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10 Tips for Cheap Airfare

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

1. Compare Fare, and then Compare Some More
This, of course, is the #1 thing to do when you’re purchasing airfare. There are loads of booking sides – from Hotwire to Expedia to CheapoAir – so compare fares on all of these sites before laying down your credit card for anything.

2. Investigate Your Budget Airline Options
Find out if there’s a lesser-known budget airline that can get you to your destination. For example, instead of flying to Mexico on Southwest, see if AeroMexico tickets are cheaper. They probably are.

3. Sign Up for Sale Alerts
The web’s abuzz with awesome deals – you’ve just gotta be at the right place at the right time to take advantage! Put the odds in your favor by signing up for sale alerts at various airlines. You can also follow airlines on Twitter and enjoy exclusive deals that way.

4. Have an Open Mind About When You Fly
If you can fly on a week day, you’re gonna save a lot on airfare right from the get-go. However, if you’re open to booking your airfare at the last minute, or choosing the most affordable/auspicious day of the week (depending on the season/destination), then you’ll save even more.

5. Layovers Make Flights Less Expensive
As much of a pain they are, flights with layovers cost a lot less than non-stop flights.

6. Join a Frequent Flier Program
If you travel a lot – maybe you’re a business traveler or solo globe trotter – make sure you’re part of a frequent flier program.

7. Travel During the Off Season of Your Destination
Airfare goes way down for destinations that aren’t “popular” to visit. Spend November in Mexico, or fall in Hawaii – your pocket book will thank you!

8. Check Airfare Prices After You’ve Purchased
If an airline drops the price of airfare after you purchase, it can’t hurt to ask if they’ll reimburse you for the extra you paid – many airlines offer this option!

9. Book 2 One-Way Tickets Instead of 1 Round-trip
Sometimes, round-trip airfare is not the best option. Two one-way tickets can often cost less than one round-trip ticket!

10. Consider “Study Abroad” Deals
If you’re a college student, there are many study abroad programs that will get you amazing airfare discounts. However, even non-students can sometimes benefit!

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How to Get the Best Airfare Deals

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

Maybe you’re a pro at finding bargain lodging, but you’ve still got to get to your destination. If you’re flying, you’ve got to budget a huge chunk of your money for the airfare alone. However, there are some fairly easy tips that can get you cheap airfare.

1. Book Last Minute
When possible, find last minute airfare deals (two weeks before traveling). Not everyone can put off this important purchase, but if you’re flying to and from a popular destination, you’ll probably have some good luck here. However, for hugely popular holidays and events, the last minute deals aren’t such a deal. Try booking early in this case.

2. Compare Booking Sites
There are a ton of sites out there that promise the cheapest airfare deals. Orbitz, Expedia, Cheapoair, Hotwire, various airline-branded sites (like JetBlu), and hundreds more. Where should you go for cheap airfare? All of them! Plug in your destination and travel dates on to as many sites as possible and go with the best deal. Remember, though, that taxes and hidden costs are not as easy to see at a first glance. Just make sure to factor this in when you’re going over you roptions.

3. Travel Mid-week
Instead of reaching your destination (or leaving it) on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, book flights for Monday through Thursday. Since these are less popular travel dates, airfare on these days are much more affordable. Of course there are exceptions to the rule if a holiday lands on one of these days (like Labor Day on a Monday or Thanksgiving on a Thursday).

4. Choose Layovers
Usually, the more layovers, the better the deal. So, if you don’t mind making a few pit stops along the way, you’ll save a lot of moolah.

5. Run Away from One-Way
Always see what the difference in price is between one-way and round-trip tickets. Sometimes round-trip tickets are cheaper than one-way!

6. Go with a Budget Airline
There are many low-cost airlines that you may not know of without doing a little research (especially if you’re traveling abroad).
7. Ask a Travel Agent
Sometimes it’s the insiders that have the great deals, and no one else (not even an online booking site).

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Canada on the Cheap

Thursday, August 13th, 2009

If you’re an American, you’ve probably thought about visiting your neighbor to the north. Well, why not today? Sure, Canada’s not going anywhere, but there’s no reason to put off visiting this beautiful country. After all, you’ll probably end up planning a return trip ASAP!

Besides the True North’s many sights to see and things to do, it’s also easy to do Canada on the cheap. We’ve got a few tips for saving money:


1. Nature’s Free To See, And Priceless
Canada is not only full of lovely national parks (like the St. Lawrence Marine Park and Banff, etc), but gorgeous natural surroundings just about everywhere you go. From towering mountains to pristine lakes, you can keep yourself busy just by visiting with good ol’ Mother Nature.

2. Cheap Canadian Vacation Rentals are Plentiful
Instead of booking an expensive hotel room (or a cheap but super small and shady hotel room), go for a spacious and budget-friendly vacation home in Canada! We’ve got rentals all over the country, from Ontario to Vancouver. Not only are Canada vacation rentals affordable, but they’re also the best way to really get to know a city, because you’ll often be residing right alongside the locals.

3. Drive, If You Can
Canada may be a different country, and even a different universe to some, but for many folks, it’s not too far away! You can save a lot of money by driving across the border – rather than flying. If you must buy airfare, just be smart about it. Compare different airfare sites, and try booking your tickets last minute for extra special deals.

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Trouble in Airline World, and How it Affects You

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

Maybe you just read the news about JetAmerica, the budding airline that failed before even taking off. Or maybe you’ve heard about all the people Continental Airlines had to fire in order to stay viable.

Whether or not you’re in the (at times, depressing) travel news loop, it’s pretty clear that airlines aren’t looking all that pretty at the moment. While our favorites – like Southwest Airlines – manage to enjoy mini successes, these cases are exceptions to the rule.

So, what does this mean to you – the passenger?

Anyone who’s played the role of “Consumer” in the past year knows that the recession has a silver lining. Cheap clothes in places you’d least expect them (like Saks), cheap homes in places you’ve always wanted to live, and…well…cheap airfare to places you’ve always wanted to visit. The great part about all this mess is that you’ll benefit financially.

Not all deals are created equal, though, so you’re still at risk of getting ripped off. However, round-trip airfare might be more affordable than it’s ever been. As well, destinations themselves are more affordable to vacation to – check out our current vacation rental deals if you don’t believe us!

As you might have guessed, there’s also a downside. And not just for former employees of JetAmerica and Continental Airlines.

Like airline fees. You could pay less for your ticket than normal, but a whole lot more on baggage check fees. Make sure to really reevaluate the cost of your whole airport to airplane experience (including internet charges) – not just the ticket! The airlines will find sneaky ways to get you, so just be on guard.

Or canceled flights. Imagine finding out that the flight you booked for a friend’s wedding has been canceled, because the airline you booked it through is no longer operating. Case in point: JetAmerica. We don’t think the odds of this happening to the Average Jet Setting Joe are very great, but we also don’t think it’s crazy that an airline might cancel an under booked flight, either.

Moral of the story? Take advantage of those amazing deals, but do so with care.

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