Finding Cheap Flights

1) Be flexible – As much as possible, try to be flexible with dates and destinations. If you don’t need to restrict yourself to definitely going to a certain place on a specific date, your chance of saving increases. This may seem unrealistic, but it really isn’t. For most people there’s always somewhere worth going, so if you have some annual leave to use up, play around with dates and destinations to see what you can find. 

It also pays to think ahead with regards to upcoming bank holidays if you’re thinking of squeezing in a few long weekends away. Check flights as early as you can, and keep checking them; bank holidays can be expensive but you’ll often find amazing deals pop up at the last minute.

2) Consider connections – Getting a direct flight to your chosen destination is undoubtedly more convenient, but it’s often cheaper to get connecting flights with a short layover. 

Granted, not everyone will want to spend seven hours in Bosnia on a Sunday morning rather than flying straight home after a weekend break. But doing so could save you tens or even hundreds of pounds on flights, plus it provides the opportunity for a bit of adventure. Why not embrace the layover, take the bus into the nearest town, stretch your legs, and explore? You never know what you might find.

3) Mix and match airlines – Consider using multiple airlines to reduce the cost of your flights. It may be simpler just to book that direct flight to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with Saudia from London Heathrow, but ‘simpler’ might equate to ‘more expensive than necessary.’

Take a little time to play around with mixing and matching airlines, and you could find yourself saving a couple of hundred pounds by flying from London Gatwick to Istanbul with WizzAir, and then on to Riyadh with Ajet. This journey could cost you as little as £120 (rather than £350 with a single airline), and it gives you a little bonus time to explore Istanbul.

4) Check other airports – Checking several viable airports is a smart move both when searching for your departure airport in the UK, and your arrival airport at your destination. For example, UK airports like Gatwick, Luton and Stansted are the hubs for easyJet, Wizz Air and Ryanair, respectively, so choosing one of these airports could lead to savings and a greater variety of destinations.

When looking at airports outside of the UK, looking at slightly less conveniently situated airports could save you money. Oslo, for example, has Oslo Torp Airport, which is two hours by train from Oslo city centre. Though not as convenient as flying directly to the city centre airport, landing in Oslo Torp means you can take a budget flight with Ryanair instead of a more expensive flight. The saving would more than offset any additional cost incurred by the train ticket (and let’s face it, who wouldn’t jump at the chance to squeeze in a train ride!).

5) Use reward programmes – It’ll come as no surprise that I am a HUGE fan of the WizzAir Discount Club. Paying a small yearly subscription lets you become a member and save money on every Wizz Air flight you book for yourself, your partner, and your family.

If you are a solo or duo travel team and you’re likely to fly with Wizz air twice a year or more, spending the £35 on discount club membership is well worth it. In all likelihood, the membership will pay for itself the very next time you travel. Other airlines offer similar reward programmes and discount clubs, so it’s worth shopping around to see what will save you the most cash.

6) Travel carry-on only and use random seat allocations – This is where I make a lot of savings, as I don’t need to pay for a baggage allowance or pay for a seat. Essentially, the trick is to avoid paying extra for anything that isn’t included in the standard cost of the ticket. If you travel regularly, the savings will really add up. This isn’t for everybody but it’s worth considering.

If you want to sit next to your travel companion it’s best to bite the bullet and pay for seats next to each other. Don’t be a dick and expect strangers to move from allocated seats to accommodate you (this is something I have strong feelings about, as you may have guessed!).

However, there is a little bit of a ‘cheat’ you can do to save money while still sitting together: check in as early as possible, then if you haven’t been allocated two seats next to each other, you can pay a small fee to move one of them next to the other. By using one of your randomly allocated seats, you can avoid paying to choose two seats.

7) Don’t always book directly with an airline – There’s no denying that the words ‘Travel Agent’ can bring on an involuntary shudder, so much so that I almost can’t believe I’m saying this…don’t automatically rule out using a ‘Travel Agent’ platform to book flights.

Yes, booking directly with an airline has its advantages. However, using websites like Alternative Airlines, Trip.com or MyTrip can sometimes save you money, and may even give you access to flexible payment options like Klarna or PayPal. I’ve had nothing but great experiences with the sites mentioned above and many others. That being said, I’d strongly advise you to read reviews and ask for recommendations from other travellers.