**The Ultimate Guide to Saving Money on Air Travel**

Just one day forward or one day back from Sunday you can usually save about fifty dollars per ticket, and if you're okay with less convenient departure and arrival times, you'll have a better chance of paying less. Most people prefer to leave at 9am instead of 5am and return before 8pm, not 11pm, despite claims of a magical window to book your flight. There is no single day of the week or time of day that's best to purchase airline tickets - you can find deals any day of the week since flight prices fluctuate with demand.

Airlines might offer sales increase the number of seats on route or even lower prices to magic competitor, so there's no real pattern on what day of the week has the best deals. Instead of checking flight prices every day, let a computer program do the work for you. Set a price alert on the travel search engine of your choice, like Google Flights, Hopper, Skyscanner, or Kayak, and they'll send you an email when they see the price drop. Hopper is really great at telling you whether the airfares to a certain destination are good based on historical price data. Google Flights also has a "You know" average low or high indicator online sites like Expedia and Kayak will show you the cheapest booking class available that matches all of your criteria.

**Using Travel Search Engines Effectively**

Use third-party sites to find the best flights, but experts recommend booking directly with the airline. Always book direct, especially because when a flight gets cancelled, a lot of times those middlemen won't tell you. So many people are showing up to the airport with cancelled flights because they never got the message from their travel agency for domestic flights within the US. Airlines usually price one-way flights at exactly half the cost of a round-trip, there are exceptions especially for those that fly out of smaller regional airports as opposed to travel hubs like JFK or LAX.

When possible, book one-way tickets it gives you a lot more flexibility if you cancel your outbound flight on a round-trip ticket, the return will automatically be cancelled and domestically most one-ways are the same price as round-trip. So there's really no good reason to book round-trips. Mixing and matching one-way flights also allows you to choose a variety of payment methods including points rewards or frequent flyer miles.

**Using Frequent Flyer Miles Wisely**

Use the points and miles you've earned by traveling or from having a trusty travel rewards credit card in your wallet. Frequent fire miles don't get you as far as they used to, and are actually losing value. The longer you hang on to them for instance before the pandemic, you might have been able to buy a ticket to Europe with 100,000 miles today that might be 400,000 miles. The good news is the bonuses on those cards are as big as ever so you can earn more points than ever.

However, we are seeing devaluation in those currencies so the number one tip for using miles is to use them now they lose value over time. So if you've got a stash of those frequent flyer miles, use them the US now has six low-cost carriers Spirit Airlines Frontier Airlines Sun Country Airlines Allegiant Air Freeze Airways and Avello Airlines.

**The Benefits of Low-Cost Carriers**

It's worth noting that these will be no frills flights, you'll have to pay more for extras like carry-on bags but if you can fly with a small amount of luggage and sacrifice luxury for a few hours, you could potentially save hundreds of dollars. The good thing about the budget carriers is people generally are price sensitive so you can pay $20 and get the best seat on the plane up until departure.

Try doing that on a Delta flight where every single person is an elite traveler and there are only middle seats left so as much as I do love business class, especially for short flights flying a budget carrier if it can get you there at the right times at the right price absolutely. Another tip independent travel insurance offers stronger protections than what airlines offer if you're looking to get travel insurance never buy it directly from an airline.

The product that they offer you isn't even usually called insurance, it's travel protection and it's very weak for the same price or less, you can get better coverage so really shop and look for the policies that'll cover everything that you might need. For domestic travel within the US is extremely popular right now, so if you're looking to save money consider an international trip instead.

**The Final Tip: Booking on the Fly**

Bottom line, if you find a good deal book it immediately because with limited supply and increased demand chances are it won't be available for long. Almost all airlines will give you 24 hours to get a full refund so when you see a really cheap fare book it and then take off from work if you wait and try to do the taking off from work thing first, by the time you're ready to go, the deal may already have expired.

So be prepared to act fast and make the most of your travel savings.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: eni finally sat down to book flights for my vacation and couldn't find anything in my budget i know i'm not alone so today i'm going to show you how to find cheap flights why are airline tickets so expensive right now to find out i spoke to brian kelly aka the points guy for the best tips and tricks on all the best travel deals i've seen last minute ticket pricing for domestic flights recently seattle to new york three thousand dollars one way i've never seen anything like it and as long as there are people willing to pay the airlines are gonna continue putting that pressure on prices to increase americans are grappling with 40-year high inflation rates not seen since the 1980s and airline tickets are no exception the consumer price index for airline tickets rose by 25 since 2021. in april alone ticket prices jumped nearly 19 on top of that flight schedules are being reduced as carriers work to address staff shortages and other lingering effects from the coronavirus pandemic the system is at a near breaking point and some would say that it's breaking every week with thousands of cancellations and delays yet people still want to travel so as long as that demand is still strong we're gonna see a system on the brink and sky high prices the combination of short staffing high gas prices and higher inflation rates have resource strapped airlines raising ticket prices as they try to get more planes in the air but despite the rise in prices a recent bank of america institute survey showed spending at airlines and travel agencies is up 60 since 2021. i'm going to show you how airlines price tickets the best days to travel apps you can use to find the best deals and other tips and tricks to find the most affordable airfare chapters are included so feel free to skip around the price of a basic airline ticket consists of three things base fare taxes and airport fees and fuel surcharge there's also service fees food seat selection and baggage but these are usually optional charges airlines first determine the type of plane they will use for a flight and this tells them how many seats are in each travel class first business premium economy or economy each travel class has different rules restrictions and of course price tiers fair prices change to deceit availability and demand the cheaper booking classes might be sold out months before the flight leaving only seats available in the more expensive sections of the plane airlines like any business try to maximize their profits you might see prices fall closer to the departure date or even well ahead of it but only when seats in cheaper travel classes haven't been fully sold out yet if there are still empty seats closer to the flight date airlines will try to cover their cost for the flight by raising ticket prices higher than their normal rate ticket prices also depend on airline competition if there are more airlines flying to a particular destination prices will be significantly cheaper likewise if there are fewer airlines flying to that location fares will be higher you're also contending with passenger competition if you're one of many who want to fly to a popular destination you're up against similar passengers hunting for the best ticket price as a general rule of thumb the earlier you book the better chance you have to check off all your boxes for an ideal travel itinerary but there are a few more tips beyond just planning in advance to game the system even more two key things you need to find good travel deals flexibility and speed keep that in mind as we go through other tips and tricks to help you find the best deals on airfare generally flying out on a monday friday or sunday means paying more for your ticket these are the most popular days business travelers families or weekenders depart or return from their trip the cheapest days to depart if you're flying within the u.s are midweek generally tuesday or wednesday for economy tickets tuesdays are about 24 lower than peak prices on sundays which translates to savings of about 85 dollars per ticket saturdays and mondays are the next cheapest days to fly after midweek flights the average airfare is about 13 to 15 lower on these days that means if you move your trip just one day forward or one day back from sunday you can usually save about fifty dollars per ticket and if you're okay with less convenient departure and arrival times you'll have a better chance of paying less most people prefer to leave at 9am instead of 5am and return before 8pm not 11pm despite claims of a magical window to book your flight there is no single day of the week or time of day that's best to purchase airline tickets you can find deals any day of the week since flight prices fluctuate with demand airlines might offer sales increase the number of seats on route or even lower prices to magic competitor so there's no real pattern on what day of the week has the best deals instead of checking flight prices every day let a computer program do the work for you set a price alert on the travel search engine of your choice like google flights hopper skyscanner or kayak and they'll send you an email when they see the price drop hopper is really great at telling you whether the airfares to a certain destination are good based on historical price data google flights also has a you know average low or high indicator online sites like expedia and kayak will show you the cheapest booking class available that matches all of your criteria use third-party sites to find the best flights but experts recommend booking directly with the airline always book direct especially because when uh flight gets cancelled a lot of times those middlemen won't tell you so so many people are showing up to the airport with cancelled flights because they never got the message from their travel agency for domestic flights within the u.s airlines usually price one-way flights at exactly half the cost of a round-trip there are exceptions especially for those that fly out of smaller regional airports as opposed to travel hubs like jfk or lax when possible book one-way tickets it gives you a lot more flexibility if you cancel your outbound flight on a round-trip ticket the return will automatically be cancelled and domestically most one-ways are the same price as round-trip so there's really no good reason to book round trips mixing and matching one-way flights also allows you to choose a variety of payment methods including points rewards or frequent flyer miles use the points and miles you've earned by traveling or from having a trusty travel rewards credit card in your wallet frequent fire miles don't get you as far as they used to and are actually losing value the longer you hang on to them for instance before the pandemic you might have been able to buy a ticket to europe with 100 000 miles today that might be 400 000 miles airlines these days just like with paid tickets they're increasing the price they're doing the same with frequent flyer miles the good news is the bonuses on those cards are as big as ever so you can earn more points than ever but we are seeing devaluation in those currencies so the number one tip for using miles is to use them now they lose value over time so if you've got a stash of those frequent flyer miles use them the u.s now has six low-cost carriers spirit airlines frontier airlines sun country airlines allegiant air freeze airways and avello airlines it's important to note that these will be no frills flights you'll have to pay more for extras like carry-on bags but if you can fly with a small amount of luggage and sacrifice luxury for a few hours you could potentially save hundreds of dollars the good thing about the budget carriers is people generally are price sensitive so you can pay twenty 20 and get the best seat on the plane up until departure try doing that on a delta flight where every single person is an elite traveler and there are only middle seats left so as much as i do love business class and the full you know premium carriers especially for short flights flying a budget carrier if it can get you there at the right times at the right price absolutely another tip independent travel insurance offers stronger protections than what airlines offer if you're looking to get travel insurance never buy it directly from an airline the product that they offer you isn't even usually called insurance it's travel protection and it's very weak for the same price or less you can get better coverage so really shop and look for the policies that'll cover everything that you might need it to domestic travel within the us is extremely popular right now so if you're looking to save money consider an international trip instead bottom line if you find a good deal book it immediately because with limited supply and increased demand chances are it won't be available for long almost all airlines will give you 24 hours to get a full refund so when you see a really cheap fare book it and then take off from work if you wait and try to do the taking off from work thing first by the time you go back and book it'll likely be gone you gotta move quick time is of the essence youi finally sat down to book flights for my vacation and couldn't find anything in my budget i know i'm not alone so today i'm going to show you how to find cheap flights why are airline tickets so expensive right now to find out i spoke to brian kelly aka the points guy for the best tips and tricks on all the best travel deals i've seen last minute ticket pricing for domestic flights recently seattle to new york three thousand dollars one way i've never seen anything like it and as long as there are people willing to pay the airlines are gonna continue putting that pressure on prices to increase americans are grappling with 40-year high inflation rates not seen since the 1980s and airline tickets are no exception the consumer price index for airline tickets rose by 25 since 2021. in april alone ticket prices jumped nearly 19 on top of that flight schedules are being reduced as carriers work to address staff shortages and other lingering effects from the coronavirus pandemic the system is at a near breaking point and some would say that it's breaking every week with thousands of cancellations and delays yet people still want to travel so as long as that demand is still strong we're gonna see a system on the brink and sky high prices the combination of short staffing high gas prices and higher inflation rates have resource strapped airlines raising ticket prices as they try to get more planes in the air but despite the rise in prices a recent bank of america institute survey showed spending at airlines and travel agencies is up 60 since 2021. i'm going to show you how airlines price tickets the best days to travel apps you can use to find the best deals and other tips and tricks to find the most affordable airfare chapters are included so feel free to skip around the price of a basic airline ticket consists of three things base fare taxes and airport fees and fuel surcharge there's also service fees food seat selection and baggage but these are usually optional charges airlines first determine the type of plane they will use for a flight and this tells them how many seats are in each travel class first business premium economy or economy each travel class has different rules restrictions and of course price tiers fair prices change to deceit availability and demand the cheaper booking classes might be sold out months before the flight leaving only seats available in the more expensive sections of the plane airlines like any business try to maximize their profits you might see prices fall closer to the departure date or even well ahead of it but only when seats in cheaper travel classes haven't been fully sold out yet if there are still empty seats closer to the flight date airlines will try to cover their cost for the flight by raising ticket prices higher than their normal rate ticket prices also depend on airline competition if there are more airlines flying to a particular destination prices will be significantly cheaper likewise if there are fewer airlines flying to that location fares will be higher you're also contending with passenger competition if you're one of many who want to fly to a popular destination you're up against similar passengers hunting for the best ticket price as a general rule of thumb the earlier you book the better chance you have to check off all your boxes for an ideal travel itinerary but there are a few more tips beyond just planning in advance to game the system even more two key things you need to find good travel deals flexibility and speed keep that in mind as we go through other tips and tricks to help you find the best deals on airfare generally flying out on a monday friday or sunday means paying more for your ticket these are the most popular days business travelers families or weekenders depart or return from their trip the cheapest days to depart if you're flying within the u.s are midweek generally tuesday or wednesday for economy tickets tuesdays are about 24 lower than peak prices on sundays which translates to savings of about 85 dollars per ticket saturdays and mondays are the next cheapest days to fly after midweek flights the average airfare is about 13 to 15 lower on these days that means if you move your trip just one day forward or one day back from sunday you can usually save about fifty dollars per ticket and if you're okay with less convenient departure and arrival times you'll have a better chance of paying less most people prefer to leave at 9am instead of 5am and return before 8pm not 11pm despite claims of a magical window to book your flight there is no single day of the week or time of day that's best to purchase airline tickets you can find deals any day of the week since flight prices fluctuate with demand airlines might offer sales increase the number of seats on route or even lower prices to magic competitor so there's no real pattern on what day of the week has the best deals instead of checking flight prices every day let a computer program do the work for you set a price alert on the travel search engine of your choice like google flights hopper skyscanner or kayak and they'll send you an email when they see the price drop hopper is really great at telling you whether the airfares to a certain destination are good based on historical price data google flights also has a you know average low or high indicator online sites like expedia and kayak will show you the cheapest booking class available that matches all of your criteria use third-party sites to find the best flights but experts recommend booking directly with the airline always book direct especially because when uh flight gets cancelled a lot of times those middlemen won't tell you so so many people are showing up to the airport with cancelled flights because they never got the message from their travel agency for domestic flights within the u.s airlines usually price one-way flights at exactly half the cost of a round-trip there are exceptions especially for those that fly out of smaller regional airports as opposed to travel hubs like jfk or lax when possible book one-way tickets it gives you a lot more flexibility if you cancel your outbound flight on a round-trip ticket the return will automatically be cancelled and domestically most one-ways are the same price as round-trip so there's really no good reason to book round trips mixing and matching one-way flights also allows you to choose a variety of payment methods including points rewards or frequent flyer miles use the points and miles you've earned by traveling or from having a trusty travel rewards credit card in your wallet frequent fire miles don't get you as far as they used to and are actually losing value the longer you hang on to them for instance before the pandemic you might have been able to buy a ticket to europe with 100 000 miles today that might be 400 000 miles airlines these days just like with paid tickets they're increasing the price they're doing the same with frequent flyer miles the good news is the bonuses on those cards are as big as ever so you can earn more points than ever but we are seeing devaluation in those currencies so the number one tip for using miles is to use them now they lose value over time so if you've got a stash of those frequent flyer miles use them the u.s now has six low-cost carriers spirit airlines frontier airlines sun country airlines allegiant air freeze airways and avello airlines it's important to note that these will be no frills flights you'll have to pay more for extras like carry-on bags but if you can fly with a small amount of luggage and sacrifice luxury for a few hours you could potentially save hundreds of dollars the good thing about the budget carriers is people generally are price sensitive so you can pay twenty 20 and get the best seat on the plane up until departure try doing that on a delta flight where every single person is an elite traveler and there are only middle seats left so as much as i do love business class and the full you know premium carriers especially for short flights flying a budget carrier if it can get you there at the right times at the right price absolutely another tip independent travel insurance offers stronger protections than what airlines offer if you're looking to get travel insurance never buy it directly from an airline the product that they offer you isn't even usually called insurance it's travel protection and it's very weak for the same price or less you can get better coverage so really shop and look for the policies that'll cover everything that you might need it to domestic travel within the us is extremely popular right now so if you're looking to save money consider an international trip instead bottom line if you find a good deal book it immediately because with limited supply and increased demand chances are it won't be available for long almost all airlines will give you 24 hours to get a full refund so when you see a really cheap fare book it and then take off from work if you wait and try to do the taking off from work thing first by the time you go back and book it'll likely be gone you gotta move quick time is of the essence you\n"