It seems like flights keep getting more and more expensive, so it's no surprise that travelers who are trying to plan an international trip on a budget do everything they can to get the cheapest tickets. One of the biggest questions is when to reserve your seat and pay for your flight. From the belief that booking flights on Tuesdays gets you better prices to trying to score great deals by waiting until the last second to buy, there are plenty of strategies people try to use, but most of them are just
wishful thinking. To find out the truth about the best time to buy international tickets without breaking the bank, Islands spoke to Victoria Fricke, the owner of luxury travel agency Vic's Vacations, which specializes in creating personalized holiday itineraries. Fricke tells us that there's no big secret: the cheapest time to buy your tickets is early.
Fricke explains that those planning to fly should really get the tickets as soon as possible. If you wait too long, you're probably going to end up paying higher prices for the same seats you could have gotten earlier. She says, "The goal is to get the flights booked before demand dictates the pricing needs to be higher."
Even if you think you've waited too long to get a good deal, you should still book right away. This is particularly important when buying business class seats or go somewhere during its peak tourist season when a lot of people are traveling. Fricke warns, "If you're going somewhere over Christmas for example buying flights as soon as they're available is your best bet. They aren't dropping in price if you wait... I promise."
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Choose Your Travel Dates To Find Cheaper Prices For International Flights
If you've waited too long to get your flight or prices are just higher than you can afford, you're going to have to be flexible. One strategy that Victoria Fricke recommends is to be willing to compromise on the dates of your trip. While there might be high demand for the day before your anniversary, you might be able to book that romantic trip to Rome a week earlier at a better price. It might be tough to snag four seats on a flight to Disney for a holiday weekend, but if you're able to take the kids out of school and reschedule for a mid-week trip, you can get a much better deal.
To pick the most affordable dates, Fricke suggests using an easy Google Flights feature to scope out the best deals. She advises, "You can see a general rate calendar for your destination to help identify the cheapest days of travel." This strategy works best when you follow Fricke's advice and book in advance, since you'll have more dates to choose from, but it can still help you find your best option.
While this tactic can really help identify the cheapest tickets, Fricke has a warning for those trying to save money. If you're going to go for the cheapest flight on the cheapest date, you should make sure to do some math on your own to avoid the seemingly never-ending airline baggage fees that accompany a lot of the cheapest seats on budget airlines. Sometimes those annoying luggage fees can add up and make your economy seat more expensive than a ticket that comes with bags included.
What Else Can Travelers Do To Get Affordable International Flights?
To get good deals on international flights, you will need to plan ahead. Victoria Fricke advises her clients at Vic's Vacations to consider using a credit card that accrues points, which can be converted into airline miles at many different airlines and saved up for your big trip. When you're ready to spend them on tickets, Fricke advises checking the website seats.aero to find the best deals for buying flights with points.
Fricke explains that using points not only secures better prices, but it also allows flexibility in terms of your booking. When you buy directly from the airline using their points or miles, you can easily change your plans. While the prices of flights usually don't lower as your travel dates approach, if you see a sudden drop, you may be able to get refunded and book the cheaper flights.
However, this feature won't help if you prefer to use a third-party booking app or are buying some discounted seats. In general, it's a good way to guarantee the best price on your international trip -- as long as you get them far enough in advance to monitor prices. Fricke shares, "I have a flight with United to Amsterdam. I bought it using points 10 months prior to travel. I thought the price looked good and went for it. I've since gone on United's website periodically to check to see if I could buy that same flight lower. Thus far, my rate has been the best I've seen. Should it drop though, I'd be able to cancel and re-book or modify."
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Read the original article on Islands.
