6 Travel Hacks to Reduce the Price of Your Flight is a post originally published on: Everything Finance - Everything Finance - Its all about Money!

Experienced some wanderlust lately? Travel can be exciting and feed that urge you have to explore and create new memories, but the biggest obstacle most people face when it comes to exploring new places is the cost.

Travel can be super costly if you don’t plan your trip out carefully and look for savings. Two of the biggest expenses in your travel budget are bound to be transportation and airfare along with lodging.

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It’s unfortunate because those two factors don’t really make the trip worthwhile, the experience and the activities you to make all the difference and that’s where you should focus most of your money on.

On the bright side, avid travelers tend to pay extremely reduced prices for domestic and international airfare which allows them to take more budget-friendly trips. You can do this as well by learning these 6 secret (not so secret) travel hacks to reduce the price of your flight.

1. Track Flight Prices

When you begin planning the details of your trip, you want to start tracking Flight Prices immediately since they tend to fluctuate. You can use airline comparison sites like Kayak, Google Flights, or Cheap Flights to ensure you’re getting the best deals.

However, realize that flight prices can change even throughout just one day and it’s unrealistic to give yourself the responsibility of checking in with various different airlines daily. This is why I recommend using an app to help you do this. Hopper is a free app that will notify you when flight prices drop and make recommendations for when you should book your airfare.

All you have to do is enter in your travel dates and your destination and Hopper will start tracking flight prices across different airlines immediately and sending you predictions.

2. Book Early or Book Late

Sometimes, booking an affordable flight is all about timing. That said, you want to either book your flight early or somewhat late in order to get the best deal.

You don’t want to consider booking too early though. For domestic flights, 47 days out is considered the best time to buy tickets on average. International flight prices vary by destination but the day of the week that you choose to fly could also affect the price.

Generally, weekend flights are going to be more expensive because it’s a busier time. If you’re flexible consider, traveling on a weekday.

Booking your flight a little late could be risky, but you may be able to score some last minute airline deals as they try to fill up seats. Keep in mind that you probably won’t have much say in regards to your seat on the plane but it could be worth the savings especially if it’s a short flight.

3. Add In a Layover

It’s no secret that direct flights will often cost more than flights that include a layover. A layover is when you make a stop in a city that’s on the way to your destination to change planes, then hop back on a connecting flight.

When I traveled abroad to Europe, my flight had a layover in Charlotte. For a flight to Miami, I had a layover in Atlanta.

Layovers aren’t ever my top choice personally, but if you don’t mind a stopover and save significantly, it may be worth it to book a flight with a stop or two. Just be sure you organize all your flight information and learn about the airport and where your gate is so you don’t miss your connecting flight.

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4. Use Credit Cards

Another way to cut the cost of your flight is to use credit cards. Lots of credit cards offer reward points that can be redeemed for travel and some airlines even offer their own rewards in the form of miles that you can use to lower the cost of your flight.

The best way to take advantage of these offers is to sign up for a new credit card that is offering a competitive bonus. For example, say there’s an American Airlines card that is offering you 50,000 miles if you spend $3,000 during the first 3 months of having the card.

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So long as you can comfortably spend that money on the card, you can practically get a free flight. You can also use credit cards for every day spending regularly to earn 2X points and miles for example. This strategy may not work for everyone especially if you struggle with controlling your spending.

If you fear you may overspend with credit cards or are already in some credit card debt, avoid this strategy and choose another.

5. Consider a Travel Package

An option people don’t consider enough is an all-in-one travel package. Some travel sites and even discount sites like Groupon will allow you to book your airfare, airport transfers, lodging, and even a rental car all at one price.

If you book a specific vacation package or tour, you can most likely save on airfare and ease some financial stress by paying for everything all at once.

Expedia is a good site to consider granted they have a ‘bundle and save’ option for travel.

6. Consider a Budget Airline

Finally, you may want to consider a budget airline to save money on your flight. Budget airlines as less mainstream and have fewer features than the big dogs like Southwest and American Airlines. As a result, their prices are much cheaper.

Airlines like Spirit and Frontier will provide more affordable rates, but keep in mind that they are bare bones prices meaning you’d have to pay extra if you want anything other than the bare minimum.

I know Spirit Airlines charges for beverages during the flight and to check a bag. I’d consider budget airlines as a last minute option if you’re doing a short domestic flight.

Saving money on airfare can allow you to fit travel back into your budget and possibly even travel more often. Be sure to do your research when comparing flight prices and use these other travel hacks to significantly lower your flight costs.

Have you ever used any of these travel hacks to lower the price of a flight?

6 Travel Hacks to Reduce the Price of Your Flight is a post originally published on: Everything Finance - Everything Finance - Its all about Money!