We all know someone who always—and I mean always—manages to find cheap flights. How do they do it? Few people know, but I assure you it’s not magic; it’s simply the internet.
It’s not just about having savings; the most important thing is patience. There are plenty of tips floating around on websites and apps for finding great deals on accommodations, flights, and all-inclusive packages.
But don’t rush—before you start searching, you’ll need to know a few rules, because it’s impossible to fight factors like advance booking and peak season.
It’s IMPOSSIBLE to find cheap flights at the last minute. The closer the date you want to travel, the more expensive your ticket will be—and even more so if it’s during peak season.
Why? That’s how airlines make their money: from people’s needs (or desperation) and habits.
Airlines make their money from that—from people’s needs, desperation, and bad habits. The more you need something, the more you’ll pay to get it; unfortunately, that’s just how we are.
Some Tips
Start taking notes because these are the most valuable rules for finding a good deal:
- You need at least six months’ advance notice, and no more than a year, since airlines don’t sell tickets further in advance than that.
- Cross December and Holy Week off your list right now; if you want to fly, these are the peak seasons. No amount of advance planning will help you find low prices during these times.
- Beaches are the most expensive in summer and during Holy Week; because of this, you’ll have great opportunities to visit cities both in your own country and abroad. For example, in Argentina, it’s cheaper to travel to Mexico in the summer, when it’s winter there.
- The school calendar gives us a clear indication of the seasons. During the school year, prices naturally drop because families aren’t traveling. If you’re on vacation at that time, road trips are your best bet.
- Traveling to Europe is ALWAYS cheaper in winter.
- Flights to Asia are cheapest in the first two months of the year, but you can also find deals between September and early November.
- The reality is that traveling to Asia will never be cheap. The most likely part of those trips to be expensive is the flight itself, since everything else can be found at very good prices.
- The more layovers your flight has, the cheaper it will always be. Remember that it will also take longer to reach your destination, so you’ll need a few extra days to make the most of your trip.
- Subscribing to airline newsletters will give you many advantages. You won’t miss out on their best promotions and last-minute fares; if necessary, create a separate email account just for these newsletters.
- Apply for your U.S. visa. The cheapest flights always stop there.
The tricks
You have to admit that there are many tricks and secrets to finding cheap flights. Do you know what the worst part is? They’ve always been right in front of your eyes!
What do I mean? Facebook—yes, you read that right. This social media platform is full of pages that post daily deals and cheap flights that are hard to find anywhere else.
The ones we recommend most are those from airlines like LAN or Interjet, since they use their social media very effectively and post deals very often. It’s also a good idea to have alerts enabled on Vuela a la vida, Mundo Joven, or Gurú de viaje.
Now, let’s go find those cheap flights!!!
