Five Little Known Secrets to Snagging the Best Airfare Deals

Mastering the art of timing is crucial to snagging the best airfare deals. Flight prices are dependent on various factors like seasons, weekdays, holidays and time of day. Booking at the right time can save a significant amount of money.

Highly recommended is purchasing flights during off-peak seasons. Though these might vary from country to country and can be specific to destinations, generally, the off-peak period is during the school term when fewer people are traveling.

Similarly, the time of week also plays a role in ticket pricing. Studies have found Tuesdays and Wednesdays to be the cheapest days to fly, while Sundays are the most expensive.

Timing of the day is also crucial. Red-eye flights or flights that depart late at night or early in the morning usually offer cheaper tickets.

Lastly, booking tickets well in advance (usually 47 days before departure) or last minute (if you're flexible), may garner great deals due to airlines' attempt to sell all tickets on a flight.

Email Alerts and Flight Tracking Applications

Don't underestimate the benefit of setting up flight or fare alerts on different travel websites and apps. These platforms frequently offer deals and promotions that can offer significant savings.

Many travel search engines offer the opportunity to watch specific routes and send alerts when prices drop. Apprentice the power of technology and let these tools work while you relax.

Additionally, explore apps that analyze historical ticket price data to predict future price changes. For example, Hopper and Skyscanner analyze patterns in airfare fluctuations to predict the ideal ticket purchasing time.

Remember, using multiple tracking platforms increases your chance of grabbing an exceptional deal, as different platforms may source their ticket prices from different pools of airlines.

The Layover Strategy

Sometimes, the fastest route is not the cheapest. Playing around with different airport combinations can land brilliant deals. Booking flights with stopovers, extending layovers or considering alternative airports can bring about substantial savings.

Flights with stopovers can sometimes be cheaper due to less demand or increased competition. For flexible travels, consider an extended layover. This could offer you a chance to explore an additional city and save money.

Furthermore, larger cities often have more than one airport. The costs of flying into smaller, alternative airports can be significantly lower due to lesser fees and lesser-known airlines.

Mix and Match Airlines

Another lesser-known tactic to land cheaper fares is considering different airlines for round trips, often referred to as 'split tickets' or 'hacker fares'.

This involves booking two one-way flights with different airlines. Often, two separate one-way tickets with different airlines can cost less than a round-trip fare with a single airline.

Online platforms like Skyscanner and Kiwi.com help users automate this process, showing combinations of airlines that may render a cheaper option.

The Role of Frequent Flyer Programs and Credit Cards

Lastly, leverage the power of frequent flyer programs and airline credit cards. Joining an airline's frequent flyers program can offer benefits like free flights, upgrades, and discounts.

Many airlines and travel companies partner with credit card companies. Using specific airline credit cards can accumulate points or miles that can convert into savings on future flights, priority boarding, or faster achievement of your preferred status.

While each card may have different prerequisites, generally, spending a certain amount within the initial few months of opening the account results in a points windfall.

Remember, always compare the annual fees, interest rates, and benefits among different cards to select the one that works best for you.

Hidden City Ticketing

Utilize ''hidden-city ticketing'' - it's a booking maneuver where travelers get off a stop or two before the ticket's final destination. The only condition: the layover city must be the actual target destination. However, you need to consider certain factors. First, it works best with one-way flights, as airlines could cancel the remainder of an itinerary when passengers don't board at a layover. Second, travelers can't check luggage as it ends up at the final destination.

Despite these limitations, for the savvy, flexible traveler, hidden-city ticketing can result in significant savings. Websites like Skiplagged help find these 'hidden city' flights.