One of the key elements to traveling on a budget or not wanting to break-the-bank, is finding cheap flights. It’s essential. Air travel is incredibly expensive these days, and we want to be able to stretch our dollar as far as it will go when we travel. There are so many other expenses to consider and plan for, that’s why finding cheap/less expensive flights is really important! Here are my five tips for finding cheap flights!

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Tip #1:

My first tip is to use Scotts Cheap Flights and sign up for the free email alerts for low fares. There is a paid version, but I find the free version sufficient for now. You get alerts when flights out of the airports you have selected get cheap fares! I found our cheap fares to Maui last summer this way, and I was able to go for around $200 roundtrip per person! This is a super hands-off step to finding cheap flights because Scott’s team is searching for cheap fares for you and sending alerts your way!

Tip #2:

My second tip would be to pick an airline credit card, preferably with the airline you fly with the most, and rack up points that way! What’s even better is when you sign up with a bonus offer (i.e. they’ll give you 50,000 bonus miles if you spend ‘x’ amount of money on the card in the first three months for example. It’s a solid way to get a large amount of points!

My favorite is the Southwest Rapid Rewards Visa! I signed up when there was a bonus and I was able to cover the ENTIRE fare to Maui for THREE PEOPLE roundtrip! It was amazing!!!!! I love southwest because they are super family friendly, have good prices, you can pick your seat and the crew is always super nice! If you want to sign up for the Southwest Visa, you can click here and you’ll receive 50,000 bonus points! That amount of points can get you to a lot of fun places! I don’t get paid for sharing this, but I do get a small bonus points kickback when you sign up through my link! If you choose to sign up, thanks for supporting my business and family!

Tip #3:

Fly during the off seasons and during the middle of the week! These are great times to fly with lowers fares and less crowds! It’s a win-win! This is probably the oldest trick in the book, but it works. Instead of flying during peak season to Maui (July, August) we’ve gone once in June and once in September, both stellar times to go!!

Tip #4:

Watch google flights and look at low fare calendars! There’s some great insights there! Low fares usually show up in green on the calendar! You can also set up google so that it tracks certain trips for you to find low prices and you’ll get alerts when there is a lower than normal price!

Tip #5:

Don’t pick your destination first. Of course, you can always hope for and watch out for good deals to your fave destinations, but if you really want to score great deals, keep an eye out for good deals on dates you can travel and be flexible on the destination!

I hope that you find these tips helpful in finding cheap flights next time you’re looking to travel!

Traveling with kids? Check out my tips here for some of the best tips for traveling with kids!