17 Cheap Flight Hacks to Make You a Savvy Traveler

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Never overpay for flights again with these Cheap Flight Hacks and tips!

Whether you’re dreaming of a Bucket List Trip or travel frequently for work, there’s no need to overpay for Airfare. In fact, these Cheap Flight Hacks will show you exactly how to start drastically reducing the cost of your flights today!

You won’t believe how much money you’ll save with these savvy travel tricks to score cheaper flights!

So are you ready to never overpay for airfare again? Here’s what you need to do…

Cheap Flight Hacks

#1: Stock Up on FREE Southwest and Delta Gift Cards!

Paying for a flight is always more fun when you’ve got free gift cards to use, right? The easiest way to get free airfare gift cards is by signing up with Swagbucks and earning free Southwest and Delta gift cards. I have gotten SO many free Southwest Airlines gift cards this way!

Here’s how it works:

Sign up with Swagbucks
Then start earning Swagbucks SB Points. There are so many EASY ways to earn Swagbucks! You can earn by Searching the Web {just like you would using Google}, Taking Surveys, Using Coupons, Shopping Online, Watching Videos, etc. I typically earn an easy $25 – $50 each month on Swagbucks!
Cash in your Swagbucks SB Points for Free Southwest Airlines Gift Cards and Free Delta Gift Cards!

#2: Catch a Free Uber to the Airport

If you’ll be leaving on a longer trip, you may want to consider leaving your car at home. Instead, after earning free Uber Gift Cards, you can catch free rides to and from the airport. Not only will you save money on airport parking, but you’ll also save on gas! Just use the same steps from above to earn Free Uber Gift Cards from Swagbucks!

#3: Check Google Flights, Momondo, and Skyscanner for the Cheapest Fares

These flight search platforms have been a game changer. You can easily compare the fares on most airlines, look for cheaper fares on the calendar, or use the map function to find the cheapest cities to fly into. Do yourself a favor and use these sites when booking your next flight! Your wallet will thank you!

#4: Travel Light and Carry On Your Luggage

Will you be flying more than one carrier? Or are do you want to avoid lost luggage on your trip? Then the answer is simple: just carry it on!

There are many ways to pack lighter, more efficiently, and all around enjoy the benefits of more freedom while traveling. By putting these Suitcase Packing Tips to use, you can enjoy the freedom of not checking bags.

I regularly try pack minimalist, and haven’t checked a bag in years! As far as your clothes go, be sure to check out my top tips for How to Keep Clothes Clean While Traveling!

#5: Bring Your Own Food

Have you booked a flight on an airline that charges for food? Or maybe one that doesn’t serve food at all? Simply bring your own food on board! You can bring food from home {just check the current TSA guidelines to make sure it’s allowed through security}, or you can purchase food and water in the airport after you get through security to take on the plane. While airport food isn’t cheap by any means, it’s almost always cheaper and more delicious than any airplane food!

#6: Look for Mistake Fares

Now this little trick could be a jackpot for you! Mistake Fares are when an airline accidentally posts airfare with the wrong pricing. There are websites like Secret Flying that keep up-to-date track of the different mistake fares going on. Just sign up for email updates, and you might just have the opportunity for the cheapest flight ever!!

#7: Try Hidden City Ticketing

Made popular by the app ‘Skiplagged‘, the Hidden City Ticketing trick has been known to save loads of money on airfare!

So how exactly does it work?

Let’s say, for example, you want to book a flight from San Francisco to Atlanta. Instead of making Atlanta your final destination, you book a flight from San Francisco to Miami with a layover in Atlanta. Let’s suppose the San Fran-Atlanta-Miami flight is cheaper than the flight from San Fran-Atlanta (flights with layovers can save money).

So you book this ticket, but instead of flying all the way to Miami, you simply skip the second leg of the flight and arrive in your intended destination (Atlanta) on your layover. It’s a strange trick, but a very interesting way to save some cash!

#8: Fly Budget Airlines

This is somewhat obvious, but flying budget airlines as opposed to mainstream carriers can save you quite a bit. Just watch out for hidden fees! Some airlines, like Allegiant in North America or RyanAir in Europe are notoriously known for charging extra for everything! So know the rules before you fly. Also be sure to check the carryon size limits, print all of your boarding passes before arriving at the airport, and bring your own food. If you avoid their extra fees, you can save a bundle on your flight!

No need to overpay for airfare on a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada

#9: Consider Flying Into Nearby Cities

For instance, if you’ve been dreaming of a winter getaway to sunny Tucson, Arizona, consider this: there are only 15 direct flight to Tucson, give or take, but if you fly into Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport just 2 hours away, you have hundreds of direct flights from all around the US, Canada, and Mexico. You could then either get another flight from Phoenix to hop down to Tucson, or just rent a car and drive the 2 hours south.

So just remember… when you fly into a bigger city a few of hours away, you may have exponentially more flight options, and better car rental options, too!

Skip the cold winter and come to sunny Tucson, Arizona

#10: Sign up for Airline Email Alerts

Another way to find discounted fares is by signing up for airline email updates. I’m subscribed to Southwest and Norwegian email updates and frequently receive great discounted fares. It’s an easy way to be the first to know about great sales!

#11: Fly and Travel Off-Season

Simply changing up the dates of your trip is probably the greatest way to save BIG on flights! When booking flights to popular tourist destinations, the airfare rates can spike in the peak seasons (think Summer, Christmas, etc.). Now, if you’re feeling adventurous and are willing to travel at sometimes less-than-ideal times, you can often save 20-50% or more on flights!

Plus, traveling in the low season brings other benefits to the table. Fewer crowds and cheaper accommodations might just make up for the weather!

San Francisco on a chilly, but beautiful sunny day in January

#12: Be Flexible with Dates

If you have the luxury of having a flexible schedule, sometimes you can get cheaper airfare simply by looking for flights on weekdays instead of weekends, or vice versa. Just remember, the more flexible you are, the more money you can save! Play around with your dates to find the best deals.

#13: Be Flexible With Destinations

Got the travel bug, but don’t have a specific destination in mind? If you’re undecided on your destination, you give yourself a great opportunity to find cheap flights! Like I mentioned above, definitely use the Google Flights and Skyscanner to look for cheap flights by region, and sign up for emails from Secret Flying. With some flexibility on your trip destination, you just might be about to have the adventure of a life time!

#14: Join an Airline Loyalty Program

This is particularly handy if you travel often for work, or just have a favorite airline you primarily use. Simply search to see if they offer a loyalty program. If they do, sign up now. Then the next time you go to purchase tickets, make sure to enter your loyalty program number to have the points and/or rewards credited to your account. Signing up for your favorite airline’s loyalty program can help save you money on more flights down the road.

#15: Fly Open Jaw

Wait, what? It’s easy… an Open Jaw Ticket is when you book a flight into one city, but out of another. For example, let’s say you’re planning a European trip to France and Italy. You purchase an open jaw ticket with a flight from your city to Paris, but a flight out of Rome. You’ll be in charge of getting from Paris to Rome.

While buying an open jaw ticket may only save a marginal amount of cash, it has other benefits: It can save lots of money on a multiple stop itinerary, as you fly into point A and out of point B, without having to backtrack from point B to point A.

So in short: on your next multi stop trip, an open jaw ticket can save you time and money on the ground!

The piazzas and fountains of Rome, Italy are calling… and don’t want you to spend an arm and a leg getting here!

#16: Book Two One-Way Tickets

Similarly to the tip above, booking two one-way tickets can also be a simple way of accomplishing the same thing. Using the same example, maybe you take advantage of a great one-way Norwegian Airlines flight to Paris, but return on a discounted TAP Portugal flight on the way home. Flexibility is the name of the game here!

#17: Take Advantage of a Stopover

What exactly is a stopover? Technically, a stopover is a break of more than 24 hours in your flight, not to be confused with a layover, which is less than 24 hours. Now, when you book a flight with a stopover, you have the option of exploring a new city – which is great! But there are several airlines that actually offer free hotel nights as part of their package! These include:

Air Canada in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver
Emirates in Dubai
Etihad in Abu Dhabi
Ethiopian in Addis Ababa
Finnair in Helsinki
Icelandair in Reykjavík
Singapore Airlines in Singapore
TAP Portugal in Lisbon and Porto
Qatar Airways in Doha

A free stopover with free accommodation plus the chance to explore a new city is an all-around great way to save money on airfare!

So as you can see, airfare doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg. By utilizing these Cheap Flight Hacks, you can save your legs for walking, and your arms for taking photos! So go check out even more flying and Budget Travel Tips below…