By Saul Garpe
One of the most recurring questions my friends ask me is how do you find cheap flights? What I can tell you is that there are many tips rolling around the web, and it is very easy to get lost among so many interesting recommendations, but I am going to tell you what has worked for me over the years.
1. Time is the great key and the first filter. As I have said on other occasions, to find cheap flights you must be able to travel when others cannot, move your vacation days easily, manage to travel on days that are not holidays or vacations, and be as flexible as possible. Book early, at least one or two months in advance!
2. Do not by mistake look for arrivals or departures on the weekend (Friday, Saturday, or Sunday) since they are usually very popular dates and therefore more expensive. The ideal is to look for your departure and arrival flights to fall during the week from Monday to Thursday.
3. Travel as lightly as possible. As long as airlines continue to allow us to bring a personal item on the flight, it means you can take a backpack, bag, or small suitcase with you for free. The measurements are specified by each airline—just do not exceed them, and you will not have to pay for a suitcase. You also save time when leaving the airport since you don’t have to wait for your luggage.
4. Do not be afraid to select your seat at random, even if you are accompanied. Airlines usually charge you when you choose your seat on the flight. Simply use the choose later option, and when you check in, do the same—the system will assign a place for you. Think that this way you can meet interesting people!
5. Constantly monitor the website of your favorite airline (or better yet, several) even at night since flights tend to vary in price during the day according to supply and demand. There are those who say that it is better to search after midnight. I say that it is better to search at all hours until you find that flight you are longing for.
6. Sometimes it has worked very well for me to search for round-trip flights. Other times I have found better prices buying the departure and return flights separately, so when searching use the options round-trip flight and single flight to compare before making the purchase.
You can bring me a keychain!
