One of the most common question I’m asked regarding traveling is how to save money while traveling. I’ve done a few posts on this in the past [you can check them out HERE and HERE], so for today’s post, I thought I’d be more specific and give you some tips for finding cheap flights.

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-The first thing I would say is if you are really trying to save money when booking travel, you need to be flexible. Be flexible on the dates you choose. For example: if you can, try traveling during the off season. Do your research on the cheapest time to travel to X city. Also, be flexible on layovers and airlines if possible.

-Check departures from different cities and airports. Sometimes if you can leave from a different airport, your prices could be significantly less. I live in Detroit, and once I flew to London from Windsor [just a 30 minute drive from me] for hundreds, yes HUNDREDS of dollars less.

-Try buying two different flights. This one might take a little more explantation. I found an extremely cheap flight to Europe from an airport not close to us at all. It was a direct flight from that airport. I purchased those tickets, and then found cheap tickets from our airport to the other one. Just triple check your times, and be aware that if you’re checking bags, you’ll have to recheck in—so be sure to allot time for that.

-Compare many different websites for the best prices. A few of my go to sites for plane tickets are Kayak, Cheap Tickets and Cheapoair. All of these sites compare a lot of different airlines and will find you the best price. My tip for this is to make sure you’re aware of all the “hidden airline costs.” i.e bag fees, seat fees and even cost for meals on board if it’s a longer flight.

-Use airline miles. We do have a few credit cards so we can utilize travel rewards. I’m a proponent for credit cards, if you can use them responsibly. We have been able to purchase multiple flights with our miles, a few of which were to Europe. I wrote a post on the best travel reward credit cards if you want to check it out HERE.

Do you have other tips when you’re searching for flights? I’m always up for adding new tips to my arsenal 🙂 Comment below!!