Knowing a few travel hacks on flights can be handy. An unplanned travel can cost you a lot of money as well as not knowing when to fly. There are so many websites and apps that can help you a lot. Accordingly, remember a few tricks and tips and you can save some cash for sure!
MARCH IS GENERALLY THE CHEAPEST MONTH TO TRAVEL
On the other hand, July and August is obviously the most expensive. Flying off season is also better because there will be less tourists and you will have more space to explore new places. Plus the price of hotels will decrease subsequently.
USE STOP OVERS TO EXPLORE NEW CITIES
Stop overs are great! If you have a long stop over, not only the airticket will be cheaper but also you will get a chance to see new cities out there. This way I had 9 hours during a day in Atlanta so it was pretty amazing. Total win-win situation!
USE MULTIPLE TRAVEL WEBSITES AND APPS TO CHOOSE THE BEST FLIGHT
My top choice is Skyscanner website and Hopper app. Skyscanner has one amazing feature and it is little button everywhere. You simply select your departure airport and then it will show you the cheapest flights from there! So if you are unsure where to go, this can be great. Also, it is useful for planning. Secondly, Skyscanner shows you the calendar for the entire year with prices to selected destinations. Very handy feature as well.
Hopper is your brain for booking flights. Sounds maybe silly, but I love it. Totally. It is free to download and it works like this: you put your departure airport, your arrival airport and dates. Afterwards, the app compares if this is actually the best airport ever - if not, it will suggest another airport nearby that is much cheaper. Secondly, it suggests you when to book the flight. I.e. the app gives you an estimation how much the price will drop or rise in the upcoming weeks before the departure. Awesome! Last but not least, you can see also the calendar for nearest months (usually half a year). This is amazing because you do not know which dates are cheaper so you clearly see that. This is the best win-win everrr!!
Of course, there are more websites and apps. However, I find these the most useful at the moment. It is simple and tells you a lot.
YOU CAN CANCEL THE FLIGHT WITHIN 24 HOURS (FOR FREE)
Yes, you can be spontaneous. You can buy the air ticket and decide within the next 24 hours if you cancel or not. The exception is American Airlines which allows you to hold the ticket (as a reservation) for 24 hours. And it must be done directly on the airline's website (not through Skyscanner etc). Always check out the airline's policies before buying the ticket. You gotta know your rights!
BROKEN OR DELAYED LUGGAGES - FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS!
Yes man, you better fight for yourself! I tell you my experience. I went to London from Prague with WizzAir. They broke our Samsonite luggage. I reported the incident at the airport, got a paper and an info that we will receive a new luggage to our hotel. Never saw the new luggage. So, after we came back to Prague, I contacted WizzAir and explained them what happened. Advice: you need to play a frustrated customer and argue that you will never ever fly with them again and make sure that no one from your family or friends will either. The response? Send me the receipt and we will send you the money. Afterwards, I got every cent back (to be precise, around 300 dollars).
The second situation is regarding delayed or lost luggage. If you have a travel insurance (which should be a must for everyone) you are often protected from that side also. Anyway, the airline is responsible for that. Again, read their policies and know what you can get. Generally, you can get A LOT. And I do not speak about some silly 20 dollar voucher.
IF YOUR ITINERARY CHANGES, AIRLINES PAY FOR IT
Never ever pay by yourself. If your flight has been changed, the airline must pay for another one. Simply said.
USE THE MILES PROGRAM
This depends. Some people love one airline so it can benefit them. However, if you are looking for cheaper flights, this is not usually the case. Either way, knowing the miles rule is useful. One never knows!
SIGN UP FOR DISCOUNT FLIGHTS
In every country, there is some sort of website that shows you the cheapest flights. Usually, the time for the purchase is limited and the dates are not flexible. My friend saw a flight to Jamaica from Prague for 200 dollars. The flight was the next day. You need to know about vaccinations, visas and other important things. However, if you are a spontaneous traveler, why not? Be adventurous.
AROUND 6 WEEKS BEFORE THE FLIGHT IS THE BEST TIME TO BUY
... if you do not score some discount flight! 6 to 8 weeks before the departure is the ideal time to buy. Not too early, not too late, just in time!
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