How to Book Cheap Flights and Other Travel Hacks

If you’ve been following my blog for any period of time, you know that I love to travel.  But it can get expensive!

Since today is Cheap Flight Day, I wanted to share some of my favorite travel tips and hacks for saving money on flights, packing, traveling internationally, and more.

Tips for Booking Cheap Flights

1. Clear your browser cookies.  Airlines use browser cookies to track your searches, which causes prices to change based on demand and other conditions.  Clearing your cookies or using a private browsing window helps combat that.
2. Pick your flight days carefully.  If you have some flexibility as to when you leave and return, fly on less popular days to save money.  Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays are less popular travel days, and airlines will offer discounts to avoid half empty flights.
3. Choose less popular flight times.  Very early flights (between 5-7 AM) and very late flights (after 8 PM) are less desirable and, therefore, cheaper.  So if you’re an early bird or night owl, take advantage of it!
4. Sign up for airline emails.  They’ll let you know when they have sales or coupons available.  For example, Southwest Airlines often offers $59.00 flight days.
5. Use an airline credit card.  If you’re in the market for a new credit card, consider one associated with an airline.  You can earn miles by making the same purchases you normally would.
6. Consider other airports.  If you’re in an area with several airports within driving distance, make sure to check prices at each of them.  Flight costs will often vary (sometimes dramatically).
7. Change your location or currency.  If you’re booking an international flight, it’s often cheaper to change your location to the country you’re visiting and to pay in that currency.  This isn’t always the case, so make sure to compare!

Other Flight Tips:

1. Leave the middle seat open.  If traveling with one other person and your flight isn’t full, leave the middle seat open in your row.  It will discourage other passengers from filling that seat and result in added storage and leg space!
2. Bring your own food.  It’s tricky to stick to healthy foods when traveling and airline meals are often full of added sodium and preservatives.  Whole fruits (bananas, apples, oranges), nuts, dark chocolate, protein bars, and popcorn make great, filling, healthy snacks.
3. Make sure to moisturize!  Flights (and traveling in general) can dry out your skin quickly.  Pack a travel-sized lotion in your carry-on to keep your hands and face feeling good.
4. Take walks on the plane.  If you’re on a long flight, get up and walk around every hour or so.  This helps you stay alert and keeps your feet from swelling.
5. Make your luggage stand out.  Choosing a unique suitcase (like these fun options!), or adding a colorful ribbon or luggage tag will make it easier to find your bags after your flight and will reduce the risk of someone else taking yours.

Packing Tricks:

1. Pack a reusable bag.  Choose a soft, foldable one that won’t take up much space.  Then, you’ll have it on hand for the farmer’s market or for bringing back that souvenir you just had to have.
2. Include essentials in your carry on.  In case your luggage gets lost (it happens!) make sure important items like glasses, travel documents, medication, electronic devices, and a change of clothes are on your person at all times.
3. Buy packing cubes.  They’ll help you compress your clothes, save space, and divide up your outfits.  Find them here.
4. Pack outfits that you can mix and match.  Think in layers!  Being able wear pieces in a variety of combinations will help you pack lighter without wearing the same outfit twice.
5. Include a power adaptor.  Research the type of power outlet that the country you’re visiting uses and invest in an adaptor.  This one works in more than 150 countries.

My Favorite Travel Hacks:

1. Let your bank know you’re traveling.  There’s nothing more embarrassing (or scary!) than having your card declined when you’re out of town.
2. Get the Google translate app.  It’s so much better than carrying around a dictionary!  Type the word you want translated, take a picture of a restaurant menu, or even use instant speech translation.
3. Get a global entry pass.  It’s critical for getting through customs quickly!  Avoid long immigration lines and automatically qualify for TSA pre-check.
4. Use free communication apps.  If you don’t want an international phone plan, use free apps like Skype and Whatsapp to communicate with your loved ones at home.
5. Adjust your sleep patterns and meal times.  Traveling internationally?  Start adjusting your habits ahead of time, if possible, to reduce the affects of jet lag.
6. Stay at a luxury villa or Airbnb.  You’ll often end up with more space, better service, and all the comforts of home!  Find out more about my experience at a luxury villa in Croatia.

What’s your favorite travel tip?  Let me know in the comments!