Air Travel Tips

Air travel is expensive. There are many ways to save money on air travel – some of them will save you a little, some will save you a lot. Before you book your next trip, see if any of these money savings tips are options for you.

Consider flying out of another airport. Checking the rates at one or two of the next nearest airports may yield better airfare rates than the airport that is closest to you. It may be worth it to travel an extra hour to the airport to save hundreds of dollars.

The cheapest airfares sell out quickly. The closer to the flight you buy your tickets; the more expensive the tickets are likely to be.

If you are booking travel during the holidays, consider flying on the holiday itself. If you can fly on the day of the holiday, you can get some of the lowest airfares of the year. • If you are phoning the airline directly for your tickets, ask for the cheapest fare, not just the fare for coach. Fly on the off days. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and sometimes Saturday are considered the off days (unless it’s around a holiday) If you can fly to and from your destination on those days, you are much more likely to get cheaper flights.

Check out the fares on red-eye flights. While you are doing your homework, don’t forget to check out the airline’s websites. Sometimes the airline’s websites have even better deals than the discount sites. You may be used to always flying the same big airline, but if you consider one of the newer smaller airlines, you may be surprised at the savings you can grab.

Make sure the full price of the tickets is including fees and taxes, if not you may not actually be booking the least expensive airfare. And check the maximum luggage weight of the airline, if your luggage is over the weight limit, the airline can charge you a fee for each bag that is over the limit.

If you are driving to the airport, plan to leave early enough so that you can park at one of the off site parking facilities that are close to the airport.

If your airline does serve food, they may charge for it, and chances are it won’t be very good. So take your own snacks.

Bring your own reading material like book that you already have of buying them from the airport stores. A flight is the perfect time to read that book you’ve been meaning to read.