Smart travellers save money and time by planning their overseas trips with these five hacks to find the best flight deals.
It’s much easier to say I’m going on a holiday than it is to plan it yourself. Working out the nitty-gritty of when to fly, where to stay and how to save money can seem tedious or overwhelming.
Smart travellers use online travel tools to help search, compare and book the best flights, hotels and holiday package deals without having to do a lot of legwork.
When I am researching for a holiday destination one of my first spots to compare flights is Webjet.
These five hacks to find great flight deals include insider’s tips from the Webjet team, online travel tools that will help you find the best flight deals, plus my own best travel tips.
Read more about flight deals
- Consider alternative airports
- Break up a long-haul flight
- Mix ‘n’ match flights
- Plan ahead
- Be open to new places
Smart traveller hacks for the best flight deals
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Consider alternative airports
Airfares can be much more expensive when flying into large international airports, usually due to airport taxes and airline capacity. Try comparing flights to other second-tier airports surrounding your desired end destination.
For example, you could save several hundred dollars by flying into Amsterdam instead of London and the savings will more than cover your ground transportation.
This is can work to your advantage during busy periods such as festivals. For Oktoberfest, a cheaper alternative could be flying to Memmingen and getting a bus to Munich rather than flying directly to Munich.
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Break up a long-haul flight
Rather than booking one long-haul return flight, it may work out cheaper to book multiple one-way flights. This is also a good way to see another country (or city) at a small cost and make the most of your trip.
For example, if you’re flying from Sydney to Europe, booking as a one way from Sydney to Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong or Singapore and then another one way to the destination may work out significantly cheaper, particularly if choosing local budget airlines.
Hong Kong and Singapore are a great stopover destinations offering plenty to do with easy access from the airport. Here’s my favourite spot in Hong Kong’s International Airport.
Check your potential airline’s home hub port as this could be another great stopover point.
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Mix ‘n’ match flights
If you are flying within Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and some South East Asian destinations, you can often save more by flying one airline on your departing flight and selecting a different airline on your return journey. These cheap flights are commonly referred to as ‘Mix ‘n’ Match’ flights.
I use Webjet to check the different flight options available and find the best deal.
If you are mixing flights, is important to allow plenty of time between connections. Staying with the one carrier gives you some protection against delayed flights when it comes to transfers, but if you mix your airlines, you won’t have that extra security. It also means you will have to transfer your baggage from one airline to another.
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Plan ahead
Cheap airline tickets always sell first, rewarding organised travellers. One way to monitor cheap airfares ahead of time is Webjet’s Deal Finder. This tool shows you cheap airfares every day, up to six months in advance for both international and domestic flights.
If there is a cheaper fare available on a different day or with a different airline, you can find it using the Deal Finder.
Keen travellers also subscribe to airline newsletters and immediately jump on good fares when they see them.
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Be open to new places
If you have a budget to stick to but no destination in mind, Webjet’s Where can I go could be your new favourite tool.
It features a slider which you can specify your maximum budget and receive options for all the destinations that fall within it, so there are no temptations outside of your budget. You may even be surprised where your dollar can take you!
Disclaimer: Content for the story includes information supplied by Webjet and Ed+bK’s own suggestions. No payment has been received for this post.