travel Blogging
    • Travel Insurance
    • Trip Planning
    • UNESCO Sites
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Botswana
      • Egypt
      • Ethiopia
      • Morocco
      • Rwanda
      • South Africa
      • Tanzania
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Philippines
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Europe
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Iceland
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Portugal
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • Canada
      • Costa Rica
      • Cuba
      • Guatemala
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • Panama
      • United States
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • French Polynesia
      • New Zealand
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Bolivia
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Peru
  • Advertise
×
Home » Budgeting & Finances

5 Tips to Ensure You Book the Cheapest Flights

Published: Jun 13, 2018 by Adam Richman |

Plane

Jetting off on vacation is one of the most exciting things we look forward to in life. It’s also one of the most costly.

It can often be a battle against luck when it comes to booking flights. There are so many things to factor in when it comes to calculating the price, whether it be school holidays or significant events taking place.

Prices can fluctuate drastically, so how do you get the best deal? We take a look at the simple steps you can take to make sure you get the best deal when booking flights.

Table of Contents

  • Book Early
  • Use Your Air Miles
  • Set Price Alerts
  • Be Flexible With Your Timing
  • Be Flexible With Your Airport

Book Early

Perhaps the simplest option is book early. The further in advance you can book your flights, the more likely you are to get a good deal.

That’s because as more seats become booked up, the higher the demand will be for those booking them. It’s usually best to book flights around three to four months early.

Use Your Air Miles

The likelihood is you’ll be buying your flights via credit card, so why not make the most of your spending elsewhere and collect air miles.

There are dozens of cards that will not only help you buy flights with your air miles, but also receive travel rewards when spending away from home.

The best cards to travel abroad with will do both, and you can pick up some terrific deals with them.

Set Price Alerts

The cost of flights can fluctuate hugely, especially if airlines begin offering sales. Setting price alerts will help you keep track of how much your flights are currently costing, with the likes of Google Flights sending you alerts if the cost increases or decreases.

It’s certainly a good idea if you’re not quite ready to book flights, although it can also be a gamble waiting for flights to decrease.

Be Flexible With Your Timing

Certain times of the year are of course going to be more expensive than others. School holidays always drive prices up, particularly in the summer. The same applies to major events such as sporting tournaments, music festivals and marathons. Essentially, any event where an influx of people is expected into a city.

Being flexible will allow you to avoid said events and allow yourself to book a quieter flight for a lower price.

Be Flexible With Your Airport

Flying from different airports, and indeed to different airports could work out much cheaper. For example, flying to Paris Beauvais instead of Charles De Gaulle could save money, while your departure location can also often be changed to save money.

Some budget airlines prefer to fly out of certain airports, which can often be worth commuting over to save.

The same applies to connections. In many cases, it may be cheaper to connect rather than take a direct flight. Being flexible gives you that opportunity to get the best possible deal, even if it does take a little longer.

_____

This story was brought to you in partnership with Money Under 30. 

Related Stories

  • Rice fields, Bali (photo: Jamie Fenn).
    Savvy Savings Tips for Your Next Vacation
  • Travel maps and camera
    How To Save Money for Any Vacation You Want
  • Remote work station in Vietnam (photo: Samantha Eaton)
    The Tax Details Travel Bloggers Need to Know
  • RV
    How To Buy a Great Motorhome With a Tight Budget
13 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

About Adam Richman

Dave at Ahu Ko Te Riku on Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Chile.

Hi, I'm Dave

Editor in Chief

I've been writing about adventure travel on Go Backpacking since 2007. I've visited 68 countries.

Read more about Dave.

Footer

back to top

About

  • About
  • Archive
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy

Follow Us

Contact

  • Contact
  • Work With Us
  • Submissions

Copyright © 2025 Go Backpacking

13 shares
  • 9
  • 4