i was messaging someone recently & we were talking about travel. he wanted some tips, and as i was typing, i realized i had a lot more up my sleeve than i thought.
so here i am! hi! throwing out some advice on how to travel cheap. if you already know all of them, then hats off to you, but if not, now you do!
when looking for flights, use @skyscanner or similar apps (skiplagged, student universe, etc. they all are great, skyscanner just happens to be my favorite). essentially, these apps search dozens of airlines for the cheapest flights.
track your prices! i think this is hellaaaaa important! with skyscanner, i can turn on notifications for when prices go up or down on a flight i’m interested in. this is a risky game, but it saved me $300 on a flight to portugal, so i’d say it’s worth it. just don’t wait to long!
be flexible. leaving on a wednesday versus a weekend will almost always cut your flight prices down (sometimes even 50%). you can also look at prices for a full month also, you can get great deals if you’re traveling during off season!
sign up for @scottscheapflights ! by signing up for their (free) service, they will tell you when certain flights are super cheap. i’m yet to use this service, but the flights are always legit & at least half off!
fly out of a hub. these airports are often wayyy cheaper than whatever is closest to you. i tend to fly out of chicago or toronto, but other examples are new york, boston, lax, etc. (note: detroit is a delta hub, so for some locations may be cheaper to fly out of detroit! just make sure you check several surrounding airports). also works for where you’re flying into. example: i’m going to visit a friend in kuala lumpur, but flying into bangkok because it’s half the price!
book flights through the airline, not a travel agency! this just makes it way simpler if you have to change or cancel a flight, and you can quickly rack up those travel points for a free flight!
sometimes a layover is worth it. do i regret staying overnight at the vegas airport when going to california? maybe. was it worth saving $200? definitely. (with this being said, make sure you pay close attention to layovers! how long are they? do you have to change airports? etc.).
stay at airbnbs or hostels! okay, no, it won’t be the same as your all inclusive resort in cabo. but it will save a ton of money. (bonus with airbnbs, if you get one just outside a city, you can often times find cheaper prices, avoid tourist traps, and be further immersed in local culture. win win win!)
getting to the initial location is the most expensive part. if you have some flexibility, plan a longer trip. for example, 2 years ago i went to europe for 18 days. flights from country to country are way cheaper once you’re overseas. i’m doing the same thing in asia this summer!
buy flights right now. you heard me. prices are so flipping cheap due to the virus. just make sure you buy them far enough out!
go get ’em, jetsetters! if you have any questions about these make sure to leave a comment or dm me!
