Have Family, Will Fly: 7 Tips To Help You Find Cheap Flights

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I do not travel in a car, on a bus, on a train, or on a boat. When I go on vacation, I fly, and I try to find cheap flights. And I will adjust plans and money on my end to do so. No lattes for a month. Skip the school Homecoming game. Eat peanut butter and jelly longer than I probably should.

I feel like I’ve tested and tried a number of things from the websites and airlines, too. Sometimes those strategies really do pay off.

Because no one ever know about those pesky liquids rules, here are 3 tips to help you pack a TSA approved liquids bag.

Here are a few suggestions to help you find cheap flights.

7 Tips To Help You Find Cheap Flights

Search with Flexible Dates

Everybody is going to Florida on spring break. If you’re going there too, expect to pay top dollar. Having said that, one of the ways we have flown to Florida over spring break is not to fly on Friday or Saturday, but wait until Tuesday. Of course, by staying an entire week, our kids were getting back into school later than they should, but they’re both college students now, so it turned out okay to enjoy an extended spring break.

Get Bumped

If you have the option, allow for someone to take your seats if the airline is asking. We did this and scored major airfare for the entire family. That’s the year we spent Christmas in San Diego.

Check Out The Airlines’ Websites

Typically the first thought is to go to airline search engines such as Travelocity or Priceline, but sometimes you can get less expensive flights by booking through the airlines. You might want to even sign up for e mails from airlines to keep tabs on specials.

Consider Tickets from Two Airlines

Recently we traveled to a destination on a no-frills airline. Because it didn’t offer a return flight on the day we needed, we traveled home on a different airline. On top of that, we saved $50.00 per person doing so. Don’t assume round-trip airfare is cheaper.

Choose Lay-Over

I know this is difficult for young families, but if the lay-over is just long enough to stretch legs, grab a snack, and use the restroom, it’s definitely worth the savings.

Bid On Flights

It never hurts if you start your search by bidding on a flight. Priceline offers a “Name Your Price,” and if you stay within reason, you might just be able to land (pun intended) some savings. Beware, though: Once you bid, if it’s accepted, you cannot receive a refund.

Fly During the Week

Monday is when business people travel. Friday is when they travel home. Avoid those days. We typically fly Tuesday or Wednesday, and doing so keeps costs down.

Is there a special day, say, Tuesday or Wednesday, to find cheaper airfare? For every website that said “yes,” another one said “no.” Honestly, I’m not sure.

Also, some people swear by rewards programs and travel rewards credit cards. They probably are very valuable. We don’t do this because 1) We are not loyal to a specific airline; and 2) We are too tempted to use the credit card for other things. If you go with a credit card, be sure to pay off your balance immediately.

We have had some fantastic vacations and created wonderful family memories by following these suggestions. 

Do you have other suggestions to find cheap flights? Let us know in the comments!