Once, I secured a round-trip ticket to Costa Rica for only $300! Flights like these allow me to travel frequently without breaking the bank. The costs of flights and accommodations can quickly add up, but focusing on affordable flights has allowed me to explore many more destinations. Keep reading to learn the best ways to find cheap plane tickets in 2023!
Contents:
- Prioritize Flights Over Destinations
- Be Prepared to Sleep in the Airport
- Be Flexible With Dates
- Pack Light
- Look Into Additional Airports You Can Fly From
- How to Find Cheap Plane Tickets on Google Flights
- Use Student Universe to Find Cheap Plane Tickets
- Make Sure You Are Signed Up for Miles
Prioritize Flights Over Destinations
When I found my cheap plane tickets to Costa Rica, it wasn’t because I was searching for trips to Costa Rica. I had a week off for spring break and wanted to find the cheapest plane tickets to a new country. As a broke college student, I didn’t feel like dropping $700+ solely on a flight to go to Cabo when there were multiple other places that I was interested in visiting.
If you are open to more locations, you will be able to find better flights! I have been on so many trips this way! The key to budget travel is saving on flights. Additionally, this allows you to spend more money on food, experiences, and other things that make traveling incredible.
Be Prepared to Sleep in the Airport
I will be the first to say budget travel is NOT glamorous. Yes, I did fly to Costa Rica for only $300. Yes, I also had a 14-hour overnight layover at the Charlotte airport and slept on the ground.
It’s a fact that comfort comes at a cost. If you are willing to endure long layovers or uncomfortable flights, you will save significant amounts of money. At this point in my life, it’s worth having a long layover to save a few hundred dollars. By saving money on my flight, I put money towards other things in Costa Rica, such as zip lining by the Arenal volcano, spending a little bit more on accommodations by the beach, and eating out for most meals.
One upside of long layovers is that sometimes you have the chance to leave the airport and explore the city! I had a 14-hour layover in Istanbul, Turkey. Turkish Airlines provides a free tour of the city if your layover is longer than six hours. Check out my post, “The Complete Guide to TourIstanbul with Turkish Airlines” for more information!
Be Flexible With Dates
In this case, I had to book on specific dates, but if you are able to be flexible with your dates, you can find even better deals. For example, if you want to plan a trip and have a week saved up to take off work, first find the flights BEFORE you take the week off. After searching for the best flight possible, you can take the week off that aligns with your new travel plans.
Pack Light
It is a given for backpacking and budget travel, but packing lighter saves you money and effort. I never recommend checking a bag under any circumstances. It’s not worth it, especially if you’re moving around a lot. Not only is it annoying to carry, but it also costs extra to check a bag.
Some budget airlines also charge to bring a carry-on. If possible, I recommend only bringing a backpack as a personal item to avoid extra fees on budget airlines. If you need to bring a carry-on, check if it’s included in the ticket before purchasing. Sometimes the additional baggage cost can be more than the ticket itself!
Look Into Additional Airports That You Can Fly From
Another way I have secured cheap plane tickets is by being flexible about where I fly from. If there are multiple airports surrounding your area, look into all of them instead of sticking with the one you prefer or typically use. Different airports can make a big difference in flight prices!
Additionally, if you don’t live in an area with a large international airport, look into taking a bus to the nearest one in a different state. Sometimes the price difference can be so big that traveling to another airport would be cheaper.
How to Find Cheap Plane Tickets on Google Flights
Not to be a fangirl, but if there is one platform I’m using to find cheap plane tickets, it’s Google Flights! I love Google Flights because it has multiple ways to customize your search, allowing you to find flights based on flexible dates and locations. Once you find a flight, it also shows you the costs across various booking platforms to ensure that you find the best deal.
Here is how to search for flexible flights on Google Flights:
- Click here to access Google Flights
- Enter your home airport in the “Where from?” section
- Enter any of the following terms in the “Where to?” section
- To explore a continent, type: the name of the continent (ex: “South America”)
- To explore a region, type: the name of the region (ex: “Eastern Europe”)
- If you want to explore any destination in the world, type “Anywhere”
- Add your dates and click search
From here, you can browse all the different flights, but to find even BETTER deals, you can also make your dates flexible.
To search for flexible dates:
- Follow steps 1-4 above. Even if you are searching for flexible dates, just put random dates in there first and click search.
- Click on the date box, and a calendar should pop up.
- Click on “Flexible Dates” in the top corner.
- Select a specific month or select “All” to search for flights in the next six months.
- Select the duration of your trip, “Weekend,” “1 Week,” or “2 Weeks.”
- Click “Done.”
- Wow! Look at all those cheap flights!
Using this method, I just found a flight from New York to Ireland for $381! This flight is on United, is nonstop on the way there, and includes a carry-on. Are you kidding?!
Use Student Universe to Find Cheap Plane Tickets
Additionally, students can use Student Universe to book cheap flights. You get extra discounts if you are an Amazon Prime Student member.
Click here to get a free 6-month trial to Amazon Prime Student! Make sure to signup for this before buying your Student Universe flight.
Click here to check out Student Universe.
Make sure to compare Student Universe tickets to Google Flights! Sometimes it is still cheaper to book with Google Flights but always compare your options.
Make Sure You Are Signed Up for Miles
Always sign up for miles BEFORE purchasing a plane ticket. If you spend money on a plane ticket, you might as well collect miles. Redeeming miles essentially works as a rewards program. You can redeem miles in the future for free or discounted plane tickets!
Larger airlines such as Delta, United, and American, allow you to collect miles. Smaller airlines such as Ryanair, Wizz Air, and EasyJet don’t have miles you can collect, but it never hurts to check!
Additionally, be aware that some airlines have partners where you can redeem miles on additional airlines. For example, United is a part of the Star Alliance. The Star Alliance includes other airlines like Swiss, Turkish Airlines, Singapore Airlines, etc. To see the complete list of Star Alliance members click here.
This means that if you typically fly United and have a United Miles account under them, you can claim United Miles anytime you fly one of their partner airlines as well. Sometimes you have to go in and add this to your account after you take the flight, so keep this in mind to ensure that you are claiming all miles possible!
I have a blog post about claiming United Miles coming soon.
I hope you enjoyed reading my best tips for finding cheap flights in 2023! These tips have helped me secure the best deals and the most wonderful travel experiences! Leave a comment below if you have any questions or need clarification.
What cheap flight were you able to find with these hacks? I’d love to hear!