- Book tickets at least 2 weeks in advance. Airlines make a great deal of their profits from frequent
business travelers, who must fly on short notice and who often pay $1500 or more per flight within the US. Booking well in advance will save you as much as 75%. - Shop Around. Don’t rely on the airline’s own website to give you the best deal. Search for deals on a comparative price search website such as Travelocity. It will save you both money and time.
- Book flights on Wednesday. Statistics show that this day of the week has the lowest prices for air travel.
- Stay over a weekend. If you are booking a short duration trip, don’t come home on a Saturday or
If you wait to come home on a Monday or Tuesday you can save as much as 50% on the cost of your flight. - Check prices on alternate routes, especially on cross-country flights. The closest path from point A to point B is not always the cheapest. Instead of direct flights, try searching for ones with stop-overs at various hub airports, such as Salt Lake, Minneapolis, Chicago or Atlanta.
- Account for changes in travel plans. Be sure to choose tickets which are refundable and have no
change fees. - Take the savings on your hotel. If you are traveling out of town, chances are that you will be staying overnight. As you save money on air travel, you may save even more with a good hotel deal. Try a search at Hotels.com to save big bucks towards the overall cost of your trips.
- Stick with a single airline. Loyalty to a single airline has its benefits. Frequent flier miles
add up quicker than you think, saving you hundreds or thousands of dollars on free trips. If you are a business traveler, programs like Delta Airlines Medallion program, can give you perks such as SkyClub access and automatic upgrades to first class, as you gain in status. Sign up for their email newsletter and be notified of special deals as they arise. - Make use of travel reward credit cards for your everyday purchases. Many credit cards give frequent flier miles for every dollar you spend on their card. Some come with a miles sign-up bonus, sufficient for the cost of a domestic flight ticket.
- Travel light. Most airlines these days have checked bag fees. Learning the art of proper packing willallow you to go with just a carry-on bag, for all but the longest of trips. Choose clothes that can be worn for multiple occasions and wear your bulkiest clothing on the plane. Pack a lightweight small duffle bag within your carry-on, in case you come home with more than when you left. Be sure that it is small enough to fit under the seat in front of you, so it will qualify as your “one personal item,” allowed free by the airlines.
