TRAVEL HACKS | 10 Ways to Find the Best Travel Deals Online!
Every now and then I get asked “How do you always find the best deals online?” or “Where can I search for cheap flights?”. This is a question better explain in a blog post as I believe there is no one particular way to search for a good deal online – there's loads of ways and if you combined them all, you're sure to get a better deal online!
So let's get cracking...
1. Be flexible on dates. As we all know, the most expensive times to fly are during the school holidays (Easter, Christmas, New Years, summer holidays, etc), but it is also pricey to go away for weekender, rather than choosing mid-week dates. Depending on how long you are planning on being away for, I'd say the best time to fly would be during the “non-peak” months (September, October, February, May) and/or during the week (Monday-Thursday) rather than on the weekend.
2. Be flexible on flight times. Sometimes, sacrifice is needed in order to save some pennies! EVERYONE wants to land at their destination in the day time so that they can enjoy a full first day and EVERYONE wants to leave their destination later in the afternoon, again, so that they can enjoy a full last day before returning to boring work and school. As great as this can be, it means you will probably pay more for those flights. Yes, you may loose a few hours, but if you have a longer holiday (1 week or more) I would definitely recommend avoiding the “typical” flight times to save some money.
3. Be flexible on location (If you can). If you are not too fussed about the location of your trip, why not look around and see what you can find at a better rate? For example, if you know that you want to go Spain, look around at the costs of Spanish Islands or other Spanish speaking countries – you'll probably find a nice little island with less tourists and end up with a little more money in your pocket!
4. Don't just choose the first option. This one sounds pretty obvious but it's amazing how many people will instantly book the first flight they see online, rather than look around. Why limit yourself to the first airline you come across when you can fly with another airline at a cheaper price? Look around! Chances are, there will be another airline offering the same or (similarly timed) flight at a lower rate.
5. Check the price comparison site vs. the airline/hotel's site. Although price comparison sites give you the best variety in terms of flights, transfers and hotels, they don't always give you the best price. A little trick I use is to enter my holiday details into the price comparison website and once I have found the (near) perfect deal, check this price again against the price displayed on the hotel/airline's website. Sometimes, the price comparison website will be cheaper, but sometimes it won't!
6. Pack light – take the essentials! If you are taking a short break (2-4 nights), why not see if you can squeeze all of your luggage into a carry-on? This will save quite a bit when it comes to booking your extras such as you suitcase! (Remember, not all flights include luggage costs) Sometimes you will need to pay extra for luggage both ways. Which brings me on to my next point...
7. What extras do you actually need? Do you really need to sit in first class? Probably not. Do you really need extra leg room for a two hour flight? Again, probably not. Try to stick to the bare minimum. If you really can't fit your luggage in to a carry on, that's fine, but try fitting it in to the minimum size suitcase that the airline will allow, rather than paying even more to upgrade your suitcase size.
8. Use points / air miles / vouchers. If you don't have a Tesco Clubcard or a travel credit card, now is the time to apply for one my friend! Collecting points is a fantastic way to save money on flights and hotels or even get a free trip all together! Travel credit cards work just like normal credit cards, except, the perks are better ;) With each purchase (and sometimes each withdrawal) you make, you get points which can eventually be converted into air miles! Tesco have a similar system with their Clubcard. Again, you collect your points as per usual when you shop or buy petrol but rather than Tesco sending you vouchers to shop, you can request to rack up air miles! There's a bunch of different companies that offer air miles and/or money off of a flight or holiday. You just have to take a little time to find them.
9. Use Airbnb. I love Airbnb! Whether you are looking to stay on a houseboat, a hotel, a mansion or an apartment, Airbnb will probably have something for everyone. There are a lot of helpful filters too to help narrow down your search. It's worth a look if you have not done so already and check this, you can click on this link to get some money off of your first Airbnb stay!!
10. Search for deals on activities and excursions. Once you have booked your (now cheaper) holiday, why stop the travel hacks there? Why not see if you can also bag yourself some bargain excursions and activities. Wherever you are going, chances are the activities you would like to do are being offered to the public by more than one company so why not try to find the cheapest one? Most hotels also hand out leaflets with useful activities and tours – you can compare the hotel's price agains the price of other companies offering the same tour!
So there we have it, a few quick and simple ways to save some serious mullah on your next trip!
I hope these tips were helpful for you guys! Feel free to ask any questions in the comments below if there was anything else you wanted to know!
FYI: Affiliate links have been used in this post but as always, these words are 100% my own.
For money off of your next Airbnb stay, please click this link! xx
