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| My tips for finding affordable flights |
| by Brian Kelly |
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Hi everyone,
As much as I love a solid points or miles redemption, it’s not always possible to find exactly what I’m looking for when limited to award tickets, especially if I don’t have flexibility on my dates, destination, departure location, and travel companions (I have two kids now, and they need to join me sometimes). Buying plane tickets might be my only option, sometimes.
And it seems like things are working against us right now, as airfare has soared by 27% compared to last year at this time. Even award pricing may not feel like much of a deal, with prices up 25% over last year. While I hope these higher prices due to rising fuel costs will soon be lower, for now, I have a few tips to help you find lower airfare for this summer and beyond, especially as we head into fall and holiday travel dates approach.
Use these tools and services
Since airlines are increasingly using AI to price flights (leading to fare increases of up to 20%), I’ll use AI tools to find cheap options. Start by booking the flight you want, especially if your dates are set in stone, even if it feels overpriced.
Then, use websites such as PAiback and Junova to monitor your flight for price drops. PAiback (sign up here) will work with the airline to get eCredit deposited directly into your airline account if they find a lower price. You’ll have to pay a 20% fee on your savings, but there are no other membership or subscription fees.
Meanwhile, Junova does the same, tracking your flight and requesting a refund as a flight credit if the price drops. The service also charges 20% of whatever you save, but only if you’re successful in saving — there’s no upfront cost. Use my code for a $25 credit when signing up (the 20% commission is deducted from your $25 “bank”).
Other programs I’ve used are Jetback, which works similarly to the two services I mentioned above, and Autopilot, which rebooks you in the same fare class if the price of your flight drops (you’ll have to pay a subscription fee or pay a 25% commission on your savings).
Stay flexible and follow the deals
The more flexible you can be, the more you’ll be able to comparison shop and find something affordable. I personally love the Google Explore feature, where you enter your home airport and then a region of the world for your destination, such as Europe or the Caribbean, and it’ll find you the destinations with the cheapest flights. Follow the deals, and you’ll save money, whether that be in points and miles or in cash.
Set Google Flights price alerts
Once you’re in Google Flights, you can toggle the “Track Prices” button to “on.” This means Google Flights will send price alerts directly to your inbox if your chosen flight route gets cheaper.
Track your flights after you book
If you don’t want to use the tools I mentioned, you can simply monitor your flight on your own and, if you notice the price has dropped, contact the airline immediately to request a credit. You can usually do this successfully as long as you didn’t book a basic economy fare.
Start monitoring holiday travel in mid-August
It feels a little wild to think about snowy weather and Thanksgiving and Christmas travel already, but I’ll start monitoring holiday trips in August. Usually, you can find the best deals in October.
High fuel costs and inflation don’t mean you can’t afford to travel; you just have to be savvy about how you search and monitor flights in order to follow the deals. As the year goes on, I’ll be constantly monitoring flights and checking for price drops to make sure I’m not overspending — and you should be too.
Have a great weekend,
BK
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| Photo Credit: EMILIA WRONSKI/THE POINTS GUY. |
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