There is a common misconception that plane travel is extremely expensive, when that isn’t actually the case. While plane travel can be expensive, it doesn’t have to be. How pricey your travel is from one location to another, depends wholly on how smart you are about the planning process and whether you are willing to take steps to help to cut costs and ensure that your journey goes seamlessly from start to finish.
Of course, in order to be able to do that, you need to know what it takes to cut the cost of your plane travel, and how you can make all those other essential savings. Bearing that in mind, below is a guide to some tips that you may find it useful to take note of and implement when it comes to reducing the cost of your plane travel.
Find the cheapest ticket
One of the most complex parts of cutting the cost of air travel is often choosing a ticket, because there are always so many different options available. Whenever you Google a flight, you are often met with a long list of different flight prices and times, which can make the process of choosing the ideal option a little tricky.
Choosing a plane ticket that offers the best value can seem like a science, especially when you have to weigh up the different costs that come with each ticket, such as the price of luggage and carry-ons. Of course, some tickets include these things in the price, but others don’t, which is where some of the confusion comes in. It can be difficult to determine which ticket is actually cheapest, when it comes to accounting for all of the add ons that come with plane travel, if they’re not included.
One of the best hacks for finding the cheapest plane ticket is to look for an option that is all inclusive and includes everything, from the price of the ticket to the cost of your luggage. To make the price cheaper, take the time to compare travel costs for different days and times – you will most probably find that there are certain days of the week – weekdays – and certain times of the day/night that it’s cheaper to fly at.
Be selective about the airline
When it comes to cutting costs, you may also find that different airlines offer different travel prices. So if you want to significantly reduce the cost of your travel, it pays to think carefully about the airline that you are traveling with, and whether they are offering you the best deal possible. Of course, it’s also important to remember that each airline offers different terms of travel, such as luggage weights and carry on sizes, and a list of restricted items – you can view the list of United’s restrictions for carry on items by visiting their website and having a browse.
In terms of cutting costs and reducing the stress that comes with your next trip by plane, it’s important to be selective about the airline that you fly with. The fact is that not only do some airlines offer different types of options, when it comes to tickets, but they also offer a range of travel choices to consider, such as the amount of carry on luggage and personal items that you are allowed in addition to your dedicated hold luggage. That’s why it pays to look deeper into each ticket price, to see exactly what you are getting for your money, and determine whether you are able to get what you need for the price of your ticket, or whether you will need to pay for extras.
Take advantage of air miles
Do you have a bank of air miles just waiting to be used? If the answer is yes, then perhaps you could consider putting them towards your next flight. The fact is that if you choose to use your air miles to make flying cheaper, you may find that first class travel is more affordable than you would think, and could be an option that it’s worth exploring. To reduce the cost of traveling in first class, ask about any class rewards the airline offers – you may be surprised by the savings that you are able to make.
Wondering how you can get air miles? Believe it or not, you don’t just accumulate air miles when you travel by plane, there are also plenty of other ways that you can get them. You will find that plenty of stores that offer points reward systems also offer air miles as part of this system, you may also find that when a company sends a reward to you for customer loyalty, that reward can be transferred into air miles. Credit cards like American Express also offer air miles as a form of loyalty points. The fact is that even if you’re not a frequent flyer, it’s still possible to build up air miles and cut the cost of your trip.
Take your own food
While you may not be able to take food made at home on board the plane, what you can do is buy food from the airport. By buying food from the airport, instead of paying for an inflight meal, you can help to reduce the cost of your trip. After all, in-flight meals are always extremely expensive, whereas you can get a lot more for your money if you choose to buy your own food in the airport and take it on board the plane with you. Plus, there’s more choice over what you buy and when you eat – for anyone living with allergies this is important, as it makes air travel safer and less dangerous.
The truth is that plane travel can be expensive, there’s no getting away from that fact. However, if you are smart about how you travel, then you can help to cut costs and keep your next plane journey as affordable as possible, in addition to making it less stressful.
Tammie~