cheapest travel hacks

20 Expert Cheap Flight Hacks You Need To Steal To Uncover the Best Fares

Last updated on March 16th, 2023 at 03:46 pm

Flights are one of, if not the largest, travel expenses you’ll run into when planning your trip. They can also be one of the most difficult areas to save money in – or maybe you just need a few tricks up your sleeve. Tickets may not go on clearance, but there are still ways to save on getting to your destination. Save these cheap flight hacks for a rainy day to get the best fares possible when you’re ready to hit book.

Luckily for budget travelers, there are tons of services and resources available to ensure you’re booking a flight at the right price. I’m bringing you a mix of good common practices when hunting for flights, but also unique tips and resources you probably didn’t know about – now that’s exciting stuff!

And if you’re a budget traveler looking for more tips, I have a whole category of posts dedicated to budget travel for you to check out. Why not maximize your savings and combine them all?

Some of these links are affiliate links meaning if you make a purchase through that link, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read my full disclosure !

Best Flight Search Practices For Finding The Cheapest Fares

When it comes to booking tickets, there are both theoretical and practical hacks to finding cheap flights.

By that I mean some of these tips are going to be covering more general knowledge to have about the flight-booking process and others are tangible sales, websites, or actionable ways to find a lower flight price.

When it comes to cheap flight hacks – the more, the merrier! Utilize every resource you can. Finding cheap flights will likely mean you have to put in a lot of research. But the big savings are worth it!

1. Know the Travel Season & Be Flexible

Everyone knows that if you can have a flexible schedule, you can use that to your advantage and travel on the days the cheapest flights are available.

However, most people don’t have the luxury of vacationing whenever they want. Summer breaks and holidays are when people have time off, so that’s when prices will rise – the industry knows they can make tons of money during these periods.

So, if you can be flexible with your travel dates, then great! Most flight search engines allow you to check a tiny box that says “my dates are flexible” and give you a calendar with the prices associated with each day.

However, there’s another way to be flexible to find the best deals – and that’s to be flexible with your destination . While it’s the busy tourist seasons in one area, it’s the off-season in another. So, if you can’t be flexible with your dates, research destinations that are in the off-season for peak tourist times .

Another way to figure this out is to plug your dates into Skyscanner and use the “Search anywhere” tool to have a better understanding of what destinations can be in your budget.

2. Go Incognito

While you’re searching for flights, your browser is collecting cookies of data. These search engines and airline companies can use these cookies to see if you come back to search for the same flight. In many cases when you return to book, you’ll see the fare has gone up in price!

They know what you’re searching for, so they’re going to try to make some extra money off of you. This is why you should always search for flights in an incognito window . For Chrome on Mac, it’s as easy as right clicking the Chrome icon and selecting Open Incognito Window.

When surfing the Internet in private browsing mode, cookies aren’t storing your data to be used in following sessions – only in the session you’re currently searching on. Now, you won’t run the risk of a price increase if you return to book a flight.

3. Search for Flights in the Departing Airport Currency

If you’re abroad, let’s say in Japan, but you’re American, your browser may default to show prices in US Dollars and set your location to the United States.

It doesn’t always hold true, but if you change your currency and location on the flight search engine to the departing flight’s country, you could see a price decrease!

Just be sure your card doesn’t hit you with high foreign transaction fees – otherwise you may not save much compared to the ticket offered in your currency!

4. Use a VPN

If simply changing the currency and location within the search engine does not offer up a better price, you can consider using a VPN.

What used to be a secret tip has now become quite common knowledge. Flight search engines factor in the location you’re searching from, which can affect the fares showed to you.

A VPN allows you to essentially “fake” your location while on the Internet. So, if flights to Jamaica are more cheaply priced from other Caribbean countries than in the US, your VPN will allow you to book the price offered in Jamaica.

5. Use Price Predictors to Understand Price Fluctuations & Set Fare Alerts

Lucky for budget travelers, there are lots of new resources that have been created to predict price fluctuations in airfare. Some of these include:

• Kayak Price Forecast
• Fare Detective

They basically all do the same thing, using historical data to let you know when’s the best time to buy.

Hopper is one of my favorite flight apps to use in my research. While I rarely book a flight through the app, I use it as a resource to understand price fluctuations over time of the exact flights I’m looking for.

I love that you can set notifications to watch certain trips. The app then notifies you if prices are going up or down for your exact trip and when’s the best time to buy!

They also have a new feature called Carrot Cash, which is basically a credit of a certain amount of money you can put towards flight or hotel bookings! They can surprise you with credits as a new or loyal customer.

You can also Price Freeze through the app. This freezes the fare price where it is currently for 14 days – if it increases in that time period, you’ll pay your frozen price and if it decreases, you’ll pay the lower fare!

6. Find The Cheapest Departure Date

One of the best places to start in your cheap flight search is identifying the cheapest day to fly.

This can be done with several flight search engines, but my favorite to use is Skyscanner .

Enter your departing airport and your destination and then in the dates box click to open the popup. Instead of entering a specific date, select “Whole Month.”

You can search by the “Cheapest Month” if you are really flexible or you can select the month you’re traveling.

Then you can click calendar view or chart view and see what day has the lowest price to fly out.

You can then take this information and continue to search on Skyscanner or input it in another flight search engine of your preference or even on the airline’s direct website.

Harness the Power of Flight Search Engines

Nowadays, there are so many budget flight search engines providing tools that make awesome cheap flight hacks.

Like I said, I always use Skyscanner , so I’ll dive in more deeply about its features, but many of these search engines have similar ones.

Other cheap flight search engines to make use of are:

• Has a deals feature where you can input where you want to travel from and it will show you the cheapest destinations!
• Airfare Watchdog (US only)
• Holiday Pirates

Some of my best tips for harnessing the power of budget flight search engines are these:

• Always check “Add Nearby Airports.”
• Search the whole month first to see how much you can save depending on the day you fly out. Sometimes just a one day difference can save you tons!
• Use “search anywhere” features to pick your getaway based on the cheapest fare from your departing airport.
• Use these search engines as reference points . I actually almost always book directly through the airline for a seamless experience and to earn frequent flyer points. I use these budget search engines to help me identify which airline is offering the best fares and almost always find the same fare when booking directly through their site.

7. Take Advantage of Long Layovers

Flights that have long layovers tend to be the cheapest price. While long layovers don’t sound appealing from a traditional mindset, they’re actually an amazing opportunity not only to save money on airfare, but discover a new place!

Airwander is a site that specializes in finding flights with worthy stopover lengths at the cheapest prices. If you don’t mind extending your vacay or adding a mini trip to another destination before your final one, then this is a great option to save money on flights!

8. Use Secret Flying to Book Cheap Error Fares

One of my newest favorite websites for finding cheap flights is Secret Flying .

This site is a search engine, but its specialty is in identifying error fares! This is when fares for flights are accidentally priced super cheap by the airline. They’re usually fixed quickly, but Secret Flying identifies them and shares them on their site!

I love that the website is not just in search engine, but also blog format. They post unbelievable deals everyday that aren’t just from low cost airlines, popular in Europe, but also transcontinental flights!

9. Use Hacker Fares on Kayak.com

When you are searching for a roundtrip flight, search engines by default show you return options from the same airline, even though a cheaper flight may be offered by a different airline.

Kayak created “hacker fares” which allow you combine the cheapest one-way flight tickets from different airlines for an overall cheaper roundtrip fare!

Pro Tip: Momondo has a similar feature they call Mix & Match. When you search for a flight, it will automatically notify you if an option to Mix & Match airlines is available!

10. Use StudentUniverse for Discounted Flights If You’re Under 26

StudentUniverse has been one of my favorite resources since I was a student traveler ! Don’t let the name deceive you – this site is designed to offer discounts and deals to anyone under 26!

Something unique about this platform is that they offer promo codes on flights! That’s pretty much unheard of in the world of flight shopping.

You can also save on hotels, rentals cars, and other aspects of your trip as a young traveler.

11. Join Cheap Flight Membership Programs

If you’re flying from the US, I highly suggest you check out Scott’s Cheap Flights . You can join as a member for free or purchase a membership to have access to tons of cheap flight deals that the service finds for you.

Implementing all these cheap flight hacks can be a long and tedious process, so services like this make finding cheap flights easy with little effort on your part.

12. Consider Booking Open-Jaw Flights To Save Money Visiting Multiple Destinations

If you are planning a trip with multiple destinations, consider researching if an open-jaw flight saves you money on travel.

Open-jaw flights arrive and depart from different airports. For example, if you were traveling to Italy arriving in Milan but ending your trip in Rome, it could cost you more to get back to Milan for your outbound flight. It’s also just inconvenient!

Open-jaw flights may save you money by flying into one airport and out of another. Fly4free is a site where you can sign up for open-jaw alerts and find these types of flights easily.

13. Hidden City Ticketing with Skiplagged

Ever heard of hidden city ticketing? It’s the riskiest of the cheap flight hacks and I’ve never done it myself, but it can be a way to save big if you’re willing to take the risk.

Sometimes it’s cheaper to book a flight where your final destination is a stopover on the way to the final destination of the flight’s itinerary.

Skiplagged is a search engine that specializes in finding these hidden city ticket fares.

This loophole can be risky – you have to keep in mind not to check bags, as they will often go to the final destination. Plus, if the plane you’re on is the same one continuing to the final destination, you may not be let off the plane on the stopover, the place that you actually want to get to.

Travel at your own risk with this one!

14. Follow Search Engines on Social Media

A lot of deals like error fares are first published through search engine’s social medias and these opportunities are jumped on quickly! It can be annoying to sign up for email alerts and follow tons of accounts, but if you’re really on the hunt for deals, you’ll want to be the first to know about them.

Some good Twitter and Instagram accounts to follow for cheap flights are Secret Flying , Fare Compare , and The Flight Deal.

How to Save Booking Directly Through the Airline

Of all the cheap flight hacks, this might seem like the strangest one. Won’t flights be the most expensive directly through airlines?

Well, that’s not always the case. There’s a few reasons why I prefer to book directly through airlines:

• Third party booking often means you don’t get points towards your frequent flyer programs (more on that in the next section.)
• More seamless experience when booking direct. If something changes with your flight or you need assistance, the airlines may not be able to help you as much if you booked third-party as they can a customer who booked direct.
• All the information is transparently presented to you regarding your fare, while third party booking sites may come with fine print and restrictions that you didn’t know when purchasing the ticket.

This is why I use budget flight search engines most often as a reference point for cheap flight tickets. I see which carrier is coming up the cheapest in my search and go directly to the airline’s website and often ended up finding the same exact fare.

15. Sign Up for Frequent Flyer Programs

Every airline nowadays has their elevator pitch when you get on board to sign up for a credit card and earn miles. That kind of commitment is not what I’m talking about here!

When I first started traveling, I didn’t understand the difference between airline credit cards and airline rewards programs. I’m not an expert in the former, so I don’t want to share with you what I don’t know firsthand.

But I am a sucker for signing up to airline frequent flyer programs! Nearly every airline offers you the chance to create an account and earn miles every time you take a flight with them. These miles can eventually translate into money towards fares or perks like free checked baggage or upgrade.

It does no harm or serious commitment to sign up for these – in fact it only benefits you as a loyal customer! I have a Frequent Flyer account with any of the airlines I’ve flown with, so you don’t even have to be committed to just one. This allows you to still earn towards an airline while finding the cheapest fares.

16. Weigh the Costs of Basic Economy vs. Economy

In most cases, budget flight search engines will automatically (and annoyingly) show the basic economy fare. This ticket is the cheapest, but it also includes basically nothing but a seat.

So, what looks like a great deal is actually disguising many hidden fees you’ll likely have to pay to travel comfortably.

For example, if you know you are traveling with bags, it’s likely that buying the higher fare is a better deal for you than paying extra for your checked luggage.

Other examples of fees with the cheapest fares are seat selection or non-online check-in.

17. Utilize the 24-Hour Free Cancellation Policy

Most airlines, especially in the US, are required to offer a 24-hour cancellation policy after booking a flight. If you see a fare you want to book, you can buy your tickets and still be free to cancel within 24 hours with no penalties.

If the fare changes within those 24 hours, use the free cancellation policy to get out of the old fare and purchase the new.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Budget Airlines

Low-cost airlines are awesome for flying for cheap. However, there are some disadvantages to flying low-cost that you have to weigh before hitting book.

18. Watch Out for Extra & Hidden Fees

Low cost airlines like RyanAir, EasyJet, or Wizz Air, to name a few, have extremely attractive flight fares.

However, those $10 flights are just for your seat on the plane.

Sometimes, it’s totally worth it to buy the basic fare and pay extra for a bag.

But most of the super cheap fares don’t even include a carry-on. If you can squeeze your life into a backpack for vacation, then go for it!

But bags cost a hefty amount extra on these airlines. In fact, all the extras – the ability to change flights, choice of seat, boarding priority – is where the airline makes their money.

Some will even hit you with hidden fees if you don’t check in online! Be careful with the fine print.

The fares may be appealing, but research beyond the surface. If you have to spend money on all the extras, identify if its worth it in comparison to a normal airline’s fare.

19. Check Which Airport the Low-Cost Airline Flies Into

Another factor to determine if low-cost airlines are a budget-friendly decision for your destination is what airport they fly into.

Many will fly into the smaller, less-frequented, and usually further airports from your destination. For example, RyanAir flies into Paris Beauvais. The catch is, this airport is nearly an hour outside of Paris!

So once you factor in how you’re going to get transportation to the city center, you may be spending more than if you had booked with an airline with a higher fare, but flying into a central airport.

20. Take Advantage of Low Cost Flight Sales

All that being said about being weary of low-cost flights – they do have some incredible deals! They make travel a possibility for a huge amount of people. One thing you should take advantage of are fare sales!

Large airlines like United, Delta, or Lufthansa will never have a true “sale” on their fares. But low cost airlines do!

For example, RyanAir has sales like 5 euro seats or fly for 10 euros if you book in the month of July!

The last of these cheap flight hacks is to sign up for a budget airline’s email list to be notified of sales. I typically hate a full inbox, but the deals are actually so good that it’s worth the extra emails!

Bonus Hack!

I have recently discovered a new hack that has been allowing me to jet-set around Europe every free weekend I get without breaking the bank! This hack works best for Europe since the continent is more compact.

Start on Skyscanner and by searching “Everywhere” for your travel dates. Now, don’t get discouraged when you see all the major cities have skyrocketing prices. Instead, open up Google Maps and start researching those unknown cities you’ve never heard of and couldn’t imagine even have an airport. The idea is to find one that is within driving/public transportation distance to a desired destination!

I’ll explain with a concrete example: my boyfriend found a super cheap flight form Bergamo to Baden-Baden, Germany. Sorry to Baden-Baden, but I didn’t even know it existed! Turns out it is only 1 hour away from Strasbourg, France and the entire Alsace region. So, we booked the cheapest flight to Baden-Baden on a weekend (the return trip was only €14) and used trains and busses to get around Alsace.

We are going to be doing the same to visit Amsterdam by flying into Düsseldorf instead!

Other Ways to Save While Flying

All of the previous cheap flight hacks have everything to do with finding cheap flights, but how about saving money while we are actually flying?

Here are a few final tips & resources to really stretch your hard-earned dollar.

• Avoid airline baggage fees with these tips .
• Bring your own snacks – see TSA Approved food items .
• Travel carry-on only. Make this easier by knowing how to pack your suitcase to maximize space and the differences between carry-on vs. checked luggage.

Final Thoughts

I hope you’ll be able to put these budget-friendly tips to use and find amazing deals.

When it comes to finding cheap flights, it’s going to take a lot of research. But if you employ these tips and use all of your resources, you’ll eventually find what works for you to get the best deal!

Fully prepare for your upcoming trip with my favorite flying tips !

Which one of these cheap flight hacks are you trying first? Any that surprised you? Let me know in a comment!

Save these cheap flight hacks & tips on Pinterest!

Travel should be a possibility for everyone – I hope these cheap flight hacks help you plan your next adventure!

Michela is a travel writer and photographer living in northern Italy. She is passionate about helping people make the most of their travels by sharing advice gained from her personal experiences, off-the-beaten-path destinations and memorable itineraries. Browse her top articles or have her help you plan your itinerary to your dream destination!

Find me on: Web | Facebook

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8 Cheap Flight Hacks You NEED to Know

We found the best hacks for saving money on airfare, from searching for error fares to using hidden city ticketing.

Tempted by thoughts of a sun-drenched respite from the everyday? Many of us find ourselves often lost in wanderlust (wanderlost?), and too many seldom turn those reveries into realities. That’s because most people believe that you need a trust fund—or a hefty savings account—to travel the world.

But, contrary to popular belief, you don’t need an impressive number in the bank to traverse the globe. You can see the world for next to nothing if you know where and how to look for the flights and airfare deals that most people don’t even know exist.

If you play your cards right, you could save yourself thousands of dollars. You could travel the world for the cost of that coffee you’ve been mindlessly sipping on, while staring off into space thinking about far off destinations this whole time. From digging up error fares to using hidden-city ticketing, there are a number of cheap flight hacks that make it easy enough to be your own stealthy travel agent.

As long as you know what you’re doing.

Search for Error Fares First

Error fares are an avid traveler’s best friend, and Scott’s Cheap Flights is probably the most well known resource to find them. That’s because it offers up some of the best flight deals. We’ll get to that, but first you should know what an error fare exactly is—and it’s exactly what it sounds like: incorrect.

Here’s the thing: People make typos like typing in wrong numbers, and forget to add charges like taxes charges and fees to flights. Computers can also glitch. The result: a usually valid flight deal that never intended to be a flight deal.

Of course, there’s a catch. Some airlines won’t honor the deal but, instead, will cancel your flights and refund you. Others, however, will bite the bullet, honor their mistake, and allow you to keep your flight ticket for whatever little money you paid for it. You could score some seriously cheap international flights this way.

Scott’s Cheap Flights , Dollar Flight Club , Secret Flying all catch these error fares and notify you via email or social media.

There are a few other sites that source error fares and are updated frequently, too, if not daily. These are some of my favorites:

• Secret Flying
• Cheap Flights Lab
• Travel Pirates
• Holiday Pirates
• Mighty Fares

Use a VPN to Connect to Another Network

Certain online retailers charge different prices according to your geographic location. It’s called “dynamic pricing.” It means that, if you are based in a zip code with a higher average income, retailers might charge you more for the same service or product than they would someone based in a zip code with a lower average income.

The same goes for airlines. Airline flights are sometimes sold for less in certain cities. So someone who is in New York City might book a flight for double the price someone in Cleveland paid.

When you use a VPN , however, you can connect to a remote network that will allow you to change your location and surf the web as if you were in another, cheaper city or country. It will take some hunting, but you might find great savings on flights that might not have otherwise been offered to you.

Take Advantage of Hidden City Ticketing

Skiplagged is a great website that also lets you maximize layovers—it exposes loopholes in airfare pricing by finding cheaper routes where the layover is actually your destination.

Through Skiplagged, you can actually find and hop on the first leg of the trip and abandon the last leg. Major site aggregators wouldn’t offer you these as individual flights.

Be careful of doing it too often, however. Some airlines may pick up on the fact that you keep conveniently missing the other leg of your trips—and they may fine you for doing so.

Keep in mind, because you’re not taking the entire route and are exiting at the layover, you won’t be able to check a bag.

Stay Flexible

In order to successfully find cheap flights, you have to keep an open mind (and schedule). It’s not always easy to be flexible about where you’re going or when. But you can be flexible about how you get there .

For example, if you’re planning to visit multiple destinations, do so in the cheapest possible order. Exhaust all possible combinations of the places you plan on visiting (eg. Bangkok to Bali to Siem Reap or Bali to Siem Reap to Bangkok and so on), and compare flights.

If you can be flexible about when you go, flying when most people opt to stay home is usually more cost-effective. This means booking flights outside of the United States during major American holidays.

Also, according to airfare expert and FareCompare CEO Rick Seaney , the cheapest days to fly for U.S. domestic flights are usually Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays; avoid flying on Fridays and Sundays at all costs (pun intended). June tends to be the cheapest month to travel in Europe.

Learn the Best Airfare Sites

While there are certainly resourceful big-name sites out there, there are some lesser-known flight aggregators that prove invaluable to avid travelers in lieu of the mainstream.

Momondo , for example, is a third party flight finder that compares airfare, hotel bookings and car rentals from around the web, but its “multiple cities” option is easily its most notable feature.

Plan on hitting multiple cities? The multi-city option allows you to swap destinations in and out to determine the cheapest routes available to you, too. Or, if you aren’t sure where to start or finish your journey, you can check out the “take me anywhere” search option. That’ll allow you to check out airfare in the cheapest cities given your specified dates.

If you don’t know where or when you want to go, the Trip Finder section will help you narrow down your search. Select the type of experience you’re seeking, the continent to which you’d like to visit (or anywhere), the month in which you’d like to travel (or anytime) and your general budget. Momondo will then curate a list of destinations and deals. And they’ll all be sorted by popularity, cost or weather, or the most social, fancy, cultural, family-oriented, local or romantic places.

Skyscanner is another travel metasearch engine through which you can book flights without fees. Its flexible airfare search engine is by far its most distinguishing feature. You can search “everywhere” as your flight destination if you’re unsure where to go but open to taking a trip anywhere.

You can also search specific dates, entire months or the “cheapest month.” This way you can find the cheapest possible destination for the cheapest possible timeframe. Skyscanner will show you a list of all cities in ascending order of cost.

Google Flights

Google Flights is, perhaps not shockingly, a super reliable option for finding airfare. When you plug in your dates and departure and arrival cities, it’ll pull up your options almost instantaneously. Its simple user interface features a drop-down calendar function. It allows you to see the cheapest days to fly most routes. And it’s simple to use when it comes to flight ticket booking, too.

Google Flights uses the OTA Matrix—one of the most sophisticated pieces of software for finding cheap flights. It was once reserved only for airfare geeks who knew special codes and routes. But Google has turned it into a web app that’s an actual pleasure to use.

Furthermore, if you don’t see what you like, Google Flights will keep an eye on your selected dates, routes and any other parameters you’ve plugged in. And it’ll email you whenever there’s a price change.

You can’t actually book airfare with Rome2Rio but it will tell you if air travel is your best, cheapest route—and that’s why it’s a notable addition to this list. Its simple interface will determine the fastest or cheapest routes and modes of transportation—flights, trains, buses, ferries and driving options (rideshares and rentals included)—for getting from Point A to Point B from over 4,800 transport operators in over 158 countries.

The Rome2Rio app also works offline, in the event that you are traveling without data or WiFi.

Search in Incognito Browsing Mode

Airfare websites actually track your visits and increase prices the more you return to check them (sneaky buggers). Because of this, you want to search under the radar, and pretend like every search is your first. When you search for a flight in an incognito window, they’ll never know that you’re a returning visitor so cheap air tickets will still be available to you.

To open an incognito window in Chrome, open a regular Chrome window, go to “File” and select “New Incognito Window.” Now you won’t leave any trace of your flight search online. It’s that easy.

The window will warn you that your activity may still be visible to the websites you visit, your employer, your school or your internet service provider. But it’s actually impossible for airlines to track your visits and inflate prices accordingly. And you can rest assured that Chrome won’t save your browsing history, cookies or any information entered in forms.

Use a Travel Credit Card

A travel credit card could be your saving grace. When you sign up for a card, you often get a miles bonus, totally free. Couple that with the points you earn by actually spending money with that card, and you’re looking at some seriously cheap airline tickets.

There are a few favorites among travelers that all come with different perks, and if you use these cards (and, ideally, solely these cards), you could end up not paying a dime for your next flight.

Chase Sapphire Preferred

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card will give you 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in the first four months after opening your account. So it gives you a little bit more time. And that’s $625 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

You’ll also get two times the points on travel from purchases like airfare, hotels, taxis, trains and other travel items, and one point per each dollar spent on all other purchases. Again, the card is free for the first year and charges a $95 fee every year thereafter, and there are no foreign transaction fees about which you have to worry.

Capital One Venture Rewards

The Capital One Venture Rewards card will grant you 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in the first three months. You will also get two miles for every dollar spent on travel-related purchases. That includes cabs, ride shares, subway tickets, flights, hotels and more. And that will get you a rewards rate of two percent if you choose to redeem flight miles (or hotels). The card is free for the first year and charges a $95 fee every year thereafter.

Take Advantage of Layovers

Think of layovers as free rides you can hitch to new places; try to book international travel with layovers that offer enough time to explore those places. Not only are they free rides to check out another destination, they’re also usually cheaper than direct flights.

Typically, six hours is enough time to at least get through customs. Then you could leave the airport. Grab a meal in the city’s center. Head back to the airport. And still make it through security and catch your connection without having to rush.

Sometimes you don’t even need six hours, and sometimes you need far more than that. It’s helpful to look up the best commuting options from the airport to the center of the connection city. Figure out just how much time you’ll need to give yourself ahead of your travels.

If you can find an overnight layover and are not in a rush, those are almost always worth it!

As you can see, you don’t need six digits in your bank account to traverse the globe. After-all, the richest people in the world aren’t those with money, but those with the experiences of a lifetime.

Cheap Flight Hacks FAQs

How can i lower my flight prices.

You can get lower flight prices by searching for error fares, using hidden city ticketing, using the best flight booking websites, or trying another of our cheap flight hacks.

How to get huge discounts on flights?

Using a site like Going to search for error fares is a great way to find massive discounts on flights.

What is the hidden city cheap flight hack?

The stopover cheap flight hack means buying a cheaper ticket with a layover in the city you want to arrive at. Then, you get off in that city and don’t continue with the flight itinerary.

Do flights get cheaper closer to the date?

Flights don’t typically get cheaper closer to the departure date. The best time to book is usually 1.5 to 5 months in advance.

What month is cheapest to fly?

January is typically the cheapest month to fly.

AnnaMarie Houlis

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How To Travel The World Cheap: 57 Epic Budget Travel Hacks for 2024!

There are lots of practices you can adopt in order to travel the world cheap . The most effective ways are to take advantage of Airmiles, exchange work for free food and accommodation, have a well researched travel plan and to be savvy with bank cards and money exchanges.

Since 2008 I’ve travelled all over the world on a fairly tight budget, often working as I go. In this guide I want to share 57 cheap travel hacks that I’ve picked up which will have you exploring the globe for less.

So, let’s get straight into it!

Transportation Travel Tips & Hacks

1. Flight booking hacks. One of the biggest initial costs when travelling is your flight ticket. So in order to travel cheap, use flight comparisons sites such as Kiwi . You may find booking directly through the airline is cheaper but always use a price comparison engine to check before you book.

Pro Tip : Make sure to clear your cookies and browsing history to avoid price increases. By searching for flights you are signalling to the world that you are looking to buy, so prices will then increase daily in order to get you to panic buy. Delete cookies or browse in incognito mode to avoid this. @import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Inter&family=Inter:wght@500&family=Noto+Serif&family=Noto+Serif:wght@500&display=swap'); .tp_wrapper { font-family: 'Inter', sans-serif; /* the font, can be replaced with 'Noto Serif' */ max-width: 1024px; } .tp_content { background-color: #DEE9F0; /* main block background color */ padding: 24px 32px 32px; } .tp_subtitle { margin: 0 0 16px; font-size: 22px; font-weight: 500; } .tp_text { font-size: 17px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 145%; margin: 0; } .tp_button { display: inline-block; background: #2A243B; border-radius: 6px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; color: #fff; font-size: 20px; margin-top: 24px; padding: 12px 32px; text-decoration: none; }

2. Try changing the home location of flight booking websites to see if purchasing in another currency is cheaper.

3. One of the cheapest ways to travel is through offering to get bumped off a flight in exchange for a flight voucher. These can be seriously rewarding! Companies will regularly overbook flights on the assumption that people will cancel or not show up. On those times when this doesn’t happen the airlines need to free up seats quick, and that’s where you step in!

4. For short trips choose carry on only or if you need to check baggage, pay for it online before you travel. Airlines will often charge more at the airport.

5. Save on rail travel costs by using railcards. I saved a ton through using the Japan Rail Pass during one visit, however they only save money if you use them to the full so do the research first.  Also consider using overnight trains to save on accommodation costs. This works great in some countries such as India and is an awesome local experience too.

6. If you feel comfortable, consider hitchhiking. Alternatively, connect with other travellers at your hostel to carpool.

7. If you have a flexible plan, investigate relocating vehicles to get free or discounted car hire.

Consider renting a car with Rentalcars , an international car rental booking service that is present all over the world. With Rentalcars you will definitely find a perfect car for your perfect trip wherever you are.

8. When travelling for long periods save money through walking or using buses, instead of using expensive taxis. Use ride sharing apps such as Uber, Lyft, Cabify and Grab. Uber opened the door for cheap car journeys but now there are lots of different companies operating all over the world. Research which ones are best for the areas you’re traveling too and download the app before you go.

9. One of the biggest ways to traveling on the cheap by far, is to use an Airmiles credit card. Every time you spend money with that credit card you will be earning Airmile points which can be exchanged for flights. Just remember to always pay off your credit card every month to avoid high interest fees.

10. Create frequent flyer accounts with every airline you travel with then sit back and enjoy the rewards.

11. A top sneaky travel hack is to jump on airline price errors. Sometimes airfares can pop up at crazy low prices, often caused by a glitch in the Matrix (or something!). If you manage to purchase one of these flights the airline will often honour the incorrect price. Act fast and take advantage of these opportunities by following these ninja websites:

• Secret flying.com
• Jacks Flight Club (UK) or Scott’s Cheap Flights (US)
• The Flight Deal

12. Pack light and smart to avoid excess baggage fees. Roll your clothes or use packing cubes to save on space.

13. Take advantage of layovers to enjoy a quick city visit without any extra flight costs.

14. Try booking two one-way trips rather than a return. I’ve had success with this on flights and rail trips.

15. Keep receipts for gift purchases and claim back the tax at the airport before you leave the country.

16. Travel by campervan. If you’re looking to explore your own country (or continent), consider buying a campervan to combine your method of transportation with your accommodation. My campervan has been one of the best investments I’ve ever made and I can highly recommend it. For all the latest info on converting your own campervan check out my van life section .

Accommodation Travel Hacks

17. Get cheap or free accommodation through housesitting . With housesitting you will generally look after the persons house whilst they are away. Many housesitting jobs often include pet sitting.

18. Get free accommodation and learn all about life from a local through couch surfing .

19. Pick accommodation with free breakfast to save on food costs.

20. Choose private hostel rooms instead of more expensive hotels.

🏨 Where can I find the cheapest hostels?

You will definitely find the hostel you need with Hostelworld , the global hostel-focused online booking platform, inspires passionate travelers to see the world, meet new people, and come back with extraordinary stories to tell.

21. Use booking.com ‘s price matching promise to get the best price on hotels.

22. Travelling on a special occasion? Be sure to let your hotel know and they might offer you a free upgrade.

Work Abroad

23. Exchange work for accommodation and/or food with companies such as Workaway or World packers. Or, if you want to learn about organic growing, check out WWOOF .

24. Earn a passive income to support yourself whilst travelling. There are so many ways to get a side hustle going these days but some examples include;

• Selling your photos on stock photography websites such as Dreamstime or Shutterstock.
• Starting a website. Make sure you use a fast and reliable host. For my websites I use Siteground .
• Selling your photos directly with a website that does it all for you. I use Smugmug .
• Teaching English online.

25. Join a voluntary programme abroad for example VSO. Many volunteer programmes charge a fee and in return they will provide accommodation, food and training. There are volunteer programmes all over the world in all sorts of different professions. For example, I joined the American Conservation Experience as I was interested in conservation and wanted to explore the South West . Here are some other ideas to explore .

26. Work in a travel job, for example as a tour guide with Contiki, Exodus or Backroads. For adventure travel consider life as an Overland Leader. I’ve worked as an overland leader for severn years and have travelled extensively through Asia, Africa and the Americas. Read more about this job here . If you have a particular trade you can also work on cruise ships or private yachts.

27. Work abroad with a work visa. Below the age of 30 work visas for many countries are quite straight forward to get. Whilst in that country you can then pick up temporary work which is usually unskilled, such as fruit picking, retail or a bar work.

After a certain age, usually 30, some countries will still allow you to work but will require work visas for specific professions, for example as a ski instructor or scuba dive instructor.

Alternatively you could get your TEFL certificate and teach English abroad. This can also be done remotely, online.

28. Do your job online. Can your work be done remotely? Post Covid it seems like more companies are exploring this as a full time option so this could open new avenues for many. If you have a service that can be provided online you could also offer your services on Craigslist or Fivrr. 

Destination Tips For Budget Travel

29. A cheap way to travel is to visit destinations where your home currency is strong. You’ll benefit from a strong exchange rate and from cheaper costs of living.

30. Whilst you’re on a tight budget, skip destinations with expensive visas.

31. Stick to one region at a time to avoid air travel costs. When I first went travelling I booked a round the world air ticket thinking I could see the world in 6 months. Boy did I have a lot to learn! Pick one region to fully explore first before moving onto the next. Don’t do what I did and be in a hurry to see everything all at once.

32. Travel during the shoulder season to benefit from lower costs and avoid the crowds at the same time – double win!

Food Travel Hacks To Save Money

33. Cook your own food. One of the best ways to travel around the world for cheap is to limit the amount you spend of food. Now don’t get me wrong I am a complete foodie and believe one of the best things about travelling is experiencing new types of cuisine. However, eating new types of food doesn’t mean going to the most expensive restaurants, in fact it’s often the opposite. But travelling on a limited budget does mean it’s not possible to eat out everyday since the cheapest way to eat often involves cooking your own food. Therefore choose accommodation with kitchens included such as hostels or rent an apartment.

34. Jump on happy hours and all you can eat deals.

35. Eat out at delicious and cheap street food stalls with the locals.

36. Avoid restaurants near popular tourist spots as these will often be overpriced.

37. Limit your alcohol if you have a limited budget.  Alcohol is often expensive and isn’t a necessity.

38. Use a filtered water bottle and never buy water again. Check out this guide to discover which filtered water bottle I recommend for travel .

39. Stealth budget travel hack: Use chewing gum or tic tac containers to transport your favourite spices. Cheap food doesn’t have to be bland!

Planning Tips For How To Travel On The Cheap

40. Set a budget and stick to it. But be sure to include a generous contingency to allow for times when things don’t go to plan or to cover a once in a lifetime opportunity if it arrises. 

41. If you are travelling on a tight budget you need to make a plan before you leave. List your priorities before you set off and refer to the list once you’re on the road. That way you won’t get sucked into doing expensive tours that you weren’t interested in anyway. Check out Google Maps Trip Planner for a great free trip planning tool.

42. Research whether activities you want to enjoy are cheaper to book in advance or are best left open and flexible. Last minute trips can sometimes work out cheaper.

43. If you don’t want the hassle of planning a trip use a travel agent. They know what they’re doing and can often find you the best deals.

44. Get smart and savvy with city tourist cards which provide entrance fees for multiple sites. If you know you’re going to visit all the top sites these will definitely save you money overall. 

45. Enjoy free city walking tours. I’ve enjoyed great free city tours in Galway and Yerevan to name just two. But of course they’re not completely free – don’t forget to tip!

46. Research entrance prices beforehand to avoid getting scammed. However, just be aware of what the local currency is doing as prices can jump up if a currency weakens.

47. Follow your favourite travel companies on social media to learn about special promotions or giveaways.

Money Top Tips For Traveling Cheap

48. Get smart on money Exchange. Never change money at the airport or at busy tourist spots as these will have the worst rates. Hotels or hostels may also offer exchanges which again typically aren’t the best rates but they are safe and convenient so way up the risks/benefits of both.

49. An easy but important cheap way to travel is to use a travel card or join a bank with no overseas fees. This way you can hit the ATM without getting hit with overseas withdrawal fees. I use Starling Bank which is an online bank. All of my transactions are managed online via an app. Also, if purchasing online, they don’t charge for overseas transactions and have decent exchange rates.

50. Haggle but don’t be a d**k! Some cultures embrace bartering, expect it even, but these local people also have to support themselves so don’t be the person that walks away from a purchase for the sake of a dollar! 

51. Use donatefull.com or groupon.com to find best coupons or use wikibuy to apply coupon codes at checkout.

52. A top life hack for travelling is to purchase a Scrubba bag and save on laundry bills. This nifty little bag packs down really small so doesn’t take up any room in your luggage and with just a 3 minute shake, can wash your clothes as good as any washing machine!

53. Keep rechargeable batteries in the fridge or at least in shady places. Rechargeable batteries retain 90% of their full charge if they’re kept cold. Not freezer cold though as this will have the opposite effect.

Phone and Internet

54. Get a local sim card and avoid hefty roaming fees. In some countries these can be a rather involved process but for most it’s quite straight forward. You often need your passport to register the sim card.

55. Use offline maps to save data. I use maps.me for most places when I’m travelling.

56. Consider investing in your own wifi router if you require a good connection. In our campervan we use this super fast Huawei wifi travel hotspot which allows us to connect multiple devices in areas where signal is typically poor.

Travel Insurance

57. Last but by no means least, get yourself some good travel insurance. Travel insurance can be expensive for long trips but you just never know when you might need it. The world of insurance can be a minefield but the guys at SafetyWing do great deals for long term travel through allowing you pay on a month by month basis. I highly recommend checking them out.

Summary On How To Travel The World Cheaply

Travelling around the world cheaply can do be done in many ways but it often requires a good amount of planning in advance. Be prepared for your trip through investigating the best deals, signing up for Airmile credit cards and joining frequent flyer programmes. Consider exchanging work for accommodation and reduce food costs through cooking your own food. Ensure you have the best bank cards to avoid big transaction fees, choose destinations where your currency is strong and use local Sim cards for the best phone and internet deals.

Through incorporating even just a few of these cheap travel tips you’ll be well on your way to exploring further, for longer 🙂

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Louise is an Adventure Tour Guide, Snowboard Instructor & Mountain Leader from South Wales. Through working as a tour guide and snowboard instructor, she has spent the last 15 years travelling Asia, Africa and the Americas. Louise is a published photographer and currently guides mountain trips in the UK.

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99 Travel Hacks To Make Your Next Trip A Little Easier

I’ve never cared about brand-name purses or clothing, much less cars or makeup. Instead, I spend whatever leftover money I can on travel. Traveling has exceptional “memory dividends” long after the money’s gone and is the best way to experience all the world has to offer (at least, in my humble opinion).

I’ve now been to 30+ countries and hundreds of cities—from rural northern Thailand to Moorea in French Polynesia to most of the United States—so I’ve picked up quite a few hacks here and there to make traveling the best experience it can be. Below, I’m sharing 99 of my best tips so you can spend less time planning and questioning and more time experiencing and enjoying. Got more? Share them in the comments; we don’t gate-keep here!

Wherever you’re heading—whether by plane, train, or bus—safe travels and happy exploring! 🌍

1. To save time, only pack a carry-on ; no more waiting at baggage claim! 

2. If you decide to check a bag in, throw an Airtag into your suitcase, so you can always track where it is and ensure it’s reached your destination.

3. For the best possible travel deals, be flexible on your destination and dates. I’ve scored deals to multiple European cities for under $200 by leveraging that flexibility.

4. Perhaps the most important tip of all: Always buy travel insurance . Always.

5. Allocate all your spending on a credit card that racks up points which can later be redeemed for travel—my preferred option is Chase Sapphire Reserve or the AmEx Gold.

6. Sign up for credit card bonuses that offer up to 150,000 points once you hit a minimum spending bonus—I like to check Nerdwallet’s top credit card offers (updated monthly) to see the best bonuses.

7. Search for flights leaving at off-peak times (for example, mid-week, red eyes, or with a layover) if you’re trying to save money.

Prioritize early morning flights; they’re the least likely to be delayed or canceled.

8. If convenience is more important than money, prioritize early morning flights; they’re the least likely to be delayed or canceled.

9. Use Google Incognito or a VPN to search for flights. Searching on the same browser and internet connection tells the airline that you’re looking to book and allows them to hike the price up. 

10. Once you find a flight you like—if you’re not ready to book—set up an alert to be notified if the price changes. If it drops, great! If not, you’ll know to book soon or keep an eye on it in case it comes back down.

11. Not sure when to go? Check out apps like Skyscanner or Hopper to find the best prices and times of year to head to your destination.

12. Sign up for loyalty programs with every airline you can; you never know when you’ll need to use them, and you can rack up miles for later use.

13. If you’re used to one specific airline, see if they have an airline-specific credit card for additional bonuses and perks. For example, United Airlines has major hubs in both our hometowns and our current cities so we have the United MileagePlus cards, which offer early boarding, free baggage, and 60,000 points each.

14. Keep an eye out for points sales , like Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals, 30% off transfer premiums, and more. (This is always a good option to keep in mind if you just need a few more points for a mostly-free flight!)

15. Look into mistake fares (deeply discounted fares mistakenly shared by an airline). They can sometimes be canceled or refunded, but many times, airlines will honor them anyway. One time, I was able to travel to Milan, Prague, and Amsterdam for $197 one-way from New York.

16. Subscribe to real-time alerts from The Points Guy , The Flight Deal on Twitter, and more.

17. If you have a few bucks to spare, sign up for flight deals from Going (previously known as Scott’s Cheap Flights). You’ll share your departure airports of choice, and you’ll receive deals right in your inbox.

18. Sign up for TSA PreCheck, CLEAR, or Global Entry to expedite the security process.

19. Once you’re past security but before you get to the gate, check out the Priority Pass, which will give you access to hundreds of lounges around the world. Both Chase and AmEx offer cards with Priority Pass access, and once you get to a lounge, you can stock up on free food, drinks, WiFi, and more.

20. Heading abroad? Use a third-party encrypted program like WhatsApp, Viber, or Signal for international texts and calls—you can avoid extra data and call charges!

Alert your credit and debit card companies about your travel so you don’t get flagged for fraud.

21. If you need access to international calls, buy a SIM card locally—you can usually find kiosks in the airport after arrival, or sometimes your carrier will offer a global SIM card for temporary use.

22. Alert your credit and debit card companies about your travel so you don’t get flagged for fraud.

23. Get a no-fee ATM for international destinations; my favorite is the Charles Schwab.

24. Only ask for ATM withdrawals in the local currency, not your native one.

25. Same for credit card charges; if you’re in Italy, pay with your card in Euros, not USD (for example). Then you’ll avoid fees and often score better conversation rates.

26. Download the airline app before you fly for easy access to your boarding pass, checking in, and seat or meal selection.

27. While you’re at it, you can check out the seat map on most flights to see what’s open and change seats accordingly.

28. You may even find an open seat in First or Business Class—consider politely asking for an upgrade. You never know if they’ll say yes!

29. If your travel plans are flexible, volunteer for a later flight when they’re offering compensation to offset the cost of the airfare.

30. If you decide to volunteer, try and wait to see if they’ll increase the compensation before you agree. Sometimes, you can get thousands of dollars in flight vouchers if you hold out long enough.

31. Buffer in extra time for delays—always.

32. Have a connecting flight? Aim for at least a 90-minute layover in between to avoid missing your flight in case of delays, security issues, etc.

33. Travel during shoulder season (i.e., not quite peak time yet). For example, if June-August is the best time of year to visit Greece, consider going in May or September for lower prices but still preferable conditions.

34. Don’t cut costs over convenience either, though—if you know you suffer from insomnia and back pain, taking a red eye in economy to save $100 may not be worthwhile. Similarly, don’t go for the cheapest hotel without thorough vetting; you don’t want to be stuck three miles from the beach without a bike because you didn’t know how far it was!

35. Check out alternative modes of transport besides the typical plane or car: Trains, bikes, public transportation, buses…the list goes on. These are often cheaper, better for the environment, and more accessible.

Create a default packing list for yourself that you can copy and tailor for each trip.

36. Create a default packing list for yourself that you can copy and tailor for each trip. This way, you’ll know you’ve included all the necessities most important to you, like specific medications, chargers, and toiletries.

37. Wear layers while in transit—it’s easier to pack your luggage, and you can stay warm (or cool) as needed.

38. If you suffer from swollen ankles or potential blood clots when sitting in one place for hours, get a pair of compression socks. There’s a reason many travel pros swear by them!

39. Another must? A reusable water bottle. Perfect for refilling inside the airport after security, carrying with you on tours, and having in case of emergency.

40. Heading to a place without clean, potable water? Don’t forget to bring a water filter or purifier for when you’re on the go.

41. Easily organize your suitcase (and save space!) with packing cubes .

42. If you’re really in need of space, consider vacuum bags to compress all your clothes.

43. If you know you’ll want to shop or bring back many souvenirs, get a secondhand suitcase at your local thrift store for cheap and fill ‘er up.

44. Don’t bring too many valuables. Many women travel pros will wear fake wedding rings to avoid burglaries or attacks.

45. Always tell someone at home what your itinerary is and where you’ll be. Even better if you can tell someone you trust locally in case of an emergency. #safety

46. Turn on location services and sharing, too, for good measure.

Print out extra copies of your passports and travel docs; keep digital copies in your email as well.

47. Print out extra copies of your passports and travel docs; keep digital copies in your email as well. Losing your passport is all too easy! 48. Need to drive worldwide? Don’t forget to pick up an International Driver’s Permit , which are readily available at most AAA locations.

49. Want to save money or avoid excess noise? Stay slightly away from downtown city centers and tourist spots—usually going even two or three blocks away can make all the difference.

50. Another way to cut costs is to consider house-sitting or couch surfing, depending on your level of comfort. 

51. Hostels are another great budget-friendly accommodation option; it’s also a wonderful place to meet like-minded people and organize local tours.

52. Weigh the cost of laundry versus the cost of a checked bag. Sometimes packing light and doing laundry will be far cheaper than paying for an extra suitcase.

53. Pack a capsule wardrobe for easy mix ‘n matching for your daily #lewks.

54. Think about items you may need at a destination that you’ll end up paying a premium for later and see if you can get them beforehand. For example, sunblock at a tropical destination will be far more expensive than getting it in the off-season in the Midwest.

55. Pack an essentials kit in case you need certain toiletries or accessories while in transit—for example, a small bag with spare underwear, ear plugs, eye mask, tampons, and charging wires.

56. Carry a purse or travel bag that you can keep close on your body, closed with zippers rather than buttons or flaps. This will help stop pickpockets!

57. Pack extra snacks. Just trust me on this one! You never know when you may need sustenance and can’t find anything worthwhile.

If you can, take the day off after you get home so you can ease back into everyday life.

58. If you can, take the day off after you get home so you can ease back into everyday life. Then you can finish up any chores or errands like laundry, grocery shopping, and more without worrying about rushing back into the office.

59. In your carry-on backpack or purse, keep an extra set of clothes, a toothbrush, and undies in case your luggage gets lost. (Which is another reason why you always want travel insurance!)

60. If you’re not using data and/or are heading to a remote area, download offline versions of Google Maps and take screenshots of any information you need.

61. If you’re heading to a foreign country and the local language isn’t one you speak, download the Google Translate app. You can then converse with locals, take photos of written text to translate, and more. (This was an invaluable tool when I was stranded in northern Thailand during a downpour once!)

62. Download media a day or two before you leave, so you can access it while traveling—think audiobooks, ebooks, Netflix, etc.

63. Get the best portable charger you can afford if you know you’ll be relying on your phone throughout the trip. You’ll never regret it.

64. Pack a universal adapter so you can use your electronic devices around the globe.

Pack a universal adapter so you can use your electronic devices around the globe.

65. Don’t forget a converter too, if your electronics’ voltage doesn’t match up to the outlets abroad.

66. Getting a rental? Book the reservation on a credit card like Chase or AmEx, which offers auto insurance and collision insurance for rentals.

67. If that’s not an option, it’s well worth getting auto insurance from the rental company. 

68. Take photos of everything important: The condition of your rental when you pick it up/drop it off, receipts if you’re going to be reimbursed or splitting costs, WiFi passwords, and so on.

69. Make sure you’re up-to-date on your vaccinations and shots , which vary by country. (And don’t wait until the last minute to book your appointment!)

70. Read. The. Reviews. Make sure you look for any bots or planted reviews, and keep an eye out for any red flags, whether you’re searching for accommodations, a tour, or restaurants.

71. Similarly, seek out vetted tour groups if you’re traveling alone. A few of my favorites for women include El Camino Travel , Stellavision Travel , and G Adventures .

72. Sometimes DIYing a trip can be helpful, but other times, a good travel agent is the most valuable. They’ll get access to exclusive discounts, tours, or accommodations that you couldn’t leverage otherwise.

73. If you’re considering traveling with a friend or partner, ensure your travel priorities are aligned before leaving. Nothing will be more frustrating than having a companion sleep in when you’re a morning person or dealing with a racket first thing in the morning if you’re a night owl.

74. In the same vein, learn many of your destinations’ cultural nuances and customs—it’s important to be considerate and mindful of the communities you’re visiting.

75. Heading to a faraway destination? Try pairing nearby cities together on this trip so you knock out two at once.

76. Stay hydrated, especially when traveling. We’re already adjusting to new environments, time zones, etc., and hydration is key for our bodies to adapt.

Get sunlight as early as possible when you’re in a new time zone to help reset your circadian rhythm. 

77. Get sunlight as early as possible when you’re in a new time zone to help reset your circadian rhythm. 

78. Napping to adjust a timezone is okay, but try staying awake the whole day and sleeping at night to beat jet lag once and for all.

79. Chew gum while taking off or landing if your ears pop while in flight.

80. Invest in a quality skin mask or moisturizer, lip balm, and lotion during and post-flight when our skin is driest.

81. Luggage scales can be clutch—if your baggage is overweight and you can’t rid yourself of any items, you’ll be on the hook for hefty excess fees.

82. Traveling with kiddos? Bring a “busy bag” to keep them entertained throughout the day, stocked with coloring books, toys, a tablet, snacks, and whatever else your little one prefers.

83. If you’re dealing with long-haul travel, you’ll want a quality neck pillow—this is mine and I’m obsessed.

84. If you can , opt for a backpack over a suitcase or duffel. There’s a good chance transportation carriers won’t bother to weigh your backpack!

Whatever you’re budgeting for your trip, add another 10-20% in case of emergency.

85. Whenever you get samples like shampoo, moisturizers, or sunscreen, throw them in your travel toiletry bag. That way, you don’t need to bring the bulk items or worry about the liquid limit.

86. Throw a lavender satchel or a dryer sheet in your bag to keep things smelling…fresh. 🙂

87. Pack at least two extra large plastic or ziplock bags for shoes, dirty clothes, etc.

88. Opt for a bright-colored suitcase so it’s easy to spot at baggage claim or while in transit.

89. If you’re flying with another person and can book your seats in advance, one of you can take the window and the other can take the aisle. That way, the middle seat will likely be left open for you both to enjoy.

90. Always keep a spare pen on you, especially if you know you’ll have to fill out customs forms or write down directions.

91. Take a picture of your car or write down where it is in your notes app so you don’t forget where you’ve parked, whether at an airport parking lot or a new hotel.

92. Bring extra wipes or a sanitizer spray for when there’s no washroom or when things need some tidying…like your tray table.

93. Whatever you’re budgeting for your trip, add another 10-20% in case of emergency.

94. Check out local walking tours in big cities; they’re often free or pay-what-you-can and are a great way to see the most important sights and get acquainted.

95. Some businesses offer deals if you book with a partner company—for example, United MileagePlus members earn savings if you book a car rental through Avis or Budget.

Travel is one of the most valuable experiences there is in life. Enjoy every moment, be mindful and respectful, and explore as much as you can.

96. Don’t forget to check if you’ll need a visa for specific countries! Or, prioritize countries where you won’t need one for ease of access and to save money.

97. Eat street food (as long as it’s cooked in front of you and looks safe!). It’s often one of the best ways to enjoy a local culture.

98. Make lunch your biggest meal—it’s usually cheaper than dinner while being just as filling.

99. Most importantly, remember: Travel is one of the most valuable experiences there is in life. Enjoy every moment, be mindful and respectful, and explore as much as you can.

Henah Velez  (she/her) is a Contributing Editor at The Good Trade. She is the Executive Producer at  Money with Katie  at Morning Brew, a personal finance brand for women including a chart-topping podcast, blog, and newsletter. She’s also a long-time writer at The Good Trade. Henah holds a Master’s in Social Entrepreneurship and is a proud Rutgers grad. Originally from NJ, Henah’s now in Atlanta where she loves shopping small, hanging with her pets, or traveling.   Say hi on  Instagram !

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20 Cheap Flight Hacks That Will Save You Money

Cheap flight hacks are the best.

I don’t say this in an over-enthusiastic, it’s the new year sort of way (though, there is a little of that). I genuinely believe cheap flights hacks hold the secret to frequent travel.

You see, a few years ago, I swore off most domestic and international travel because I couldn’t afford flight tickets.

They cost too much. You can’t afford it. Stop searching.

I made excuses not to book trips that I knew would help me learn and grow. I opted to hit the road instead. While I love getting off the beaten path, coasting through small and scraggly scenic tracks, and discovering cute highway side small towns, I quickly realized that I couldn’t feasibly drive from Dallas to London. I was escaping travel (the one thing I love most in this world) because I was afraid of the price tag.

In the past few years, I’ve discovered that airline tickets can be cheap. It was an eye-opening, jaw-to-the-ground revelation that left me with the potential of harnessing a new nomadic life.

So grab a cup of cocoa because today, I’ll be spilling the tea on all my favorite cheap flight hacks.

Table of Contents

Sign Up For Airfare Newsletters

Airfare newsletters are daily email blasts featuring cheap flight deals .

I used to be signed up for a ton of airfare newsletters but my inbox was so cluttered by the end of the year, I ended up unsubscribing from most of them. Now, I’m only signed up for Dollar Flight Club . Dollar Flight Club typically sends out emails about ridiculously cheap flights or mistake fares ( an unintentional pricing error from airline companies that you can totally take advantage of ).

They have a 14-day free trial ( so you can sign up for free and see if you like it or quit otherwise ).

Update: You have to click on the Premium tab on the DFC website to see the free trial. The try now for free area is NOT the correct trial for premium (which is the service that sends you the best deals).

They also have a Premium Plus version for business class . But to be honest, I’m just signed up for the regular premium version because I think it provides the most bang for the buck and I’m always up for traveling economy if the flight is cheap .

I’m personally subscribed for the Weekend Warrior deals ( but they have amazing international deals as well, like Dallas to London for under $400 roundtrip ). Every week, DFC sends out a deal that departs towards the end of the week and returns on Sunday (occasionally Monday morning). This makes it really convenient to find cheap domestic flights during the workweek and travel more with limited vacation days!

You can also check for error fares on Secret Flying . Sometimes, you can snag a first-class flight for the same price as an economy class flight (let’s just say, to err is human and to take advantage of errors is also human).

Book On A Thursday

It actually doesn’t matter what day of the week you book a ticket . This Business Insider article claims that booking on a Sunday is best. This article claims that any day but Sunday is best.

The debate is hot. The conflict is high. I personally book on Thursdays. Why? It’s a weekday. It’s not quite the start, middle, or end of the work week.

Thursday is non-competitive. It’s dull, plain, and boring. And that’s why I love cozying up with a few flight searches on Thursdays.

One of my favorite cheap flight hacks is to use a VPN service.

Most travel companies charge you prices based on where they think you are . Let’s say I search for “Argentina to Dallas flights” from Dallas. The prices are usually exorbitant. But if I use a VPN and pretend I’m searching from Argentina, the prices are normally a lot cheaper.

There are thousands of VPN services to choose from. Make sure you read the Privacy Policy though because some services collect personally identifiable information for third party marketing.

The VPN service I currently use is NordVPN . It’s $2.99 a month (really affordable) if you take the three-year plan (which I did). But if you’re just planning for a vacation, it’s $12 a month. NordVPN  does not log data . The company also has servers in over 40 countries (I always try to search from the country I’m planning on visiting).

Clear Your Cookies

Clear your cookies in between searches. Or, at the very least, use some sort of incognito browser.

When I search through Google Flights, I typically use Firefox. Google Flights has an amazing suggested trips section. But I have noticed that when I use Firefox , the suggested trip is often $20 to $40 cheaper than the ones shown on other browsers.

On Firefox, I have a specific “Do Not Track” feature enabled which ensures that my browsing history is not tracked.

I guess I’m a stickler for privacy. And it’s not because I’m doing anything illicit on the Internet. I don’t like advertisers, third-party websites, or search engines to know how much I love travel. That just leads to unnecessary increases in cost.

Black Friday & Cyber Monday Deals Are A Myth

A lot of websites will advertise amazing savings over Black Friday. While some websites are true to their word, most don’t offer the savings promised.

With discounts come price hikes . I actually really wanted to go to Miami last December. When I started poking around the Internet early November, I noticed that there were fairy godmother Black Friday deals.

So I decided to wait.

The price for the Miami ticket I was eyeing was originally $79 round trip. On Black Friday, the ticket was 70% off but the price was $481 for the same day. If I purchased that deal, I would have paid double.

Holiday Flights Are Cheaper

Booking during the holidays can be expensive unless you depart on a holiday.

Most people don’t travel Christmas Day, Thanksgiving, or New Year’s . I know that when my parents booked a ticket to India last year, the price was $400 cheaper because they departed on Thanksgiving Day.

So don’t be afraid to give the holidays a shot.

Don’t Depart On The Weekend

The cheapest days to depart are normally Tuesdays and Wednesdays .

I’ve personally noticed that Saturday travel can also be equally cheap (especially for domestic flights). For most of my weekend getaways, I try to depart on a Saturday and return on a Sunday red-eye flight.

Don’t Be Afraid To Mix Airlines

Whenever I book tickets to India for my family, I choose to take a weird route – part American Airlines, part Qatar, and part British Airways. The path flies over Russia, South Africa, Germany, London, and then Dallas (in that strange order).

The flight is over 40 hours but SO worth the price.

Fly Budget Airlines

I absolutely love budget airlines . My go-to is Spirit. While I’ll probably get a lot of flack for saying this, I’ve never had a truly heinous experience with Spirit.

I know Spirit is a mixed bag of negative emotions for most people so I’m including a few popular alternatives here:

• Frontier (North America)
• Southwest (North America)
• WOW Air (Europe)
• RyanAir (Europe)

One small note, if you have a budget airline that you like (or more realistically, can tolerate), be sure to follow them on social media . A lot of budget airlines release flash sales on Twitter and (occasionally) Facebook.

Use Momondo

Momondo is hands-down the best flight aggregator ever. For international flights, there isn’t a better website. Enough said.

If you don’t really have a set place you want to go, Momondo has a “Find Your Next Trip” section with a wide range of cheap trip suggestions . I always poke through the World Wonders, Mysterious Destinations, and Travel Hacker Must-Sees tabs.

Try Skyscanner

For domestic searches and weekend getaways, I typically use Skyscanner . I love the user interface of Skyscanner (there’s even an easy-to-navigate app).

If you have a flexible travel schedule, use the “everywhere” option and select cheapest month to see the best deals.

P.S. I search using aggregators like Momondo and Skyscanner to find the cheapest dates to travel, but I only ever book through an airline’s official website.

Don’t Check Different Currencies

Currency conversion used to be one of my favorite cheap flight hacks . But to be honest, it’s a risky gamble. You’ll have to deal with fraud alerts (from your bank), foreign transaction fees, and translation issues.

Most websites that tell you about this hack ask you to search from countries with soft currencies. Don’t do this. If you really want to give this hack a go, purchase your ticket with a weak (but hard) currency . Soft currency is volatile. It’s extremely sensitive and very reflective of the socio-political atmosphere in a nation.

Use Layovers To Your Advantage

I once found a $20 round-trip flight to Cancun. As soon as I saw it, I transformed into a giggly, bubbly twelve-year-old version of myself.

Could this be true? Have all my dreams become a reality?

Well, sort of. There was a three-day layover in Denver and I was planning on booking a four-day trip. Oh, sugar.

But if you’re not set on a destination, you can use layovers to your advantage . To me, I saw the ticket as a $20 flight to Colorado and back (which is equally amazing).

Book Single Tickets

When purchasing plane tickets, you’ll always have the option of booking for multiple passengers at once. Always select one passenger when searching . Bulk prices on airplane tickets don’t work like a Costco grocery trip (though, I really wish it did).

Beware Of Hidden Fees

Most airlines have hidden fees. These include carry-on fees, online booking fees, in-person booking fees, online customer support service fees (I didn’t even use customer support – why am I paying for this?), seat assignment fees – the list goes on and on.

When you’ve settled on an airline, really check into their hidden fees. There might be another airline flying the same route that costs more but has fewer hidden fees.

Book (Somewhat) Early

21 days in advance is the sweet spot.

Get An Airline Credit Card

If there’s one thing I’m doing in 2019, it’s applying for an airline credit card. Daily purchases lead to points. Points lead to free miles. Free miles lead to free trips. The road continues and I like the sound of it.

Stick To One Airline Alliance

Speaking of airline credit cards, try to stick to one airline alliance . There are three major airline alliances: One World , Star Alliance , and Sky Team . If you decide to join an airline alliance, you enjoy the perks of a shared rewards program .

Snag A Student Discount

To be honest, I skipped out on most student discounts when I was in University . Why? Most student flight websites have terrible navigation. And I’ve always found cheaper flights elsewhere.

But if you’re traveling during spring break or winter break , student discounts can be really useful.

• Student Universe

Search For All-Inclusives

Lately, I’ve been toying with the idea of all-inclusives .

A ten-day tour of Paris (with flights, food, and hotels included) for $500. Is that even possible?

As I research more, I’ve noticed that all-inclusives have several strings attached – set travel dates, set menu options, hotels far away from attractions, and red-eye flights. While I don’t mind most of them, I think purchasing an all-inclusive will be a lesson in letting go of my need to control travel planning.

Did you enjoy these cheap flight hacks? What cheap flights hacks do you use? Let me know in the comments below.

Editor-In-Chief

Anshula grew up with a love of stories and places. Thirty-five states and 100 bookstores later, she's made her hobbit home in Middle Tennessee. Her Tookish side still takes over and leaves her chasing window seats, literary destinations, adventure books, sunrise coffee, and indie bookshops. She's appeared as a travel source on HuffPost, Reader's Digest, and MSN.

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29 comments.

That Thursday trick is actually a very valid point… I’m hoping to go to Paris so will keep checking on dates, particularly Thursdays to see if that makes any difference!

Good luck! There are some cheap flights deals for Paris (for March) running right now! Hope that helps! xx – Anshula

A very helpful and must read blog for travel enthusiasts.

Thank you! That means a lot to me! xx – Anshula

Some great tips there gal ! Noted few of them for instance I will always book on Thursdays and will book single tickets always ! Thanks for spilling the beans for us 🙂 Now I get how come you manage to travel so much 🙂 a smart traveller

Some great tips there gal ! For instance Book on Thursdays , book only single tickets , clear up the cookies and use a VPN service and even signing up airlines newsletters ! Now I know how u manage to travel so often you smart traveller anshula 🙂 🙂

Thank you Sharad! Using a VPN service is probably my biggest secret (now, not a secret….) xx – Anshula

Nice post about cheap flight hacks. Very helpful.

Glad you found this cheap flight hacks post helpful! xx – Anshula

A very helpful article for me since I am planning to travel this year! Would love to go back to this article again if I book soon. 🙂

Yes! I was hoping it would be a good reference for anyone trip planning! xx – Anshula

So many nice tips that are very useful. I’ve started departing on a Tuesday when possible after reading it was the cheapest day of the week. According to Momondo.com, it seems to be true in most cases.

Very true! Tuesdays and Wednesdays are great days to depart! xx – Anshula

I love checking out daily SecretFlying, and until a couple of years ago I was a loyal costumer of Momondo. Then I discovered that Momondo is terrible with cookies. Unless you are using “private mode” these guys will just add up to 30% in fees to the same flight. The worst! In any case, super usefull list! Thanks!

Thank you so much for pointing that out! I private browse using Firefox so I don’t really run into the cookie issue! xx – Anshula

Thank you for the tips! My favourite hack is to use a VPN too. I also use Nordvpn app, I am a loyal customer for a year now and I would never change this provider into something else. It really helps me to save money not just for flights, but also for Spotify plans or renting a car.

*High Five* xx – Anshula

Some great tips.. we have flown Rynair. I am currently using Scott’s Cheap Flight alerts but will check out the other two links you mentioned as well.

I used to use Scott’s Cheap Flight alerts but it became too expensive and impersonal. Maybe, I’ll look into it again! xx – Anshula

So many good tips!! I love budget airlines too! It gets the job done (getting me from one place to another!). :]

So true. That’s the best (and sometimes, only) way to look at it. xx – Anshula

These are such great tips! Booking flights can be so stressful with all the different sites out options out there but these ideas are really good for getting the best deals. Thanks so much for sharing.

The Stylish Traveler

Thank you so much, Allegra! That means the world to me! xx – Anshula

This is such a helpful article. I am going to definitely try these tips this year. Thanks for sharing!

I’d never list KLM as a budget airline… Wizzair & EasyJet are way cheaper alternatives.

I have been p****** off by the exorbitant flight prices as student.This informative post did make a difference.It sure did.

Nice article you made here… And i must confess, a couple of years ago, i did have the same experience of forfeiting travel by air just because i couldn’t afford the cost of flight ticket…. Yet, the tips you shared here are quite helpful. Great work!

This was a very helpful post! Thank you for sharing your hacks. I’m currently planning a trip so I’ll definitely try these tips !

Alright great article guys! I can’t believe it when i travelled to Dubai with my family I spent about $3800 lesser the usual amount i normally spend.

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15 Simple Travel Hacks to Make your Next Trip Cheaper

Travel can get expensive especially when airfare, car rental and hotels are involved. Every penny counts when planning and executing a trip so let us help stretch those dollars further!

Here are our top travel hacks to help you save money on your next adventure.

Don’t miss our other travel hacks on How to Reduce Hotel Expenses.

1. Sign Up for Airfare Alerts

If you have a rough idea of where you want to go and when, sign up on Airfarewatchdog or Orbitz for airfare alerts. Once you enter the information, these sites will email you when the airfare drops.

Disclaimer: This post contains some affiliate links, if you book through our link we will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting the blog.

2. Turn on “Private Browsing” or “Incognito Mode” to save on airfare

The minute you get on an airline website and start searching, they are tracking you. Make it impossible for them to increase the airfare prices based on your history by using private mode or incognito mode.

Learn more here: The Ultimate Guide on How to Find Cheap Flights

3. Use Shopping Portals

Shopping portals like Rakuten , BeFrugal and TopCashBack give you MONEY BACK when booking through their sites. It works not only for travel but shopping online as well. Remember that nifty tip during the holiday season! For the inconvenience- which is not really inconvenient at all- of just a few extra clicks, you can be earning cashback on every booking.

Start with Cashbackmonitor.com to see which one is offering the highest percentage back.

4. Don’t forget about Groupon

As I am writing this, we are on a road trip and our next stop is Charleston, South Carolina. So often, people forget about Groupon so I want to remind you!

I pulled up Cashback Monitor (as mentioned above) and Ebates showed 9% cash back. Naturally, I started there and clicked through Groupon to see if there were any restaurants or places to see in Charleston. The plantation we are visiting – Magnolia Gardens, which happens to be on the pricey side – popped up. Ebates let me know about the coupon code for the 20% off sale going on, another perk of the program, so we saved $16.70 off the total $40 admission cost for two. Here’s the breakdown:

$32 Groupon Rate – $6.40 (20% Groupon sale) = $25.60 cost x 9% Ebates cash back = $2.30 Total cost = $23.30 vs $40.00 Total Savings = $16.70

5. Public Transportation

Additional expenses like taking a taxi or Uber can add up so we only use them if we are in a time crunch, otherwise, we utilize public transportation.

You’d be surprised how many people overlook this opportunity. Take Vegas, for instance, the airport is only 2-5 miles from the strip depending on where you are staying but a taxi ride costs anywhere between $14-$20 one way. If you choose a hotel on the south end of the strip-like MGM, Excalibur or Tropicana there is a public bus -Westcliff Airport Express- that shuttles for only $2 one way with no tip necessary.

6. Take Advantage of Hostels

Hostels are not just for college kids. Seriously. There are definitely party hostels which I would avoid if you’re not looking for that kind of thing. However, many hostels are budget-friendly, offer private rooms, in great locations, and offer a community kitchen to make your own food which also saves on money. Download the Hostelworld App and make sure to check reviews before booking.

Best Hostels in the USA

7. Take Free Walking Tours

Most big cities like San Francisco, New York, Madrid, and Paris, for example, offer free walking tours. Freetours.com has tours listed by city with duration and reviews. Most of the time the guides are enthusiastic locals or gung-ho college students. For a tip only, you can join in on possibly one of the best experiences the city has to offer.

8. Get Off the Beaten Path

It’s hard to imagine that “off the beaten path” exists anymore but it does. Maybe visit a quieter state park-like Kodachrome Basin in Utah versus a national park like Zion. There are many cities that have surprised us over the years that aren’t on most people’s radar like Akron, Ohio or Winthrop, Washington .

9. Travel during Shoulder Season

If you are traveling with a family this may be hard to do but if possible try to book in the off months. If “the best” weather is said to be June – August, try to go in May or September. We are headed to Shenandoah National Park and although it is stunning in the fall, we are taking advantage of fewer crowds and cheaper prices in the spring.

10. Use Credit Cards to Collect Airline Miles and Hotels Points

Playing this game can get addictive and confusing but it is so worth it. The two we utilize now are the IHG Rewards Club Select Credit Card and American Airlines AAdvantage Credit Card. We like IHG because their rewards program is not only generous with quarterly bonuses but also has the most hotels. The credit card has a $49 annual fee, but includes an annual hotel stay and complimentary Platinum status. Points on both fronts offer free cancellation and perks like late checkout and free checked bags.

11. Free Days (or Nights)

Make sure to check websites for free days or nights at attractions you are planning to visit. The art museums in Madrid, for example, offer free admission a few hours in the evening on certain days. We had to wait in line for about 45 minutes, but it saved us thirty euros. I’d say that’s worth the wait.

12. Book a Room with a Kitchen

Eating out adds up so if you are not a foodie and can handle skipping out on the “must-eats” then book a room with a kitchen. Airbnbs or hotels with kitchenettes like Candlewood Suites are perfect for this.

Tip: many hotels will provide you with a fridge and/or microwave upon request even if your room does not initially come with one.

13. Make a Budget and Stick to It

It is unreal how much easier it is to stay on track in regards to a budget when you track your expenses. Spending happens fast when traveling. It’s difficult to keep a running total in your head so do what we do: sign up on Personal Capital for free and download the app to automatically track your expenses.

Start Here: Ho w to Easily Track your Travel Expenses and More.

14. Save on Gas

Taking a road trip? There are a few ways to save money on fuel. If traveling in the United States or Canada, always use GasBuddy to find the cheapest gas prices along your route. You can also sign up with Fuel Rewards to save a minimum of five cents a gallon off at Shell Stations. Combine the rebate with a fuel credit card and you can earn an additional three to five percent cashback on top of that.

15. Let the Best Car Rental Rates Find You

Autoslash is the middleman for renting cars. They find the cheapest rentals by searching for coupons and deals with all available discounts such as AAA, AARP, and credit card programs. They don’t stop there; up until the day of your trip they are searching for lower prices and will email them to you.

What are your favorite travel hacks? Tell us in the comment section below!

Like it? Pin it!

• About Author
• Latest Posts

Angela E. is a travel writer from the Chicagoland area who has visited all 50 states in the US and has traveled extensively around the world. She is passionate about exploring the great outdoors and hiking in particular. Her love for nature has taken her to some of the most beautiful locations on the planet. She has written extensively about her travels on her own website, Dang Travelers, and has been published in collaboration with other travel websites and multiple visitor bureaus around the country.

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14 Responses

Dana howard freeman.

Using Incognito is such a great tip! I try to do that as well. Bookmarking your post for all of my future travel. Great tips.

Erica Edwards

These are great tips! I use most of these, but I’d never heard of the shopping portals before, so I’m definitely going to have to look into that! Searching incógnito is one of the best pieces of advice for booking flights, and Groupon is such a great resource for booking restaurants and activities – I’ve used it for whale watching tours, paragliding, surfing classes and more!

Delisa Zak | Destination: Overlooked

Great tips, especially using Incognito mode and booking a room with a kitchen like an Airbnb. Always works for us!

Dang Travelers

Thanks Delisa

Melody Pittman

YES, I love travel hacks! And these are really good ones. I really like that you let people know about GasBuddy and Ebates. I use both of those and can’t believe more people don’t know about them. I’m also always telling people to research their travel information in private browsers and they all think I’m crazy lol. Thanks for sharing these!

Haha! Totally agree. “What do you mean they are tracking me?”

Michael Hodgson

Incognito is not as invisible as one might think. A great travel hack is using a VPN, even from home. And as they say, clear your cookies frequently and often. Also, you can use a VPN to see if buying a “local” fare — say from one country to another in Europe — lists more cheaply for someone shopping for it in Europe vs the U.S. Airfare alerts are also fantastic, and we use them once we have booked IF you book directly through an airline. Reason being? Most people don’t realize, but if there is a significant price drop (where the savings is more than the change fee would cost) it become worth it to contact the airline and change that ticket. Great post!!

Absolutely right, we address and expand on all of those in this post: https://www.dangtravelers.com/how-to-find-cheap-flights/

Shruti Prabhu

Some great travel hacks right here. The incognito mode/VPN tip is sheer genius! Thanks a lot for compiling this list.

Have you heard of Skiplagged? It allows you to book so-called “hidden city” flights. For example, let’s say you want to travel from New York to San Francisco but it’s really expensive. Skiplagged will show you flights from New York to other destinations (say Seattle) via San Francisco which are cheaper. You board at New York, get off at San Francisco and never take the San Francisco to Seattle leg! An obvious downside is that you can’t check luggage but if you’re traveling light it may be a great way to find cheap flights.

Steven on aFabulousTrip

Nice article, going incognito is always the best thing to do ! Never thought of using Groupon before, I’ll keep that in mind now. Also to “get off the beaten path” is a way to make sure you don’t get scam or get charge excessively because you’re in a very touristic place.

Carol Colborn

I’ve done a lot of these, including GasBuddy for road trips in America but the tip about going incognito and Austoslash are good ones. Thanks!

Great tips here! I actually use all of these, I must be a pro 😉 Incognito is such an important one when booking flights, and I’ve had some GREAT experiences using GroupOn while travelling for cool activities like whale watching, parasailing, kayaking and more. Great post.

Renata Green - www.byemyself.com

I’m already doing many of these things – like public transportation, collecting free nights and – and that’s a really important thing – look for flights from different browsers. Regarding the ‘free’ walking tours: I feel very bad seeing people joining the tours, walk along almost till the end…and then just split; I find that extremely rude and unfair to the guides – no matter how enthusiastic they are. I always pay the equivalent of a museum entrance or about 10 Dollars – at least.

Chris Behrsin

It’s amazing how much you can save travelling with a little pre-planning. There’s some really good tips in here and I’ve never thought of using Groupon to look for travel deals. Thanks for the post.

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Travel the world for cheap with these 13 tried & tested hacks

Travel Travel Inspiration Travel Tips & Hacks How To Travel For Cheap

Traveling to your dream destination doesn’t have to be a long-term plan that breaks your bank account. You can always travel to your dream destination on a budget. Here are some of the tested and proven ways to travel the world for cheap. You can thank us later!

13 sure shot ways to travel the world for cheap

#1 become a pro at travel hacking.

Travel hacking is essentially collecting points on travel credit cards, frequent-flier points, and miles to get freebies. This will, in turn, help you travel for cheap. Depending on how much you collect you can afford free flights, free nights at hotels, access to tours, and much more. Travel hacking can even allow you to have once in a lifetime experience if you collect enough points. For example, certain credit card companies offer luxurious stays like villas in Rome and trips to the French Riviera. Additionally, you can even experience exotic destinations like the Galapagos Islands for dirt cheap if you’ve travel hacked your way right.

What’s truly brilliant is that anybody can accumulate these points and become a pro at travel hacking. All you have to really do is get an airline card, a travel card, or a general rewards card like Chase Sapphire. Ensure that the cards offer a sign-up bonus of at least 50,000 points. The more the better. Now, simply pay for your groceries, restaurants, and daily shopping with these cards. This will help accumulate points extremely fast. Of course, you can go a step further and accumulate more points by using these cards to take surveys and indulge in (necessary) online shopping.

You can even get multiple credit cards for your different needs and club them. For example, some cards might offer free accommodation while some might only offer free miles. Once you take away the airfare and price of accommodation you can spend much more on brilliant experiences.

Your Guide To Traveling The World For Free!

#2 learn the art of finding cheap flights.

Surprisingly, you can save a ton of money on airfare by simply looking for cheap flights in the right places. While platforms like Google Flights and Booking.com can make it easier for you to find tickets, it doesn't show the best offers.WhichBudget is a great site as it shows you hundreds of cheap airlines in over 200 countries. All you need to do is put in some research time and book much in advance. It’s also best to never book around the holidays as prices are almost always at an all-time high.Interestingly, the airports matter as well. A flight to a relatively smaller airport in the city might be cheaper than flights to the bigger ones. Additionally, you can travel for cheap by avoiding checking in luggage as it tends to cost a lot if you’re traveling to multiple countries.

17 Golden Hacks To Snagging Cheap Flight Tickets

#3 couchsurf and list your place on airbnb.

#4 Trust last-minute deals

Hotels and airlines almost always offer last-minute deals to fill up the last seats or rooms. They even go to lengths to price it below their profit margin closer to the dates. . If you’re not concerned about the last-minute hassle and risk, it’s worth pouncing on these deals. Most importantly, you can travel for cheap and save a ton of money. Finding these last-minute deals have become quite easy with sites like Jetsetter and Hipmunk. For last-minute experience deals, there’s no place better than Headout. Planning to visit the Colosseum while standing in a queue at the Vatican? Get the Headout app and in 3 taps find the best last-minute deals in 50+ cities across the world.

#5 Opt for budget travel destinations

This one’s a no-brainer. If you’re looking to travel for cheap, simply opt for a budget travel destination. A budget travel destination does not only offer cheap accommodation but even the food and experiences will be much cheaper than other popular travel destinations. For example, you can eat amazing food, travel around and stay at a paradise-like place in Bali all for less than $100 a day. Countries like Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Portugal are not only extremely affordable but are also rich in culture and are safe. Most importantly, since transportation, food, and accommodation are cheap, you can afford to stay for long and even splurge a little

#6 All-Inclusive packages can be a steal deal

If you’re looking for a super-condensed travel experience, then an all-inclusive package can be an amazing deal. Not only is it cheaper than traveling to all the places on the itinerary individually but it’s also extremely convenient as everything like stay and travel is taken care of by the travel company. Additionally, it’s super safe as you’ll more or less be traveling with a group. Of course, these days all-inclusive packages can be personalized. So, you have the option to spend more or less. And if you want to save some money, it’s best to look out for those last-minute all-inclusive getaway packages

#7 Off-season travel is the way to go

The off-season is the best time to travel if you're wondering “how to travel for cheap?”. Of course, peak seasons have their advantages - the weather, locals out and about, all establishments open in full swing and whatnot. If you’re willing to let go of the little pleasures, then off-season travel is your best bet. Moreover, you won’t be rubbing shoulders with other tourists which you have to admit is a blessing. If you do your research and figure out the off-season months for a city you can expect the airfare and accommodation to be significantly cheaper as well.

#8 Use cards with no foreign transaction fees

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#9 Sign up for free tours

In a majority of cities around the world, free walking tours are easily available. Free tours are essentially pay-what-you-feel tours conducted by a local guide or a college student who knows the city in and out. You can book a slot online and at the end of the tour, you can tip your guide as much as you please. However, that is optional as well. These tours usually last from 1-2 hours and the guide will take you around the most popular places in the city on foot. You get to learn a lot more about the city you're visiting and the history from these tours than the paid ones that tend to cut corners. Furthermore, you can get amazing nightlife and food recommendations from the local guide.

#10 Steer clear of tourist traps

In every city, there are always several tourist traps that you’ll inevitably bump into. It might be accommodation in certain countries or public transportation in others. Regardless, it’s always better to know what are potential tourist traps you could fall for before you step foot in the country. Public transportation and even popular tourist spots in certain countries tend to take advantage of naive foreigners and charge exorbitant prices. Always negotiate and finalize the price before buying a ticket or before getting into the vehicle. When it comes to food and accommodation, book from trusted online portals in advance and you’re good to go!

12 Travel Scams to Watch Out for in 2021

#11 don’t leave home without travel insurance.

Having a travel Insurance policy that suits your travel style is one of the most underrated parts of traveling. Not just for your belongings but also your health. It’s even more important to get it if you have pre-existing health conditions. Travel insurance is also comprehensive protection of sorts that helps you save a lot of money in unfortunate scenarios like theft, cancellations, accidents, and even injury. While it may seem like an extra expense, when things go wrong you can bank on your insurance for coverage. You can get travel insurance from either your pre-existing insurance provider or from third-party providers like World Nomads, Insure My Trip, and Medjet.

The Ultimate Guide To Buying Your First Travel Insurance In The Post COVID World

#12 travel overnight to avoid hotel costs.

One of the best ways to save money and travel for cheap is to travel overnight to avoid hotel costs. You can skip paying for a night if you’re traveling overnight. It might be a tad bit uncomfortable compared to your hotel bed, but it’s worth the money you’re saving.

#13 Get a local sim

We recommend you get a local simcard if you’re planning on staying for more than a week. Roaming charges or even paying for Wi-Fi abroad can get expensive. Getting a local sim allows cheaper international calls and most importantly affordable data plans. Roaming around in search of Wi-Fi is not fun and a local sim can come in handy especially if you’re working while traveling.

Lakshmi Menon

Born to parents bit by the wander bug, Lakshmi calls her love for travel "hereditary and habitual". Perpetually ensconced with a book in her hand and a mug of coffee in the other, she has been to over 15 countries in her 23 years of existence and is currently saving miles and money for her solo trip to Iceland. Always hustling towards the least trodden path, she has encountered some wonderful people during her escapades and if you ever meet her, she won't stop gushing about them.

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Global Munchkins

Travel + Global Inspired Lifestyle

May 6, 2024

11 Expert Flight Hacks That You Don’t Want to Miss Out On

Sometimes being young and scrappy has its advantages! As our family rapidly grew in our twenties, Mike and I realized if we wanted to continue traveling, we had to become experts at finding cheap flights . We have had some pretty amazing wins over the years, like when we all flew to Tokyo for free and all of the times we have managed to get upgraded to first-class .

When it comes to traveling often with a family, it is all about using smart travel hacks. If you have ever wondered how we travel so often, the flight hacks below are a crucial piece of the puzzle. And, I am so excited that I get to share them now with you!

11 Flight Hacks That Have Made Travel Possible for Our Family!

Like I mentioned above, as young parents, we realized early on that finding affordable flights was going to be a big hurdle to overcome if we wanted to travel the world with our kids.

Luckily, Mike has always been a pretty savvy guy. Over the years, he has learned several cheap flight hacks that have helped us score incredible deals on airline tickets. He also figured out the best ways to take advantage of our credit card points and miles, you can learn more about that here . Let’s jump into so you can get to booking that next flight in no time!

Be Flexible

When it comes to finding cheap flights, flexibility is key. Avoiding peak travel seasons and being open to flying on weekdays instead of weekends can make a significant difference in flight prices. By adjusting your travel dates by a few days, you might be surprised by the savings you can achieve.

Use Price Comparison Websites

Flight search engines like Google Flights have become my go-to tool for finding the best flight prices. Google Flights allows you to search multiple airports at once and provides various filters to refine your search based on preferences such as non-stop flights or specific departure times.

It’s an excellent resource for comparing prices across different airlines and finding the most affordable options.

Set Up Price Alerts

Many airlines and travel websites, including Google Flights, offer the option to set up price alerts. By enabling these alerts, you’ll receive notifications whenever there’s a drop in flight prices for your selected routes.

This feature allows you to track flight prices over time and grab the best deals when they become available.

Look for Price Guaranteed Flights

Keep an eye out for flights on Google Flights that have a price guaranteed symbol. This means that if the price of the flight drops after you book, you’ll be refunded the difference.

It’s a great way to protect yourself from potential price decreases and ensure you’re getting the best possible deal.

How We’ve Been Upgraded to First Class on Our Last 2 Kauai Flights! Securing an upgrade on Hawaiian Airlines—and many others—is a straightforward process that begins right after you book your flight. Following your reservation, the airline will send you a confirmation email along with several follow-up messages. Keep an eye out for the section dedicated to upgrades. This section invites you to place a bid for an upgrade. Our strategy has always been to bid the minimum amount allowed per ticket. This approach has paid off numerous times, as it seems not many passengers take advantage of the bidding opportunity. You can also ask your gate agents upon arriving at the airport. Remember, there’s no harm in asking!

Leave the Destination Empty on your Search

Sometimes you might know when you want to travel but not where you want to go. In such cases, you can use a unique feature on Google Flights.

By leaving the destination field empty, Google Flights generates a map that displays all the destinations around the world and their corresponding prices. You might be surprised to find that flying to Europe could be cheaper than domestic flights within the United States.

Utilize Airline Points

If you’ve accumulated airline points through loyalty programs or credit card rewards, you can maximize their value by using sites like points.me .

These platforms provide information on the cheapest flights available using points, helping you stretch your rewards to cover more of your travel expenses.

Consider Alternative Airports

When searching for cheap flight tickets, it’s worth exploring nearby airports as well. Sometimes, flying in or out of smaller or less popular airports can result in significant savings.

Check if there are alternative airports within a reasonable distance from your origin or destination and compare prices to find the most affordable options.

Take Advantage of Secret Flying Deals

Secret Flying is a website that specializes in finding mistake fares, hidden deals, and other discounted flights. They scour the internet for airline pricing errors and promotions, allowing you to snag unbelievable flight deals.

Keep an eye on their website or sign up for their email alerts to stay informed about the latest offers.

My Favorite Deal This Week: Los Angeles to European cities from only $449 roundtrip! Check them out here. You might just catch me booking one of the $486 Los Angeles to Copenhagen flights 😉

Opt for the Cheapest Month to Fly

If your travel plans are flexible, consider choosing the cheapest month to fly to your desired destination. Flight prices can fluctuate throughout the year, with certain months offering lower fares due to factors like low travel demand or off-peak seasons.

Use Google Flights or other flight search engines to explore the prices across different months and plan your trip accordingly.

Maximize Credit Card Perks

Many credit cards offer travel rewards, such as airline miles, cashback on travel purchases, or access to airport lounges. Research credit card options that align with your travel goals and apply for ones that provide the most value for your needs.

By using a travel rewards credit card for your flight bookings and other travel-related expenses, you can accumulate points or miles that can be redeemed for future flights, hotel stays, or other travel perks.

Be Patient and Diligent in your Search

Finding the best cheap flight deals requires patience and persistence. Prices can fluctuate frequently, so it’s essential to keep checking flight search engines and monitoring price trends.

Don’t rush into booking the first deal you come across. Take your time, compare different options, and wait for the opportune moment to book when the prices align with your budget.

Ready to Book Your Next Flight?

While these strategies can be game-changers in finding great deals, always consider the full picture including foreign transaction fees, baggage policies, and convenience. Budget airlines might save you money upfront but remember to account for their additional fees and limited amenities. Leveraging airline points and knowing the cheapest days to fly are also key.

Equipped with these insights, you’re all set to snag the best deals, enhancing your family’s travels. Here’s to happy and smart traveling!

Frequently Asked Questions about Cheap Flight Hacks

What is the best flight booking hack?

The best flight booking hack is to be flexible with your travel dates and destinations. By being open to different options, you can take advantage of lower fares and better deals.

Which is the best way to book cheap flight tickets?

The best way to book cheap flight tickets is to be flexible with your travel dates and destinations. Searching for flights on different dates or during off-peak times can often lead to lower fares.

Utilizing price comparison websites and setting up price alerts can help you track and snag the best deals available.

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O. Christine

25 Airfare Hacks for the Best Fares and Cheap Flight Deals

This article’s recommendations may include affiliate links.

If you are searching for new budget travel tips on how to find the cheapest flights for your next getaway, the best day to find the lowest airfare, the best booking sites for finding cheap flight deals, which flight search engines to use, or credit card point hacks — you’ve come to the right place.

There are plenty of cheap flight tips online… but maybe too many . The scattered articles and resources just become so overwhelming that you soon bite the bullet and book what you can get. Because time is money too, right?

Now you’re in luck.

I’ve done the research and organization for you, and compiled an epic list of airfare best practices, affordable flight tips, and budget travel advice to help you get great flight deals this year. Whether mind-blowing first timer travel tips for newbies, or an “ah ha!” refresher to seasoned travelers, there’s something for everyone.

How to Find the Cheapest Places to Fly To

Figuring out the least expensive places to fly to is relative, based on where you live and the frequency of flights from that location. Regardless of your home base, however, there are still ways to pinpoint low cost flights to travel around the world.

1. Find Today’s Best Fares

I’ve mentioned this tip before and will continue to because it is one of my favorites! Using Fly.com’s list of “Today’s Best Fares” , you can view the best flight deals from around the world over the last 48 hours, flying from the city of your choice.

This list reflects deals over the following 90 days, and provides a fare calendar, to get a better idea of which dates are cheapest to fly. I almost always choose my next vacation destination from this list.

Note: I don’t use the website to book my flight—just for an idea of which airlines are offering the best prices, and to use as a price benchmark.

2. Search flight prices to anywhere & spot hidden deals

Fly.com isn’t the only website to provide a comprehensive overview of vacation ideas based on price. Google Flights and Airfare Watchdog provide an attractive list of recommended trips from your city, paired with pricing and suggested travel dates (among other websites).

Google Flights also offers a destination search feature that pinpoints flight prices on a digital map, based on either specific or flexible dates. If you are open to searching for a vacation to anywhere, you’ll surely score a great flight deal this way.

Note : Skyscanner and other third-party search engines also offer this free explore feature. Just search “Everywhere” in the destination field.

3. Fly to & From Nearby Airports for Low Cost Airfare

Alternative airports are often key in spotting flight deals—you’ll find it is where many budget carriers fly to. But sometimes it isn’t where you’re going that breaks the bank, it’s where you’re flying from . If you find the flight search from your home airport isn’t yielding anything in your budget, consider flying from nearby airports instead.

I’ve traveled hours by bus just to fly from an airport with cheaper fares. And when I search flights, I go as far as a four-hour radius just to consider all my options.

You Should Know: Be sure to add the cost of the extra transportation to your budget too! Sometimes the journey simply isn’t worth the lower flight price.

When To Book Flights & When To Fly For The Best Prices

Often, the best way to find flight deals within your budget is to focus on timing. Both the time you book and the dates you choose to travel can affect the ultimate price of flights.

4. Know The Best Time To Book Flights & Be Flexible

Timing is everything, and it is not just about the cheapest day to purchase your ticket. Pay attention to seasonality, tourism trends, and local events when booking your trip.

How far out should i book my flight?

While 60-90 days is still a sweet spot for booking, you’ll find many travel and airfare experts refute the idea that one day is better than another to purchase flights. Sometimes a flight eight months out is the same price as the exact flight three months out. Sometimes a last minute flight is 50% less that its average pricing. You can never know for sure!

What days and dates should I fly?

While Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays are still great days for flying, the actual date will vary. If you already know your destination but dates don’t matter, use Google Flights, Fly.com, or Skyscanner to search fares over a period of three months. You might find a one-day difference can save hundreds.

Airfare search engines offer this price calendar feature when we select “flexible dates”, but once I note which airlines have the best prices and dates, I still go to the airline website to book. Nearly every carrier’s website has a flexible dates/fare finder feature now (ie. JetBlue Fare Finder) so you can confirm pricing and book directly.

Cheap Airfare Tip : Instead of wondering when to book your vacation , choose your vacation dates based on low-traffic flying days, shoulder to mid-season tourism, and a low-key local event schedule for the best flight prices. Flexibility is key!

5. Search airfare historical prices

If you are having trouble analyzing tourism seasonality and its effect on flight prices, you should definitely start searching historical price trends to spot cheap flight deals. Though it takes a bit of extra research, reviewing AIRFARE TRENDS can give you a better idea of when to book the cheapest flights for your trip.

Fare Detective is probably the best for reviewing trends, and Hopper provides deeper insight on price fluctuations (based on historical pricing).

Again, I recommend considering what events will occur during the timeframe in question to get a well-rounded understanding of when to book your flight for the best deal. What was cheap in April for the last four years, won’t be as cheap if say, [insert huge celebrity] is going to be in town.

6. Set search engine Price Alerts So You Don’t Miss a Good Deal

I understand flexible travel dates don’t work for everyone. So if you haven’t cornered your budget by booking last minute, and have a non-negotiable destination and set of dates, you’ll benefit from setting price alerts for your trip.

AirfareWatchdog and Kayak offer airfare pricing alerts based on your flight search, and the Hopper app predicts flight prices and provides alerts from your mobile device.

7. Quick! Jump on Error Fares for Price Glitches & Deals

If you are in dire need of a cheap flight and love a little thrill in your life, these unique fares will hold your interest. What used to be a big traveler secret is now pretty much public for those who search for it.

GLITCH DEALS and ERROR FARES are erroneous flight prices (aka Price Glitches) and can happen at the simplest keystroke — or lack thereof, like forgetting to add a zero and suddenly a $600 flight is $60. These price glitches often last a few hours before the airline discovers the error… or someone snitches!

Error Fare Tip #1 : Whether the airline chooses to honor the error fare is up to them. Sometimes they will and next thing you know everyone and their mother is in Dubai. Other times they won’t, and you’ll hear about everyone’s lost dream vacation for months.

Error Fare Tip #2: It is essential to stay quiet (don’t call the airline and ask if your ticket went through, and don’t book your hotel yet). Wait a few weeks for the charge to process. By then, hopefully, the airline will accept their fate and honor the fare… or reject it and refund your money.

So when do you book error fares? Immediately! Learn where to find glitch fares in the next section.

How to Know Where to Find the Best Flight Deals

Okay, so now you know more detail about price glitches and deals — but where do you find them? Forum threads, Twitter, and Facebook groups seem to be the most popular sources.

Fare Deal Alert and The Flight Deal’s Twitter page offers quick deal notifications, and the FlyerTalk mileage run forum is a continuous thread of flight deals. But there are even more places to find cheap flights:

8. Sign Up for Airfare Newsletters for Cheap Flights Near You

If you are willing to get organized and act fast when you see the deal of your dreams, then newsletters and travel groups are for you.

Many travelers praise Scott’s Cheap Flights and Dollar Flight Club for its expertly curated flight deals. There are premium versions and free versions of this newsletters, with the paid version offering more immediate and customized alerts.

Secret Flying and The Flight Deal facebook pages, as well as travel Facebook groups, are also clutch in revealing deals and error fares.

You Should Know : By the time flight deals and error fares circulate the web, they’re already gone. If you are passionate about being first to the punch, mobile alerts and email newsletters will save the day.

9. Take a Chance & Book a Cheap Flight Blind

Would you ever book a flight “blind”? Back in the day, Priceline had a “Name Your Price” feature that allowed consumers to bid on flights within set parameters. I remember my friend used to bid the most outrageous prices in hopes of the platform accepting her offer. The catch? If accepted, you had little control over the type of flight booked (only the ultimate destination).

Though that specific program doesn’t exist anymore, there are other ones like it. Priceline Express Deals, have become hot in the travel market for both hotels and flights, and I have even used Express Deals for hotels four times with much success.

Priceline Express Deals for flights provide up to 50% savings on airfare by offering deeply discounted pricing in exchange for not revealing the airline, departure and arrival time, and exact number of stops until after you book — and the Express Deals airfare is non-refundable. If you are wondering how to get cheap flights last minute, this may be a great option for you.

Express Deals Reveal Tip: Just like their hotels, it can be quite easy to reveal Express Deal listings before booking — you just have to pay attention to the details.

10. Snag Flight Deals on Discount Websites

Consumer discount sites are understandably a scary option when it comes to booking flights — we often ask, are the great deals too good to be true? Between badly rated tour operators, non-refundable fares, and absurd single-occupancy surcharges, sites like Groupon don’t get the credit they deserve when it comes to providing endless travel deals!

If you are on the hunt for flight deals, don’t discount Groupon Getaways and Travel Zoo ‘s ability to provide vacation packages and flight deals that meet your budget. As long as you manage your expectations, read the fine print, and read reviews diligently, you’ll be in for a treat.

11. Don’t Forget About the Small Airlines

When I search my favorite websites (like Fly.com, Google Flights, and Skyscanner) and still can’t find anything within my budget, I check out Kiwi.com ’s fare finder.

The website features smaller airlines that are often missed by larger search engines (yes, even Skyscanner misses some!) and saved my butt when I became stranded day-of due to an airline bankruptcy.

Remember That Travel Mishap? Read all about how I used the Kiwi website to finally get back to NYC from London (by way of Spain and Portugal, but still) for about half the price of every other flight deal available !

Expert Travel Tip : If you are set on a destination, visit their airport’s website to see which small carriers fly there, and then head to each airline website to see if they are offering any flight deals.

12. Stay open-minded when searching for cheap flights

The truth is, no one search engine, airline, or set of dates offers guaranteed best flight prices. Don’t get comfortable with a favorite site; they all have their strengths and weaknesses. When you keep an open mind and cover all your bases, you’ll have a higher chance of scoring the deal of your dreams.

Here are some sites and apps to consider during your search:

• Google Flights
• AirfareWatchdog

13. Miss Your flight on Purpose with a Hidden City Fare

Skiplagged ’s unique search engine revolutionized hidden city fares and made cheap flight deals more accessible for everyone. They find flights with layovers that stop in the destination you are trying to get to.

Travelers book these multi-leg flights, bring carry-on luggage only, and arrive at their destination via layover — never to board the second leg of the trip.

• Example : If you were looking for a great deal from NYC to Spain, Skiplagged might find a route to London (with a layover in Spain) for a fraction of the cost. Just don’t board the second plane to London and you’ve now scored a cheaper way to get to Spain.

Is HIDDEN CITY FARE HACKING legal? Yes. This flight hack was so epic (and saved consumers hundreds of dollars) that United Airlines and Orbitz sued them! The case was dismissed.

Is it ethical? Debatable . But it’s a rough life trying to find affordable flights — and airlines reducing our leg room, snacks, and baggage privileges makes it hard to feel bad about it.

How to Search Smart When Hunting Down Flight Deals

Even if you are on the best website for cheap flights, there is still work to do to ensure you find even lower airfare than advertised. Here are some of my favorite ways to search smart before booking my flight.

14. Compare Round Trip & One-way flight Prices with Hacker Fares

Years ago, I took a trip to Nantucket and realized that when I purchased a peak season one-way ticket (vs. round trip), flights were as low as $40 from NYC. That was huge! I’d always assumed one-way flights were super expensive.

The more I researched prices over the years, the more I noticed that sometimes RT flights are not the best deal. Especially because search engines seek the same airline for both ways (ie. if you select a great Delta price for your outgoing flight, the search engine will only show you Delta return flights, even if United has a cheaper return deal.)

The way I navigate this pricing dilemma is by finding a “hacker fare”.

What is a Hacker Fare? Hacker fares are identified by matching one way flights from different carriers to get the lowest round trip price. It is hard to find search engines that will do this automatically, though Kayak is one of the most popular ones to offer this service. You can also do it manually by searching each way individually.

15. Try Multi-city Flight Booking to Save on Flights

If you have the vacation time to travel, why not visit a few more places and score a cheap flight deal? Just like one-way flights, booking multi-city trips is a great way to save money on airfare and extend your vacation.

I’ve tried multi-flight booking and have spent less money taking longer vacations and visiting more destinations. Think about how Iceland travel got so popular: Iceland Air basically dedicated their advertising dollars to a trick that can be used in many places around the world — multi-flight itinerary priced as a long layover (also known as a stopover flight).

Stopovers are key to saving money on a longer trip!

• Here is a real example of a cheap flight I booked in 2017 : I needed to go to NOLA from NYC, and it was going to cost $267 RT. Instead, I researched the cheapest destinations to fly to from NYC (Chicago flights happened to be dirt cheap) and then researched how much NOLA flights from Chicago would cost. I ended up saving $75, spending a week in NOLA, and getting an extra weekend trip to Chicago!

This clever layover trick really does work… after I told my community, one immediately tried it for himself and doubled his vacation destinations for $10 less than he would’ve originally spent on just one trip.

16. Search flight deals solo

This cheap flight suggestion is one of those recommendations that makes you say, “Of Course!” while simultaneously making you wonder why you hadn’t thought of that sooner.

Cheap Airfare Tip : Did you know that every time you search flights for more than one person, you might be locking yourself into a higher seat price?

Search engines are going to assume that if you are seeking seats for two people, you’ll want the same seat class and fare type. But airlines sell their seats in tiers, and once one tier’s price range meets its quota, it moves on to the next.

If you search flight deals for more than one person, the search results will provide a seat fare that can cover everyone. Alternatively, if you search fares for just one person , you’ll be able to find the true lowest seat price, and book from there!

17. Turn on Incognito When Searching Flight Deals

Maybe it is a myth… maybe not… but when you are looking for great flight deals, you’ll be willing to test all the tricks.

Many people (including me) report to have found flight prices fluctuate the longer we search for deals online — and it is hardly ever in our favor.

To avoid this, open a private or incognito window on your Internet browser to prevent search engines from tracking your search activity. This way, you’ll feel confident the prices aren’t being hiked based on your Internet activity.

18. Consider Flying on an Airfare Payment Plan

Someone once said, “You have to spend money to make money” — and that applies to travel perks too! If you truly want to start mastering the flight shopping world, you’ll have to start spending smart and strategically.

Who would’ve thought there’d be layaway plans for flights!? While I am not a huge fan of payment plans (you might prefer to get your finances in check first) there are instances when someone needs to travel for an important reason and cannot collect the funds in time. Each situation is different!

Depending on the fee structure, “layaway deals” might even be a more financially sound option in comparison to high-interest rates on your credit card. This is where an airfare payment plan can help!

I came across a company called Airfordable , and though I haven’t used them personally, they seem to meet the needs of travelers who need to pay for their trip in installments.

• What’s the catch? Even though it may ease your pockets now, in the long run you’ll find the “flight deal” to be more expensive because you have to pay a service fee. Additionally, you’ll still need to pay off the flight before your trip, so this is a good option for flights planned in advance (as opposed to last minute).
• Consider your financial circumstance: are the payment plan fees lower than your credit card interest rate? How much will you ultimately pay for the flight?

By budget planning, you can analyze your options and make a strategic decision that’ll work for you.

19. Use Your Circumstance to Your Advantage

We all have circumstances that make our flying experience unique. Use it to your advantage to save money on flights while you can! If you’re a college student with minimal income, for instance, take advantage of student discounts and booking search engines like STA Travel , Student Universe , and Generation Fly . Student discounts are often equivalent to “youth” discounts (ages 16-25).

There are also military, AAA, and senior citizen discounts to consider too! For professionals looking to travel more while working a full-time job , consider using your job’s travel resources for corporate savings (if they allow it). Alternatively, you can add your vacation to any business travel to get the flight covered altogether — I did that all the time; my boss taught me!

20. Use Airline rewards & Credits to pay less on flights

In order to save money on travel, rewards should be part of your booking strategy. Take note of each account’s reward and points balance to determine the best way to trade cash payments for reward redemption. This financial tip requires longer-term planning so you can accumulate enough points to maximize payment options for your next flight.

airline rewards:

AIRLINE REWARDS can be used toward covering your flight price. I’ve flown one-way and round trip to Quebec, Miami, and Colombia for as little as $5 USD (to cover tax) just by using reward miles and points.

Note: some airlines call their reward system “points” while others call it “miles” .

No matter which airline you fly with, you should open a free airline rewards account with each. Flying with a specific carrier will be most beneficial in helping to collect reward mileage quickly, but if you are like me and often just seeking the best flight price regardless of airline, you’ll need an account with each one.

• Bonus Tip: Take your rewards strategy a step further and combine your points with family to maximize savings! I use JetBlue’s point pooling system with Alex to sum up all of our points.
• You Should Know: Pay attention to your rewards balance: some will expire if unused, or if you haven’t flown with the airline in a while.

Credits and gift cards:

CREDITS & GIFT CARDS are another useful way to save money on flights. Whenever someone asks you what you want for your birthday or the holidays, ask for an airline gift card! (In fact I just gave away an $100 airline gift card on my travel Instagram . ) Many airline gift cards don’t expire, nor do they have blackout dates, so you’ll have time to shop great flight deals and get them paid for.

Then there are airline credits… Have you ever received a credit after a crappy flight experience? Credits are a lot more common than you think, and don’t always require a catastrophic travel day to qualify for one. Just give the airline a call or a Tweet if you are ever unsatisfied with an experience!

Credits are money in your airline “bank” account (which is another reason why you should get a free account with each airline!) You can apply credits in conjunction with your payment when booking your flight to get a cheaper flight deal.

21. Maximize Credit Card Points for More Rewards Benefits

CREDIT CARD POINTS are super beneficial when it comes to saving money for flights. Not everyone has the ability to open a credit card, but if you do, there are many to choose from. If you have a favorite airline that you fly with often, an airline credit card with frequent flier miles will maximize your payment benefits.

If you like spending on a little bit of everything, a credit card with a flexible points system might work better. Review your spending habits and find a card that gives double and triple the points for your category of spending.

I use Chase Sapphire Reserve most often (previously had Chase Sapphire Preferred) so ultimate rewards points can accumulate and cover flights. My Chase Sapphire card gives 3 points per dollar anytime I spend money on travel related expenses.

My Bank of America rewards card gives 3% cash back on spending in flexible categories (you get to choose the spending category each billing period). And there are plenty of other attractive cards to consider for their reward benefits.

Determine which cards give the most for your dollar based on what you spend and you’ll find your credit card points accumulate faster. Don’t forget, credit cards may give bonus points for signing up and referring others too, which can also be used toward paying for flights.

• You Should Know : Many times, in order to get the best value for your credit card reward point redemption, you have to book your flight within their travel portal. Sometimes, though, their travel portal doesn’t offer the best prices so there may be a tradeoff to consider.

Alternatively, partner reward transfers can hold heavier weight than portal bookings, in some cases. Cash back, on the other hand, usually gives the least value.

22. Shop Smart & Earn Free Flights for Points and Miles

Now that you know airline rewards accounts and credit card points are your friend when it comes to cheap flights, make everything you do (and spend money on) earn rewards!

First, all of your shopping should be done through the airline’s PARTNER SHOPPING PORTALS. You can earn airline points and miles for every dollar spent even BEFORE earning points from paying with a rewards credit card.

• Example # 1: if you have a JetBlue rewards account and buy from Groupon, you just enter your TrueBlue number to activate, enter “jetblue” when checking out, and earn TrueBlue points for every dollar spent (just be sure to read the fine print!)
• Example #2 : Delta has an Airbnb link of its own that earns you award mileage per dollar spent — you just have to enter your log-in info before being redirected to the Airbnb page. Double dip and use your rewards credit card to pay for the purchase and you’ll rack up credit card points and mileage.

How to find your airline shopping portal : Usually they are easy to find from the airline website, but if you have trouble, just Google search the airline name + “shopping” and Google will take you to the appropriate website.

23. Transfer Hotel Points to Airline Rewards

If you don’t care to accumulate hotel points (maybe you prefer unique boutique hotels but had to book a large chain hotel for one trip), you’ll find that some hotels are partnered with airlines and will transfer the hotel points you earn from your stay to the partner airline of your choice (as applicable).

I previously experienced this with Hilton and Delta after activating a 5x points promo deal. Though I doubt point transfers were the best way to maximize my rewards, it may be just what someone needs to garner enough points/miles to cover their next flight.

24. Book Direct & Avoid the Costly Drama

Though I love using third-party websites to search for great flight deals, I find airlines are more willing to assist when things go awry if you book directly with them.

Sometimes stuff happens… and if you don’t have travel insurance, it can get EXPENSIVE. What’s the point of finding great deals if you end up paying for mishaps?

The least you could do is try to book direct to get as much help as possible or select a booking site that provides some sort of trip protection (when I booked with Kiwi, for instance, they protected my transfers since the legs were with different carriers).

That doesn’t mean any of the aforementioned tips go to waste, though. These days, most airlines are willing to price match if you show them the deal you found.

When I got stranded in Costa Rica back in 2014 due to weather, the one thing that saved me was the fact that I booked directly with JetBlue. Not only did I get about $900 in flight credits (my flight was only about $200), I was allowed to change my flight a second time when I realized how much I was enjoying my time “stranded” — all at no cost to me!

25. Go Luxe on the Cheap by Booking a Private Flight

Flying comfortably on a budget is a difficult feat. Forget about bringing a pet into the mix!

If you are traveling with a pet, you might find it difficult to pin down a flight that is a great deal for you and a furry friend. While pet travel has never been a dilemma of mine, my friend Nikki from @WTFrenchie has mastered the art of pet travel and learned that there are private jets and charter planes you can take in the US for the cost of coach (with or without your pet).

She booked a flight with JetSuiteX on the west coast with her Frenchies for just $156 RT (plus no baggage weight limits!). But there are plenty of other options too. Some require memberships at a hefty cost, which may pay off in the long run, and others let you book a la carte. Note: they’re almost always for domestic flights.

26. Find Promo Codes for Cheap Flights Automatically

Always search Promo Codes for flight deals when shopping around! Before you take that final leap and press “Confirm” to book your flight, don’t forget to take one last leap of faith. I use the Honey app to search promo codes across the web every time I shop.

Whether for flights or regular lifestyle purchases, Honey has done an amazing job of testing tens and hundreds of promo codes to make sure I get the best deal. It is as easy as adding the button to your browser.

PHEW… Who made it to the end of this article?

It was a long article, but I needed to give you a master list of tips because the cheap flight deal hunt is REAL. If one of these tips can’t help you find a cheaper flight, I suggest you get a bit more flexible with your requirements or save a little bit more money for your trip. Sometimes, that is the solution — whether we like it or not!

If any of these tips worked for you, let me know!

Hey Pinterest Fam!

Share this guide to Airfare Hacks For The Best Fares   by pinning the image below to your planning board.

19 Comments

I read your post, your post is most motivational; I think that I will share it with all my knowledgeable person. I have been following you for a long time because your post is very helpful and effective.

I have perused many sightseeing blog yet I found here a particularly brilliant airfare hacks for modest flight booking.

Wow, what a list… and i read it till end!! i normally stop with Google, skyscanner and priceline… you have so many more!!

Nice Blog!!

thanks so much!

I have read many travel blog but I found here such a wonderful airfare hacks for cheap flight booking.

Thanks I hope they help!

So many great tips! I love using Momondo for finding deals. I usually have the best luck purchasing tickets directly through the airline though! 🙂

Nice! and thanks for reading. yeah direct purchases are often pretty clutch 🙂

Great tips here! I’m always looking for cheaper airfare. I definitely agree with you on booking direct instead of through deal websites. It can cost a bit more upfront but for me it brings more peace of mind.

I actually just had an emergency that made me cancel my flights. I was able to get an airline credit simply because I booked direct!

Thank you for the information about air fare.

thanks for reading!

Thanks for your detailed sharing!Absolutely love it and i am expecting more from you.

Thanks for reading!

wow this is a great resourceful information on finding the best deals on air travel. Here in Canada everything seems to be sky high, thank you for your tips that i can begin hunting for flights.

You’re welcome! Let us know if you find anything super awesome!

You put a lot of work into this article…Thanks for all the great information!

I sure did! Thanks for reading and feel free to share! xx

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The 18 Cheapest Places to Travel in 2022

Plan an exciting vacation without spending an arm and a leg.

Looking to catch a cheap flight this year? Kayak , one of the world's leading travel search engines, shared with Travel + Leisure a list of the cheapest places to travel this year.

To determine the most wallet-friendly destinations, Kayak analyzed the searches for flights from Nov. 20, 2020, through Nov. 19, 2021, for travel between Jan. 1, 2022, and June 30, 2022. Kayak then considered the top 100 most-clicked destinations with the lowest average flight price, excluding outliers based on criteria such as travel restrictions and security concerns.

Fly against the grain and get rewarded with major savings.

Unsurprisingly, Mexico makes the list of the cheapest places to travel in 2022. The country has long ranked as an affordable and easy-to-reach destination for many Americans; reasonably priced direct flights are abundant.

Within Mexico, San José del Cabo (in Baja California Sur), Puerto Vallarta, and Cancún come out on top as the cheapest places to fly, with January being the most affordable month to visit for each. Fortunately, January is nothing short of glorious in each of these beachy destinations — warm, balmy, and filled with rich colors, textures, and flavors to beat the winter blues.

Searching for a city break instead of a beach retreat? Mexico City, with its rich Aztec heritage and generous smattering of museums, is another affordable option in Mexico. May is the cheapest month to book a flight there.

Chicago, Illinois

Who wants to visit Chicago in winter? You will, once you see the rock-bottom prices you can score in January and all there is to do in this Midwest winter wonderland. Spend an afternoon on the Maggie Daley Park Ice Skating Ribbon, then warm up with a slice of deep-dish pizza.

Colombia is a beloved travel destination for its rich history, vibrant culture, and mouthwatering food. It's also well priced against what many Americans are used to paying for, say, a fresh arepa and cup of Colombian coffee.

February is the least expensive month to fly to the country's capital, Bogotá. The weather here is chilly, but not too cold to stroll the painstakingly maintained Bogotá Botanical Garden, which dates back to 1955 and is filled with almost 20,000 plants (and costs just over $1 USD to enter).

In January, head to Cartagena, a port city on the country's Caribbean coast. You don't have to spend much to enjoy your time here — simply walking the picturesque streets is enough for most visitors.

Nashville, Tennessee

There's a reason bachelorette parties and reunions of every sort flock in droves to the Music City — it's not hard to have a boot-scootin' time on a budget. Mural-hopping is free, hot chicken will only set you back a few bucks, and there's lots of live music to be heard (free of cover charge) along Honky Tonk Highway . January is the cheapest month to book.

New York City, New York

New York City isn't known for being a cheap destination, but go in January and you'll get the best prices they've got. The city never sleeps, but it does slow down during the cold winter months — the perfect time for you to swoop in and take advantage of the decreased demand for flights and hotel rooms. Plus, there are plenty of free things to do in New York City , too.

Mexico isn't our only neighboring country with deals aplenty — Canada also makes for an easy getaway, with well-priced flights widely available from most of the U.S.

In Montréal, Quebec, the must-try food is the steamé — the city's take on a hot dog — served steamed in a side-loading bun (which is also steamed). It's the perfect food to gobble up during freezing February, when the flights are cheapest. Best of all, each delicious (and filling) hot dog will only set you back a couple of dollars.

February is also the cheapest month to fly to Toronto, Ontario. The weather may make you leery, but don't let it: During February, the annual installation of art and lights, known as the Toronto Light Festival (totally free), takes place in the walkable and historic Distillery District. It's also a good time for The Bentway Skate Trail under the Gardiner Expressway overpass, which will set you back only $5.

And while Vancouver, British Columbia, is gorgeous in the summertime, January is the cheapest month to fly there. Take the ferry for an affordable "tour" of the city from the water.

Atlanta, Georgia

Jackson Vance/Travel + Leisure

Atlanta has all the big-city perks at prices far more wallet-friendly than most of its counterparts. Splurge on a SkyView Ferris wheel ride for views of Centennial Olympic Park and beyond, and go in January for the lowest possible prices. There are lots of things to do in Atlanta during this time of year, from visiting the marine animals at the Georgia Aquarium to learning about local history at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.

Baltimore, Maryland

Head to Charm City this year to keep costs low and still have a memorable travel experience. Chilly January may be the cheapest month to visit, but luckily, you can still check out places like the Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens ($5 donation encouraged) in the urban oasis of Druid Hill Park.

San José, Costa Rica

The capital and largest city of Costa Rica, San José is a must-visit for any intrepid traveler. Expect Victorian mansions, nightlife in El Pueblo, lots of culture, and surrounding historic coffee plantations.

Check out the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum for a glimpse into what it might look like to have an unlimited jewelry budget. Admission is $15 for non-residents, but offers access to more than 1,500 gold objects and artifacts. Head to San José in May for the cheapest airfare to this lively (and affordable) city.

Dallas, Texas

This year, visit Dallas outside of Cowboys football season — like in January, when prices are at their lowest. During this time, you can expect more reasonable rates, but still get in on the sports action by catching a home game for the Mavericks (basketball) or the Stars (hockey).

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas can be as cheap or expensive as you want it to be, but if you prefer to devote the majority of your dollars to slots and shows rather than airfare and accommodations, go in January. Just don't expect hot temps, as even the desert gets cold in the winter. Here are some more tips to keep in mind and mistakes to avoid on your next trip to Sin City.

Panama City, Panama

Panama City, the capital of Panama, is an impressively modern Central American destination framed by the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Panama Canal on another — best viewable from the Miraflores Locks. Visit in January for great flight deals, and don't miss the cobblestone streets of historic Casco Viejo.

Tampa, Florida

Florida as a destination is hotter than ever, but Tampa isn't as inundated with crowds as the state's other major cities — plus, its location on the western coast promises gorgeous sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico. Go in January for a good deal, warm (but not sweltering) temps, and plenty of sunshine.

Hamilton, Bermuda

If January's chill has you dreaming of pink-sand beaches, you're in luck, as it's a great month to visit Bermuda. Fly into Hamilton and stroll Front Street for a peek at the pastel buildings that are iconic to this glitzy British island territory, but stick to window-shopping if you want to keep your trip cheap. Biking and beach-hopping are the name of the game here.

Boston, Massachusetts

January may be the cheapest month to fly to Boston, but it's not the best season for strolling its idyllic Common or touring the Freedom Trail. Luckily, many stops along the historic route are indoors — and cheap (like the Paul Revere House, which is just $6 per adult).

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is another popular destination for American travelers. January is the least expensive month to visit the two most affordable cities to fly into: Santo Domingo and Punta Cana.

Though Santo Domingo is the country's capital, it doesn't have to be an expensive visit. Take in the architecture that dates back to the late 1400s and stroll the Colonial Zone for a memorable (and free) experience.

Punta Cana, on the other hand, is known as a tourist hot spot with plenty of resorts (and ways to spend lots of money). However, some of life's greatest treasures — like sandy beaches and waterfall hikes — are as free in Punta Cana as they are anywhere else.

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

You don't need a passport to fly to St. Thomas, but you'll have a hard time believing this jaw-dropping, colorful island is technically U.S. soil. Make sure to visit Magens Bay, climb the 99 Steps in Charlotte Amalie, and marvel at the sheer blueness of the water surrounding this popular cruise ship port. Go in January for the best flight prices; you'll be glad for the savings when you see what accommodations cost on this luxurious island.

Denver, Colorado

Denver has a ton to do, even in January, which is the cheapest month to visit. Hitting the slopes is hard to do at a discount (unless you go in the summer to hike instead of ski), but at least you'll save money on airfare if you visit Denver during this snowy month.

Related Articles

Hack your way to cheaper travel

We know you love to travel for less, and it’s now easier than ever with Kiwi.com’s travel hacks, unique search options, and customizable filters. Discover more about how they work and go grab yourself a flight deal at Kiwi.com.

Explore travel hacks

• Self-transfer

Our self-transfer hack helps you reach any destination even if airlines don’t provide it as an existing itinerary. How does it work? It’s fairly straightforward. You give us the “where” and “when” and we create a travel itinerary out of separate flights from different airlines. You get where you need to go – for less.

Hidden cities ticketing

Our hidden cities hack is great if you like to travel to popular destinations and you want to beat the high prices on popular direct routes. Let’s say you want to travel from Amsterdam to Barcelona, but it costs too much. We’ll find you a two-leg itinerary with a layover in Barcelona, where you decide to say “Hasta la vista, second leg!”

• Throwaway ticketing

Throwaway tickets help you hack the often expensive one-way fares. So, if an airline is selling a round-trip ticket cheaper than a one-way ticket, we’ll offer it to you, even though you’ve set your search filter to one-way.

Nomad — the ultimate multi-city flight search

With Nomad, our unique multi-city search tool, you simply input three or more destinations, your length of stay and travel dates, and the cheapest possible route will be found in a flash. Don’t overload your browser or fry your brain trying to figure out the best and the cheapest multiple-destination itinerary — save all that energy for your trip!

Flight price alerts

We know that flight prices change all the time. Our price alerts keep track of this and will notify you when the cost of your trip changes so that you can book when you see a price you like. No need to search for the same route again; just set up your personal price alert and trust our Kiwi-Code, which checks billions of routes every day.

By subscribing you agree to receive offers according to the conditions described in our Privacy Policy .

Flexible ticketing options

We give you Flexi, Standard, and Saver ticket options because we understand that sometimes, you need a flexible ticket that allows you to change or cancel your trip; and other times, you just want to grab a bargain and not pay a penny more.

Kiwi.com Guarantee

Our Guarantee gives you peace of mind whenever and wherever you travel. It protects you on all your connections, whether you’re traveling by plane, bus or train. It covers carrier cancellations, delays, and schedule changes.

Multimodal flight, train, and bus search

Our flight, train, and bus search gives you extra freedom. With this search tool, you can combine air and ground travel options into one itinerary. It really comes in handy when traveling to a city with no airport!

Price FX for lower exchange rates

Our goal is to make travel simple, cheap, and transparent, so when you buy a ticket with us, we won’t charge you any unfair exchange rate fees as many airlines do. When you pay in your chosen currency, we’ll only charge the middle market rate.

We hack the system, you fly for less

Technology that makes travel cheaper and simpler for everyone.

Kiwi-Code sees 95% of all the flights from around the world and performs billions of flight price checks every day to give you the most up-to-date search results, always. What does that mean for you? It’s simple: you get more travel search results than you would anywhere else. You see the deals and travel options that airlines don’t want you to see and other search engines can’t even find. This is how, when you book with Kiwi.com, you’re getting some of the best travel deals on the internet.

Travel innovations that shake things up

Kiwi.com is completely independent of any airlines and online travel agents, which gives us the freedom to reinvent and reimagine the travel industry and its technology. And that is exactly what we do. We shake things up so you can use that technology with ease when booking your trips. We want to set travel tech trends that others will follow, because we believe that it’s the only way the travel industry can make traveling more accessible for everyone.

We want our travel tech to show you all of your travel options, so that you can decide whether you want to stick with the standard itinerary, or whether you want to take advantage of our travel hacks that might make the journey cheaper or more convenient.

Travel is about freedom. So are our hacks.

Kiwi.com suits both experienced and inexperienced travelers who are looking for regular travel search results, but are also asking for something extra — like our travel hacks. We realize that not all our travel hacks are suited to just any trip, but we still want to give you the final say. That’s why, when you search for a specific destination or route, the search results on our Kiwi.com website or on the Kiwi.com app will consist of all the standard options from all the relevant carriers, plus any available travel hack options: routes that feature self-transfer, hidden cities, and throwaway ticketing.

What is a travel hack?

At Kiwi.com, what we call a “travel hack” is anything that makes your travel experience easier and cheaper, and that positively disrupts the way flight and travel search engines work.

Our four main travel hacks are:

What is self-transfer?

The self-transfer hack helps you travel anywhere by connecting airlines and carriers that don’t usually cooperate with each other. It’s an extremely useful hack especially when there are no direct flights between smaller airports.

Our self-transfer hack is synonymous with virtual interlining, a complicated-sounding term for a simple idea: making planes, trains, and buses connect, even when it’s not normally an advertised combination. With our Kiwi-Code, we made self-transfer work by creating an algorithm that seamlessly combines flights, trains and buses into one itinerary. This way, we give you routes that other travel companies can’t map out, and it saves you from having to spend long hours looking at every possible airline, every possible connection, and every possible price to piece them together on your own.

This travel hack involves buying flight tickets to a less popular destination with a layover in a popular destination, compared to buying the direct flight to the popular destination. In other words, a flight between city A and city C with a layover at city B might be cheaper than a direct flight between city A and city B.

On most travel search engines, this lower price would only be visible if you were specifically looking to travel from New York to Des Moines, but Kiwi.com can take connections into account as well. That means, if Chicago is your destination, we’ll find it hidden within an airline’s itinerary. You get the cheaper ticket, and simply end your journey in Chicago.

Throwaway tickets

When you buy a throwaway ticket, you have the intention of traveling with it to your destination, but you don’t intend to use the return part of the ticket. This hack comes in useful when you want to travel one way, but the round-trip fare is cheaper than a one-way ticket.

For instance, if you intend to fly from London to Rome, you may find out that a one-way ticket costs €600, but that the round-trip fare is only €300. Therefore, you buy the cheaper ticket from London to Rome and back. You board the flight to Rome but not the flight back to London, and the second half of the ticket gets discarded when you don’t show up for the return flight. You can “throw away” only the return leg of the trip, as not showing up for the outbound flight usually leads to the entire reservation being canceled by the airline.

Nomad multi-city flight search

Multi-city trip options have long been a feature of online travel agencies. But travelers always had to create their own itineraries, often experimenting with different combinations in dozens of browser windows to make their own comparisons and eventually find the best route.

Now with Nomad, Kiwi.com does the work for you — in seconds. You save hours of your time, and potentially significant amounts of money, when searching for cheap flights with this revolutionary multi-city tool. Nomad from Kiwi.com allows you to input multiple destinations and your desired duration of stay in each of them, before it calculates the cheapest possible route. In other words, Nomad shuffles the destinations you input and finds you the most cost-effective itinerary.

This is precisely what Kiwi.com is all about: using technology to make travel easier and cheaper for everyone.

It’s not just our hacks that help you save money

Many people who book with us don’t need to use travel hacks to get to where they need to go. This is why, aside from coming up with more hacks, we’re also constantly improving all other aspects of our business to make our customers’ booking and traveling experiences smoother and cheaper.

Travel search features

We always make sure that when you’re looking to book a flight with us, we can offer you exactly what you need to travel as smoothly and cheaply as possible. Both the Kiwi.com website and the Kiwi.com app have search features that allow you to search for a particular trip when you know exactly how, where and when you wish to travel; but we also have very customizable filters, so you can find cheaper tickets if you’re on a limited travel budget.

Search to: Anywhere

Try the Kiwi.com Search to: Anywhere feature — it lets you discover interesting places you normally wouldn’t think of, and you can sort them by price. You could be somewhere amazing for next to nothing in no time! You can also choose to fly anytime , extending your options even further.

Other custom search filters on Kiwi.com include:

• Time of stay: set a concrete or flexible time frame for how long you’d like to stay
• Interactive calendar: shows you prices for each day of the month so you can select the best deal
• Set price range: only search for trips within your budget
• Airport radius: search for trips that start or end within a set radius of your departure or destination, so that you can find a cheaper flight from or to a nearby airport
• Transport: choose from airplane, bus, and train routes, or a combination of all three
• Carriers: search for your preferred airline, train or bus operator
• Exclude countries: remove routes that go via countries you think might be difficult or inconvenient to enter, such as countries with visa or Covid-19 related travel restrictions
• Times: depart or arrive at a certain time of day
• Duration: choose a maximum travel time
• Days: pick the day of the week that's most convenient for you to travel

Adding the Kiwi.com Guarantee to your trip means that every part of your journey is protected from unexpected changes, whether it’s a flight, train journey, bus trip, or a combination. It means that you can contact us 24/7 if things go wrong, and depending on the problem, we can provide:

• protection against unexpected schedule changes
• accommodation and contribution towards airport transfer costs
• contribution towards refreshment costs
• an alternative itinerary or refund

Flexible tickets

When you buy from Kiwi.com, you can select one of three levels of ticket flexibility: Flexi, Standard, and Saver. Each of these differently-priced tickets provides a different level of rebooking and cancellation flexibility. This means that you can choose the right ticket to suit your budget and travel plans.

At Kiwi.com, when you decide to pay in your home currency, we simply charge you the middle of the market rate. Airlines can charge up to 6.5% in exchange rate fees — a common (and generally hidden) extra cost for the customer. Booking with Kiwi.com means you get the fairest exchange rate.

Do you have your eye on a specific trip? We’ll notify you when the cost of it changes, and you can book exactly when you like the price. No need to search for the same route again; just set up your price alert and trust our Kiwi-Code, which checks billions of prices every day.

This is what Kiwi.com is all about: using technology to make travel easier and cheaper for globetrotters like you.

Frequently asked questions.

The term "travel hack" applies to anything that positively disrupts the way flight and travel search engines work, and makes the customer's travel experience easier, cheaper and more accessible as a result.

A good travel hack saves you money or time, or sometimes even both. Here are some of our hacks that can help you cut costs or speed up your search:

• Take advantage of throwaway ticketing , hidden cities , or self-transfer . When you search for a trip on our website, all the results that feature these hacks will be marked with a little green star and the words ‘Travel hack’.
• Use Nomad , our unique multi-city tool for planning and booking itineraries with more then three destinations. It’ll save you a lot of time (and money too, in most cases).
• If you’re flexible with your plans, you can search for flights for whenever to wherever using our Anytime and Anywhere search filters. This will find you the best deals available from your departure point.
• When planning your trip, you can also look for prices from nearby airports . Do this when you search by extending the radius from your preferred airport to allow options departing within that area to appear in your search results.

Yes. You can’t get into any kind of legal trouble for taking advantage of our throwaway ticketing, hidden cities, or self-transfer travel hacks.

“Skiplagging” is another term that some use to refer to our hidden cities travel hack, which involves saving money on your ticket by using an airline layover as a final destination. To read more about how this works, click here .

Finding cheap flights doesn’t have to be mind-boggling or time-consuming. Here are some tips that can help you simplify or speed up your search for great deals:

• Make use of travel hacks such as throwaway ticketing , hidden cities , and self-transfer .
• Don’t forget to consider ground transport. Buses and trains can often be cheaper and sometimes even quicker than getting a flight.
• Include nearby airports, bus stations and train stations in your search to uncover even more travel options.
• Set price alerts for the dates and routes you’re looking for, so you can keep track of price changes and grab the best deal.

When you search for cheap flights with Kiwi.com, this is exactly what you’ll get: some of the cheapest airfares on the market.

You don’t strictly “search” for travel hacks; a hack will appear in a search result if our Kiwi-Code determines that that hack will make the itinerary cheaper. In other words, when you search for a trip on Kiwi.com, we’ll show you every available deal, including itineraries that feature travel hacks. The most common travel hacks which make itineraries cheaper are self-transfer , throwaway ticketing , and hidden cities :

• Self-transfer combines flights from carriers that don’t usually cooperate, making it possible to travel with the big carriers and the low-budget airlines on the same journey. This is the travel hack that’s at the very core of our product.
• Throwaway ticketing catches round-trip tickets that are cheaper than their one-way counterparts.
• Hidden cities is about finding you a ticket with a layover at your intended destination that is cheaper than the direct fare.

All you have to do is look out for the green-star “Travel hack” icon in your search results, click on the itinerary, and you’ll get all the information you need to travel for less.

We can help! Try our Nomad search tool and you’ll be saving time, energy, and most importantly, money. Gone are the days of checking multiple websites to piece together a complex itinerary on your own — with Nomad, you can book your entire trip in just a single search.

• From the Kiwi.com homepage, select Nomad from the dropdown menu in the search form.
• Set your departure city, departure date, and the number of nights you want to be away.
• Add the places that you want to visit and the lengths of time that you want to spend in each one.
• Based on your search criteria, we’ll build the cheapest itineraries for you.
• Choose your adventure and book your trip!

Some airlines offer flexible tickets, which tend to be more expensive, but that give you the option to travel on any date or change the date of your trip as many times as you like. With Kiwi.com, you can choose between three simple ticket types regardless of the carrier(s), so you can find the right balance between traveling for cheap and the having the flexibility you want.

If your plans might change but you still want to save a seat, we recommend that you choose our Flexi ticket. If you end up changing your trip, you’ll only pay the fare difference for the new booking. If you cancel, you’ll get back 90% of the amount you paid, either as a monetary refund or in Kiwi.com Credit.

The Standard ticket provides a reasonable degree of flexibility. If you change your trip, you’ll only pay the fare difference for the new booking and we’ll cover the rest. If you cancel your trip, you’ll get €10 in Kiwi.com Credit to put towards a new booking. This applies only to bookings originally priced at €20 or more.

If your plans are set in stone, we recommend the Saver ticket at the very cheapest price. If you need to change your trip, you’ll have to pay for the new booking in full. If you cancel your trip, you’ll get €10 in Kiwi.com Credit to put towards a new booking. This applies only to bookings originally priced at €20 or more.

Price FX (FX = “foreign exchange”) is a foreign exchange rate tool that bypasses the all too common pitfall of high airline exchange rate fees that customers are charged when they pay in their preferred currency.

If you pay on an airline’s website in a currency that the airline doesn’t use, your money will go through a foreign bank — a bank that operates in the airline’s primary currency. When this happens, there is usually a cost to cover the conversion of your money through the bank. Price FX, however, means that when you book with Kiwi.com in your local currency, regardless of what an airline is charging, we will only ever charge you exchange fees based on the middle of the market rate.

Avoid higher exchange fees by booking with Kiwi.com. When you search for flights on our website or in our app, the prices of the results will be in your specified preferred currency, and any exchange to calculate those prices will have been made according to the middle of the market rate.

If you must book directly with an airline, you can cheapen any exchange rate fees by setting the currency on the website to that at the point of the flight’s departure (e.g. to US dollars if you’re departing from New York). You should then only be charged by your own bank according to their fees.

In the top right-hand corner of our webpage, you should see a flag. Click it to adjust your currency preferences. In our app, go to Profile > Settings > App preferences > Currency to set your preferred currency.

Flight disruptions occur more frequently now than ever before, so it’s good to have a plan B in case any of your flights are canceled, delayed, or rescheduled. This is why we offer the Kiwi.com Guarantee to cover your entire trip, so that you’re protected in case of any changes or cancellations instigated by the carrier(s).

Here’s when the Kiwi.com Guarantee comes in handy:

• your trip gets canceled, entirely or in part
• your trip gets rescheduled by more than 24 hours, entirely or in part
• part of your trip is delayed to the extent that you miss your connection(s)
• your baggage is delayed at reclaim or there are long queues at immigration to the extent that you miss your connection(s)

In any of these cases, we’ll offer you either a refund or an alternative journey to your destination. The exact rules depend on how long it is before your departure day at the time of the disruption occurring.

The Kiwi.com Guarantee covers your entire trip, whether you use self-transfer or not, and no matter whether you’re traveling by plane, train, or bus. We strongly recommend that you add the Guarantee to your booking if you have a complex itinerary with several flights and layovers.

Price alerts help you keep track of flight prices and ensure that you find out that the price of your trip has gone down exactly as it happens. Setting up price alerts is easy:

• Sign into your Kiwi.com account.
• Search for a trip ; set dates, departure and arrival points, as well as the number of passengers and baggage options.
• Toggle the ‘Set up price alerts’ slider on your desktop or tap the bell icon in the app (both of which are in the top left-hand corner of the results page).
• Enable push notifications in the app to get instant alerts, and make sure you whitelist Kiwi.com in your email settings. And that’s it — we’ll send you emails and push notifications when the price of your trip drops.

Flying often seems like the best mode of transport, but it doesn’t work in all cases of A to B. For example, if you’re traveling to a smaller city that doesn’t have an airport, you might need to book both a flight an onward bus or a train. With Kiwi.com, you can book the entire journey in one smooth transaction without needing to compare lots of prices and schedules on different websites. This ultimately means that you’re able to pick the most convenient travel option to suit you.

• On the results page, you can then filter itineraries by mode of transport — choose to see or hide itineraries featuring flights, trains, and/or buses. You’ll find these filters at the top of the screen on your mobile device, or on the left-hand side of your desktop screen. Here’s what they look like:

If you decide to combine a flight with ground transport, it’s important to be mindful of the layover duration versus the time it takes to get between the station and the airport, so that you don’t miss your connection. Remember that if you have the Kiwi.com Guarantee and any part of your trip is rescheduled or canceled, we can help you out with an alternative journey or a refund.

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11 Travel Hacks To Avoid in 2024

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This Google Flights Hack from TikTok Finds Cheap Airline Tickets to Any Destination

A TikTok user, who goes by 'Around the Atlas,' went viral last week after discovering a Google Flights hack that finds affordable airline tickets

@aroundtheatlas/TikTok ; Getty

One TikTok user seemingly cracked the code for finding cheap flights .

Last week, travel influencer @AroundTheAtlas posted a video , which has garnered over 4 million views, that featured a search hack for air travel.

"Did I just unlock a cheat code or did everyone know about this?” she wrote over the start of the post. In the clip, she recorded her screen to let followers in on her discovery.

She navigated to Google Flights and typed her departure city, London, into the box that read “Where from?” In the “Where to?” box, instead of adding her desired destination, she typed “Anywhere.” And instead of adding desired trip dates, she left them blank.

From there, she was able to look at a map, to choose where that “anywhere” might be. She hovered over Barcelona, commenting that roundtrip flight is priced at £26 (or about $31.74 USD). Meanwhile, she noted, a roundtrip flight from London to New York City is cheaper than it would normally be, priced at £336 (or about $410.51 USD).

While prices only apply to certain dates, the creator said it could be helpful with booking travel if the exact timing isn’t important.

“Does anyone else know about this? Because I feel like the world is gatekeeping how insane this is,” she added.

Getty Images

Users in the comments were excited by the finding.

“THANK YOU me and my mum want to go on a holiday somewhere but flights are just too expensive this is soo helpful,” one person wrote, while another added, “I travel a lot and always use Google Flights… didn’t know this 'to anywhere' though… thanks."

Some commenters noted that the discounts generally apply to "cheaper" airlines, flights with long layovers or departures at undesirable hours. 

Regardless, TikTok loves a good travel hack. Last month, a video from a Southern California's Ontario International Airport employee went viral, which reminded travelers to remove old airline stickers from their luggage . Evidently, sometimes suitcases get lost because the wrong sticker scans and the bag is sent to the wrong airline.

“Let's say you flew American [Airlines], and then a month later you flew Southwest," the airline worker explained in the video. 

“Well, there's a little sticker that goes on for American [Airlines] that tells the computer that it should go to there… so if your month-old American sticker is on there, there's a chance it scans it instead of this one. It just depends how it's clocked and where the stuff is. It might end up over there and not get on the plane," he added.

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11 tips for traveling in Russia on a low budget

1. Get a volunteer invitation

Ferapontov Monastery

Like people from all over the world, many Russians are open to volunteering in exchange for food, accommodation, and new experiences. There is, for example, the Help Exchange advertising service. Foreigners are invited as volunteers by small companies, families, children's camps, and even the Academy of Sciences (before the beginning of the archaeological season, for instance).

The conditions depend on the host but be sure that for interesting offers there will be stiff competition: You have to monitor the offers and respond quickly, says traveler and blogger Asya Repreva . It helps if you have recommendations. "Last year, on a competitive basis, it was possible to go to Ferapontovo [an ancient monastery on the Unesco World Heritage list], to Kamchatka and Siberia, and to a summer camp on Lake Baikal. The ‘hottest’ time is the summer season. The obvious plus - apart from the fact that you pay almost nothing - is that many hosts provide help with visas and pay for your journey. And the minus is that you will really have to work,” Repreva explains.

2. Buy a tourist pass and save money

Russian tourist pass CityPass

The Russian tourist pass CityPass (available in Moscow and St. Petersburg) offers free museum admissions and excursions, admission without queuing, river cruises, discounts for taxis and restaurants, unlimited calls within Russia, and many other benefits. It costs 3,500 rubles ($56.5) but it will save you much more.

3. Check for free admission days

Every museum has free admission days.

You can also save money without a tourist pass. "If you are not too shy, remember: In Russia, you can enter many museums and parks at the exits. Often exits are not guarded. [Note: Russia Beyond does not recommend trying to sneak into museums on the sly!] If you are not that pushy, bear in mind that every museum has free admission days," says traveller and blogger Vladimir Druganov.

At the Hermitage in St.Petersburg the first Thursday of each month is a free day, while at the New Tretyakov Gallery in the Russian capital it is every Wednesday.

4. Ask locals to buy you a ticket. And don't take an audio guide

As a rule, tickets to museums and art galleries cost more for foreign nationals than locals.

As a rule, tickets to museums and art galleries cost more for foreign nationals than locals. Tourists who don't want to pay extra should ask a Russian to buy tickets for them. And don't waste money on an audio guide. To be honest, you won't need it. You can download audio guides in English for many popular museums in Russia from the App Store.

5. Eat at places with special offers

Canteens (cheap restaurants that serve homemade dishes) are a win-win option.

You can find special offers in Russian cafes and restaurants at any time of the day. Canteens (cheap restaurants that serve homemade dishes) are a win-win option. Here, a soup, main course, drink, and dessert will cost you just 250-300 rubles ($4-4.8) or cheaper.

"I had the following routine when traveling around Russia. In the morning I had breakfast in canteens attached to institutes or ordinary public canteens, which you can find on 2Gis [a multilingual digital service that has city maps and tells you how much the average bill in different eateries will be]. For lunch I would go to any place serving business lunches [many restaurants offer them between 12:00 and 17:00], giving preference to places with a high rating on Flump App [or its alternative Foursquare ]. And for dinner I would use coupons from Groupon [now called Frendi , available only in Russian] - a sushi selection at a 50-percent discount is very filling and very tasty. Or on some evenings I cooked my own dinner buying food in a supermarket," Druganov says.

6. Take petrol cans with you

Top up your cans at the very start of the journey.

The further east you go in Russia, the more expensive the petrol becomes. If you're traveling by car and intend to go from Moscow to Vladivostok, a petrol can will be your best traveling companion. Top up your cans at the very start of the journey (it is important they are metal ones), fill the boot with them, and use them towards the end of your trip.

7. The ‘month in advance’ and ‘happy Tuesdays’ rules

Russian Railways has discounts every Tuesday.

Russian trains and the long distances between Russian towns are an ideal combination. Long overnight journeys are excellent for killing two birds with one stone: You save on hotel costs and you cover huge distances. So choose night trains if at all possible. To save on tickets, you will need to buy them well in advance: Then the cost of a proper sleeper compartment ( kupe ) will only be around 200 rubles ($3) more than a ticket in an open-plan couchette car ( platskartny vagon ). The latter is for the adventurous only - but here's how to survive . If you need tickets immediately, Russian Railways has discounts every Tuesday.

"For short distances (less than nine hours) I always managed without bed linen (to keep the price down) and used a sleeping bag instead. By the way, as far as sleeper compartments are concerned, always choose seats 37/38, which will be in a two-berth compartment (instead of the usual four for the same price)," Druganov advises.

8. Use a low-cost airline

Russia has just one low-cost air carrier serving domestic routes - Pobeda.

Russia has just one low-cost air carrier serving domestic routes - Pobeda. You can find tickets two or three times cheaper than with other airlines and fly to destinations in Russia for the price of a good meal in a restaurant. But you're going to have to travel very light. The airline charges a significant supplementary fee for baggage.

9. Get a 50 percent discount on the Sapsan high-speed train

Three friends of yours can also get the same discount.

Sapsan is the high-speed train that can get you from Moscow to St Petersburg in four hours. If your birthday is next week or has just passed, you can get a 50-percent reduction in the fare. Three friends of yours can also get the same discount. The only thing is you can't book the tickets ahead - they are available no more than seven days before your birthday and seven days after (and only in railway ticket offices, not online). There’s also a 50-percent discount for newly-weds. Don't forget to bring your original marriage certificate.

10. Leave the train wherever you want

You can remain in your stop-off destination for up to 10 days in the knowledge that your ticket will remain valid.

This "secret" option isn't widely known even by Russians. During your journey you can get off at any station without invalidating your ticket. The important thing is to find a station official within four hours and inform them. You can remain in your stop-off destination for up to 10 days in the knowledge that your ticket will remain valid. You will hardly lose any money, either: There will just be a small supplementary payment for a seat on a later train.

11. Don't try to hitch a lift with a sign saying where you're going

It is best to forget about holding a sign displaying your intended destination.

Hitchhiking is perfectly doable in Russia. But it is best to forget about holding a sign displaying your intended destination. In Russia it does not increase your chances of getting a lift. In actual fact, it reduces them.

"If my sign says ‘Yekaterinburg’ and a passing driver is going to within 20-30 km of Yekaterinburg, he won't stop. He'll simply think it's not worth giving you a lift because he won't be able to take you all the way. Another driver might be going all the way to Yekaterinburg, so he'll take you... That is what they'll be thinking and it is why they will drive straight past you," says experienced hitchhiker Anya.

Another option, which takes away the uncertainty, is to use the BlaBlaCar carpooling service. You look for people heading to the same destination and chip in for petrol.

If using any of Russia Beyond's content, partly or in full, always provide an active hyperlink to the original material.

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Recommended

Hackers may have stolen your social security number: here’s how to protect yourself.

Sensitive personal data belonging to every American including their Social Security number, address, date of birth and phone number was stolen online by hackers who have put the information up for sale on the dark web, it was alleged in a lawsuit.

The class-action lawsuit was filed against Jerico Pictures Inc., a background check and fraud prevention company that does business as National Public Data.

A cybercriminal group that calls itself USDoD uploaded a large database titled “National Public Data” to a dark web forum.

The database, which the group has offered for sale at $3.5 million, is said to contain the personal data of nearly 3 billlion people living in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, according to a federal lawsuit filed in Fort Lauderdale on Aug. 1.

Cybersecurity experts said many of the stolen data records are duplicates and that the actual number of people impacted by the breach is likely smaller than what is claimed in the lawsuit.

News of the lawsuit was first reported by Bloomberg Law.

NPD is said to collect data from public sources of information which it then uses to compile user profiles for people in the US and other countries.

According to the news site BleepingComputer , several individuals have confirmed seeing their and their family members’ legitimate information, including Social Security numbers and mailing addresses that belong to people both living and deceased.

The lawsuit was initiated by California resident Christopher Hofmann, who said an identity theft watchdog notified him earlier this summer that his data were exposed in a breach and leaked on the dark web.

Hofmann is demanding that NPD purge its records of all personal information and that it encrypt all of its collected data in the future.

He is seeking unspecified monetary damages.

The Post has sought comment from NPD.

How to know if your Social Security number has been leaked

Dr. Tommy Morris, a cybersecurity expert who teaches at the University of Alabama at Huntsville, recommended that internet users visit this free website to determine whether their data were hacked in the NPD breach.

Morris told The Post: “There are credit monitoring services available that monitor the internet for references to your Social Security number and other personal identifying information.”

While these services usually cost money, the large credit bureaus, Google and others offer these services free of charge, according to Morris.

Cybersecurity experts urge those who fear their Social Security number was hacked to visit the Have I Been Pwned website.

Visitors to the site can enter their email address to see if their personal data have been leaked — though it is unlikely to confirm if your Social Security number is floating around the dark web.

It is likely that some of your personal data have been appearing on underground websites that cybercriminals use to traffic and trade information.

How to freeze your Social Security number

The most sure-fire way to protect yourself is to freeze your credit files.

“If you suspect your Social Security number has been leaked, the first step you should take is to put a freeze on your credit files at the three major credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion,” Ted Jenkin, an Atlanta-based business consultant, told The Post.

“It’s also a good idea to notify your bank and/or brokerage company for any unusual activity as well.”

Jenkin said tax filers should be on the lookout for someone who could attempt to use the stolen data to submit fraudulent tax returns to the IRS.

“Most importantly, it’s entirely possible that someone the following tax season will attempt to file a fraudulent tax return, so look to get a PIN number from the IRS for filing your taxes,” he said.

Justin Rush, a Michigan-based financial planner, agreed, telling The Post: “Freezing your credit reports is generally a good habit to get into in case a bad actor tries to apply for a credit card or loan in your name.”

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“After this, there are many identity theft products that can help monitor activity and place an extra layer of security and monitoring in place.”

How to minimize the chances of your Social Security number and data being leaked

Tony Fiorillo, a financial adviser with Indianapolis-based Asset Management Strategies, told The Post that he tells his clients to safeguard their data by turning on two-factor authentication and by buying a separate device — either a cheap laptop or a tablet — that would be used exclusively to access money sites.

“Do not read email, browse the web or conduct any online activity [on your separate device] other than accessing your money sites,” Fiorillo told The Post.

Andy LoCascio of advisory firm QVeritySecure told The Post that people need to check all recent bank transactions and change all bank passwords.

“Never assume that just your password has been stolen,” he said.

“Always treat this as an identity theft and change all your other passwords. If someone tries to access one of those accounts, you might get an email that provides additional visibility to what has been captured.”

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GPS Spoofers 'Hack Time' on Commercial Airlines, Researchers Say

GPS Spoofers 'Hack Time' on Commercial Airlines, Researchers Say

FILE PHOTO: A Boeing 737 MAX 9 cockpit, Benito Juarez International airport, in Mexico City, July 14, 2021. REUTERS/Luis Cortes/File Photo

By James Pearson

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - A recent surge in GPS “spoofing”, a form of digital attack which can send commercial airliners off course, has entered an intriguing new dimension, according to cybersecurity researchers: The ability to hack time.

There has been a 400% surge in GPS spoofing incidents affecting commercial airliners in recent months, according to aviation advisory body OPSGROUP. Many of those incidents involve illicit ground-based GPS systems, particularly around conflict zones, that broadcast incorrect positions to the surrounding airspace in a bid to confuse incoming drones or missiles.

“We think too much about GPS being a source of position, but it's actually a source of time,” Ken Munro, founder of Pen Test Partners, a British cybersecurity firm, said during a presentation at the DEF CON hacking convention in Las Vegas on Saturday.

“We're starting to see reports of the clocks on board airplanes during spoofing events start to do weird things."

In an interview with Reuters, Munro cited a recent incident in which an aircraft operated by a major Western airline had its onboard clocks suddenly sent forward by years, causing the plane to lose access to its digitally-encrypted communication systems. 

The plane was grounded for weeks while engineers manually reset its onboard systems, said Munro. He declined to identify the airline or aircraft in question.

In April, Finnair temporarily paused flights to the eastern Estonian city of Tartu due to GPS spoofing which Tallin blamed on neighboring Russia.

GPS, short for Global Positioning System, has largely replaced expensive ground devices that transmit radio beams to guide planes towards landing. However, it is also fairly easy to block or distort GPS signals using relatively cheap and easy to obtain parts, and limited technological knowledge.

“Is it going to make a plane crash? No, it's not,” Munro told Reuters.

“What it does is it just creates a little confusion. And you run the risk of starting what we call a cascade of events, where something minor happens, something else minor happens, and then something serious happens."

(Reporting by James Pearson; Editing by Daniel Wallis)

Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .

Tags: Europe , Finland , cybersecurity

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Money blog: Fines for parents taking children out of school to change next month

Welcome to the Money blog, a hub of personal finance and consumer news/tips. Today's posts include a look at the discounts available to students, and local a revolt against Gail's. Leave a comment on any of the stories we're covering in the box below - we round them up every Saturday.

Friday 16 August 2024 07:40, UK

• Fines for parents taking children out of school to increase next month
• Mortgage product shelf life drops significantly in sign of volatility
• The UK's highest-earning roads revealed

Essential reads

• Is this the end of the British pub?
• What's gone wrong at Asda?
• Best of the Money blog - an archive of features

Tips and advice

• All the discounts you get as a student or young person
• TV chef picks best cheap eats in London
• Savings Guide : Why you should now be checking T&Cs
• 'I cancelled swimming with weeks of notice - can they keep my money?'

Ask a question or make a comment

The Dartford Crossing is the highest-earning toll road in the UK, new data shows. 

The Kent to Essex route raked in £215.9m in the last year - 2,159 times more than the Whitney toll bridge in Hereford. 

The crossing, which was supposed to stop charging customers in 2003, costs between £2 and £6 to use (depending on the vehicle you're driving) between 10am and 6pm every day. 

Car finance company Moneybarn found it earned just over £209m in 2022. 

It topped the chart of 13 toll roads in the country, making over £100m more than the second highest-earning road in 2023 - the M6 Toll in the West Midlands. 

In third place was the Mersey Gateway Bridge between Halton and Cheshire, which made £48.9m. 

You can see how the other toll roads fared below... 

Fines for parents who take their children out of school will increase this upcoming term as the government continues with plans to improve attendance. 

From next week, fines for unauthorised absences will go up by as much as £40.

Under the new system, the cost of a penalty charge notice will rise from £60 to £80 if paid within 21 days, and from £120 to £160 if paid within 28 days . 

This marks the first increases since the system was introduced in 2013. 

So, when do parents get fined? 

Children are only allowed to miss school if they are unwell, or they have been given permission from the school in advance. 

Parents can make an absence request to take their children out of school, but there needs to be "exceptional circumstances" and the headteacher needs to authorise it. 

Currently, it's the responsibility of the local authority to decide when to issue fines, meaning the process varies from council to council.

But, under the new rules which were created by the Conservative government, all schools will be required to consider a fine when a child has missed at least five days of school for unauthorised reasons.

What happens if you keep getting fined? 

If a parent receives a second fine for the same child within any three-year period, this will be charged at the higher rate of £160.

A parent can only receive two fines within any three-year period, and once this has been met, other actions can be considered. 

This includes a parenting order or prosecution. 

Parents who are prosecuted and attend court because their child hasn't been attending school, can be fined up to £2,500.

Where is the money spent?

Government guidance states any money collected from fines should be used by the local authority to cover the costs of administering the system. 

Any surplus after that should be spent on "attendance support". 

Any cash remaining at the end of the year must be paid to the education secretary.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "High and rising school standards are at the heart of our mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life. Strong foundations of learning are grounded in attendance in the classroom.

"Tackling the root causes of absence is a major priority for the government. 

"Our support-first approach outlined in our guidance is designed to help parents to meet their responsibility to ensure their child attends school.

"However, in some cases, including term-time holidays, it may be necessary to issue penalty notices." 

Every Friday we take an overview of the mortgage market, speaking to those in the industry before getting a round-up of the best rates courtesy of the independent experts at  Moneyfactscompare.co.uk .

Over recent months and years, the release of monthly inflation data has had a big impact on forecasts for interest rate cuts - but not this week.

Following a slight uptick in inflation to 2.2% in July, announced on Wednesday, markets were pretty unmoved at pricing in a 63% chance of a base rate cut next Monday.

Investors still think there will be two further cuts this year, bringing the base rate down to 4.5% by Christmas.

On the high street, rate cuts we've mentioned for a month or two now continued this week, with the lowest five-year fixed available now 4.83% - with NatWest, Barclays and Nationwide all settling there for now.

Moneyfacts finance expert Rachel Springall said: "Nationwide Building Society was one of many mutuals to cut fixed rates this week - it now offers a five-year fixed as low as 3.83%. NatWest also cut rates by up to 0.20% and Virgin Money made similar reductions."

Looking specifically at home movers, Springall has some data that shows the difference between now and this point five years ago.

"Home movers who want to lock into a longer-term fixed mortgage will find the average overall five-year fixed rate is much higher than it was back in August 2019, which was 2.84%. Week on week, the overall average two-year and five-year fixed rate mortgage fell to 5.66% and 5.29% respectively."

Away from rate changes from some of the big lenders, one of the most telling insights into the mortgage market this week came with statistics about the average shelf-life of mortgage products.

Springall said: "The volatility within the mortgage market was made clear by the notable drop in the average shelf-life of a mortgage to just 17 days, down from 30 in June. 

"There are expectations for rates to fall further in the weeks to come, particularly as the market reflects on the 0.25% base rate cut, the first cut in over four years."

Here's a look at the look at the best rates currently on offer for house purchases...

Moneyfacts also looks at what it calls "best buys" - which considers not just the rate, but other costs and incentives. These are their top picks this week...

British pubs are in trouble, with more of them closing every year. 

Once the beloved watering holes for many communities, they have fallen victim to higher costs, changing habits and "the real estate incentive". 

Some 239 pubs closed in England and Wales during the first three months of the year, according to government figures – 56% more than in the same period in 2023. 

Our Money reporter Brad Young has been exploring whether this is the end of the British pub as we know it. 

Earlier this week, he spoke to communities and experts about the reasons behind recent closures - you can read his piece here . 

In the video below, Brad explains three reasons why pubs are struggling. 

Amazon has been cleared for take-off with the testing of new drone delivery in the UK.

Amazon Prime Air already offers drone deliveries in the US with drones able to fly 12km from their fulfilment centres. 

But the service could now come to the UK, with Amazon hoping to launch it by the end of the year. It has ambitions of delivering small packages within an hour of an order being placed.

The online retailer is one of six organisations taking part in a new trial from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) - with other projects including using drones to inspect offshore windfarms, for policing and delivering medical supplies. 

The trials will gather safety data and look at how drones can detect and avoid other aircraft while up in the air. 

"Our goal is to make drone operations beyond visual line of sight a safe and everyday reality, contributing to the modernisation of UK airspace and the incorporation of new technology into our skies," said Sophie O'Sullivan, from the CAA.

Octopus Energy is launching "free electricity sessions" for its customers when wholesale prices plummet. 

Starting from today, those who are signed up to the "Octoplus" rewards scheme can take part. 

The one-hour-long sessions will be available whenever the wholesale electricity price hits zero or goes into negative figures, the energy firm said.

Rebecca Dibb-Simkin, chief product officer at Octopus Energy, said: "Free electricity sounds like it's too good to be true but it's real.

"By using more when there is plenty of renewable energy instead of when the grid is dirty, our customers can save money while making the grid greener and more efficient. It's a win-win for our customers and the planet." 

How does it work? 

Those who have signed up for the free electricity will be notified the day before the session will take place. 

On its website, the company said the free period will generally be between 1pm to 2pm. 

During that time, customers can use as much electricity as they want, with all the power used above their typical usage not costing anything. 

Within a week, customers will receive an email telling them how much extra power they used, and within two weeks, they will see that amount paid into their account as bill credit. 

How many sessions will there be? 

There are no set amount of sessions planned to take place as they are based on dips in the market, which is changing all the time. 

However, Octopus Energy has said it is hoping for at least two or three before winter.

In the last year, it said there had been 14 days when electricity prices dropped below £0 due to excess renewable energy being generated. 

"During these times, wind farms are often paid to shut down to prevent grid overload, meaning valuable green electrons go to waste," it added.

"By powering up during these periods, households can maximise green energy availability - making the system more efficient and lowering system costs for all." 

It's important to know that you must have a working electric smart meter in order to take part. 

You can read all the terms and conditions here ... 

Drivers are being told to avoid scanning QR codes to pay for parking in light of a spate of scams.

Motorists should only make payments with cash, cards or using official apps, the RAC has warned.

It comes after fraudsters placed stickers with fake QR codes on parking signs in Barking and Dagenham, Northumberland, Northamptonshire, South Tyneside and Pembrokeshire (among others).

When drivers scan the codes, they are taken to a scam website where they are asked to enter their card details, which the criminals use to take money from their accounts.

"As if this scam isn't nasty enough, it can also lead to drivers being caught out twice if they don’t realise they haven't paid for parking and end up getting a hefty fine from the council," says RAC head of policy Simon Williams. 

And depending on where you are in the UK, that fine can be anything from £50 to £300. 

Thousands of prosecutions for alleged fare evasion are set to be declared void after a judge ruled they were wrongly made. 

It means people who previously paid fines for fare evasion could be due a refund, with a team being set up by the end of November to identify everyone unlawfully prosecuted. 

Four train companies including Northern Rail and Greater Anglia brought prosecutions against thousands of passengers using the single justice procedure (SJP) - despite not being permitted to do so.

The SJP was set up in 2015 to allow magistrates to decide on minor offences, such as using a television without a licence or driving without car insurance, without defendants going to court.

But concerns have been raised that cases are being brought before magistrates without prosecutors, or without any mitigation being taken into account. 

Rail companies were permitted to use the SJP in 2016 to prosecute privately fare evaders, but the Evening Standard reported that several of these cases were brought under the Regulation of Railways Act 1889, which is not allowed under the procedure.

Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring told Westminster Magistrates' Court in June that thousands of prosecutions were "probably unlawful".

The exact number of those affected is currently unknown, with a previous hearing told around 75,000 people could have been prosecuted for fare evasion offences under the SJP.

Northern Rail, just one of the companies involved, said it apologised for the errors involved.

Greater Anglia also said it acknowledged "a series of significant errors" had occurred.

Locals in a trendy London neighbourhood have signed a petition against Gail's bakery setting up shop in their area.

After (unconfirmed) rumours began circulating that the chain was looking to open a site in Walthamstow village, more than 600 have signed a petition opposing the plans.

The petition, which features a cross made out of two baguettes over the company logo, says the village "faces a threat to its uniqueness" should Gail's move into the area.

"Gail's, although respected for their quality, bring a risk of overshadowing our much-loved local stores due to their massive scale and advertising reach," it continues.

"This could lead to decreased visibility and pedestrian traffic towards independently run businesses, threatening their very existence and dismantling the character and diversity crucial to Walthamstow's charm."

Local business owners have also said they oppose the plans because of the pro-Brexit and anti-lockdown views of Luke Johnson, the company’s minority investor.

Adrian Spurdon, a barista at an independent coffee shop, said Mr Johnson's views clashed with the politics of Walthamstow.

He told The Times: "We've just had this big, diverse counter-protest to protect Walthamstow from the far-right and I doubt Luke Johnson would support that.

"He is very different to the people here. His views are not the same."

The opening of a Gail's - where a regular latte will set you back £4.10 - has become a mark of prosperity in the area. 

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said the party looked at where the bakery chain had opened as an indicator of constituencies that could turn yellow, while the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton is known to be partial to their chocolate brownie finger. 

A spokesman for Gail's said: "We understand the concern around chains, but our view is that a healthy high street is one with a diversity of quality offers, each delivering their best.

"High streets evolve over time and we open our small bakeries often in closed banks or stranded restaurants.

"All of our bakeries exist in areas where the choices are wide and growing – we should be celebrating the improvement in our food landscapes."

By Sarah Taaffe-Maguire , business reporter

Despite the Middle East and Russia-Ukraine tension, the benchmark oil price has come down from the highs of Monday to just over $80 a barrel, good news for motorists. 

The value of a pound is down from the highs of July but still better than most of the last six months, with £1 equal to $1.2856. Sterling has done worse against the euro with one pound buying €1.1663, less than could be bought for most of the last three months.

Following news that insurance company Admiral will up payments to shareholders, the price of its shares increased nearly 8%, the most of all the companies on the London Stock Exchange's benchmark index, the FTSE 100. 

As a whole, the FTSE 100 grew 0.06% while the larger and more UK-based FTSE 250 index of valuable London-listed companies grew 0.28%.

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