How to Save Money on Flights

How to save money on flights? That’s an eternal question for many budget travelers. No matter how hard we try, it seems like airlines often rip us off. They are just good at it.

I really don’t like flying. It’s very harmful to our planet and provides no cultural experience at all! For both reasons, I prefer (and encourage others to) travel by land using public transport. However, if you do fly, I hope you’ll find some of my tips helpful…

1. Carefully compare Miles plan, Flypass & Online Flight Agencies

How many times have you heard somebody say, “I have a credit card with Miles, so I frequently fly for free!” They are telling the truth for the most part. Miles plans do provide opportunities to save money on flights, but they may not necessarily be your best option.

I also own a credit card with the Miles plan. It offers 3x points for flights from the issuing airline, 2x points for affiliate airlines, and 1x points for all other purchases. I rarely use the full benefit of this program, and I will explain why:

Let’s say I am trying to book a flight from Zagreb to Nairobi. At the airline company that offers 3x points the lowest fare is $1,100, while at Online Search Agency, the cheapest I found is $350.

…so I would earn a lot of points with the Miles plan mainly cause the flight costs a lot. I would rather go for the significantly cheaper flight I found elsewhere, and I will still earn 1x points.

So are the people lying when they say they frequently fly for free?

Probably not, it’s just their lifestyle may be more suitable for me. Here’s another example:

Let’s say you live in New York and have to fly to LA for work 5 times/year. You also have a vacation home in St Lucia, and you fly there twice a year. If you find an airline that offers cheap flights from NY to LA & NY to St Lucia, and it has a Miles program, that program would be a killer deal for you!

Whenever I compare flight prices for my desired route, I can always find 3 times cheaper deal on an Online Flight Agency website, than through my Miles program. I earn my Miles by using that credit card for groceries and other living expenses, including the flights I book elsewhere. Skyscanner and Momondo are my favorite websites.

Save money on flights with a Flypass plan?

Just like with the Miles program, depending on your traveling plans, Flypass may work for you, and it may not. Over the years, I’ve given various Flypass programs a chance, and after doing the math, I’ve always realized I could save more money on flights by buying one-way trips separately.

2. Commute to and from the airport with public transport

Airport taxi fares are extremely expensive, and budget travelers should always try to avoid them. It could be a pain to hustle with the local transport after a long flight. However, it’s worth it for me.

The best way to find public transport from the airport to the city center is by inquiring at the information desk. Do not ask taxi drivers, because they may tell you there are none just so they can get you in their taxi.

An alternative for public transport would be a Shared Shuttle or Uber. It will be cheaper than a taxi but still much more expensive than the city bus. Keep in mind that any transportation vehicle picking up passengers at the airport must pay an airport fee to conduct business there. That explains high fees.

You could also try to find a public bus outside the airport. For that option, you might have to walk 500m-1.5km away. That’s when phone apps like Maps.me or Google Maps come in handy.

3. Camp at the airport

Sleeping at airports is common due to odd flight hours, long connections, and delays. I am sure you have seen people sleeping on the benches at the terminals. I’d rather go fancy and spread my sleeping bag:)

Budget travelers could take advantage of this perk. Here’s an example:

Let’s say your departure time is 7 AM, which means you have to be there at 5, leave home at 4, and wake up at 3:30… The night before, you went to bed at 11 PM. That is only 4.5h of sleep.

Instead, I would prefer to arrive at the airport the night before, around 10 PM. Find a nice corner on the ground, spread my sleeping bag, and fall asleep by 11. Since I am already at the airport, I could set the alarm at 5 PM. That gives me 6 hours of sleep… much better, isn’t it?

Other than getting more sleep, there are more reasons why I like doing this:

• It is more likely to find public transport to the airport at 9 PM than at 4 AM, and I already covered the taxi prices to the airport above.
• One night’s sleep free of charge instead of booking a room
• If you get to the airport the night before, it’s less likely you’ll miss your flight!

Some airports might have a strict policy against sleeping at the terminals; however, I never had such problems. They tend to close certain terminals or certain aisles for the night, but there should always be an option to spread your sleeping bag somewhere at the airport.

4. Pack sandwiches for your flight

Many people don’t know this: You can make a sandwich at home and eat it on the plane! The flight control will not take it away. They are only scanning for liquids, sharp, and flammable objects. I always fly with a lunch box, sandwiches, fruit, or nuts, and never had anything confiscated. No need to waste money on overpriced and low-quality food at the airports!

Have you ever had your food taken away at the airport? Please write in the comments below. We would love to learn from your experience.

5. Bring an empty water bottle

This is a big one, ’cause flights dehydrate you, and water prices at airports are truly sensational!

You already know, you can’t pass the security scanner with liquids, but an empty bottle is perfectly acceptable! Once you pass the security, there might be water fountains around your gate. If not, you can get it on your flight. Some airlines in the US charge for everything, including water on domestic flights. The same applies to European budget airlines. The only one that charges for everything on international flights, besides besides breathing the air is Korean Airlines.

6. Bring a tea bag or instant coffee

…and all you gotta do is ask a barista for a cup of hot water. Some coffee shops at the airport charge for that service. I travel with a folding cup that looks like this. When I ask them to fill it with hot water, I never get charged or rejected for thar kind of service 🙂

7. Avoid checking in luggage

Free One-bag-check-in days are over. Some companies will charge you more for your 10 kg of luggage than for your flight. That being said, if possible, try to carry on everything! Airline companies usually have size requirements for carry-ons, but in my experience, they are not too strict about them. Many times, I see passengers boarding with 2 medium-sized pieces of luggage

However, if you are taking a multi-month & multi-country trip (like me), you will obviously have to check your large backpack. In that case, make sure it is not heavier than 23kg (the exact weight varies) to avoid even higher fees.

9. Buy a cheaper flight with a longer connection time

Let’s say you are trying to book a flight from Lyon to Bogota. Your search gives you two options:

10. Don’t buy Trip Protection

…or flight insurance or anything like that! I generally do not believe in insurance (other than essential health care). Statistically, insurance buyers lose money cause insurance companies make money. Let’s examine some common reasons why people like to buy Trip Protection:

The flight gets canceled

No worries! The airline company will put you on the next flight for no extra charge

My luggage got lost

Eventually, it will be found and sent to you. Once, my luggage got lost on my flight from Zagreb to Nairobi with Swissport. It was sent to my hostel in Nairobi 5 days later. In the mid-time I had to purchase a new towel, swim shorts, toothbrush, flip flops etc…collected the receipts and Swissport sent me money for it.

When you’re having an issue and need to dispute it, you need to hustle with the airline. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but usually $30 Trip Protection makes no difference in your fight… I would rather work on my hustling skills. That is indeed an important skill for traveling the world.

My luggage got stolen

Generally, thieves don’t hang out at airports due to high security, so the chances of this happening to you are 1:1000000… and if it happened, I don’t think $30 protection would make any difference in solving this problem.

I paid extra for the flexible itinerary

This one is a bit tricky… If I am not certain what date I wanna depart, I would rather wait till I am, so I don’t have to waste money on a flexible ticket. You may think that if you wait till you are certain about your flight date, the price will go up, but that may not be the case. It could be the opposite (if they have a lot of empty seats).

Obviously, in some cases, a flexible itinerary might be a good deal (if the itinerary you found is super cheap, you are not sure about the date, and the flexible upgrade is also affordable). Beware: if you buy a flexible ticket and decide to make a change, there may still be a hidden fee.

Bottom line: airline companies don’t wanna protect you. They wanna find ways to charge you as much as possible, and we shouldn’t be victims of their greed!

10. Don’t choose a seat for your flight

This feature used to be free, but now most airlines and all online travel agencies charge for it. On their website, they make it look like, if you don’t pay for the seat, you may end up flying without one, but that’s just impossible. I would rather have them choose a seat for me to save $18 or so.

Bonus: When free, ask for more!

Long international flights always include free meals & beverages. With the exception of Korean Airlines. The plane will always be stuffed with some extra meals. Once you finish your in-flight dinner, it won’t hurt to walk to the end of the plane and ask the flight attendant something like this: “Excuse me, I’m still hungry. Since we still have 5 hours before the arrival, I was wondering if I could get another meal, please?”

It is even easier to hustle for an extra cup of coffee or an extra can of beer. I would advise asking for more by walking up to the attendant, away from the other passengers, to be discreet. Attendants don’t want other passengers to know you got an extra treat, ’cause that could trigger a chain reaction of demands.

Do you have any secrets on how to save money on flights? You can share them with us in the comments below.

Source of the background photo – Pexels