The following question often came back to me, how do you find your plane tickets?
So I decided to write you an article with all my tips for finding plane tickets at good prices. Know that these are my own tricks, it is possible that it is not the same for everyone and that there are others.
1. Which sites to use?
For my part, I use google flight and skyscanner a lot. I also look on momondo, cheap flight and kayak, but I have a preference for the other two sites, because searches are easier, in my opinion.
Google flight
When I am looking for a plane ticket, I like to take a first look on google flight since it is possible to see if the prices are in the usual average or not. This allows me to have a first idea of the price that I should respect for a destination.
What I also like is that you can search for tickets all over the world at the same time by looking at the map and you can set flexible dates for an entire month. For example, I could search for a flight from Quebec in January and by browsing the map, I could see the best deals in the world at that time. You can search for return, one-way or multi-destination flights.
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Finally, once you click on a flight, you can look at the price chart and/or the price calendar to see if there are better priced dates for that destination.
Skyscanner
Skyscanner also allows us to search for tickets anywhere in the world by putting the option ''Everywhere'' in the destination bar. Once the search has been launched, the site will show you the destinations in ascending order of price and then in alphabetical order.
What I find useful with Skyscanner, which there is not with google flight is the possibility of looking for an outward and a return in different months. You will then be able to see the price calendar.
Finally, for all flight comparison sites, you will be redirected to an airline and/or to a travel site for the purchase of the ticket, it is your duty to ensure that it is reliable. For example, if they offer you a ticket with Air paz, do a search on google and you will immediately see that it is spam. So don't buy with them, because you will never get your tickets. Remember, the last step before purchasing is site validation.
2. Be flexible
If you have specific dates and a specific destination, the search for tickets won't last long, but you won't get great results either. For example, if you absolutely want to leave on December 23 for Mexico, you will not have as many choices as someone who wants to leave for Mexico at any time of the year. This person will have the choice of dates cheaper than yours. Flexibility, therefore, makes it possible to find better deals. It's quite simple to understand. This also applies to your destinations, if you don't look for a specific place, you will have more choices of good prices.
3. When to buy your tickets
You have probably already heard that it is better to buy your tickets on Sunday evening and to leave on a Tuesday. According to several sites, this rumor would not be false. I myself made the test of subscribing to price alerts and these often decreased on Sundays. However, this rule is not always applicable. It's more of a statistic. Finally, I read in many places that tickets are cheaper in September. This would be the best time to buy your tickets and according to my research this is often true.
4. Light travel
In recent years, airlines have often loaded excess suitcases with plane ticket. This allows people to travel only with a carry on and not pay baggage fees which often amount to $30-50. Please note that low cost airlines such as Volotea, flair Airlinescarry-on, vietjet, etc. do not always include carry on and a maximum dimension may be required. In my experience, this is rarely monitored. Lately I have traveled with a well-filled 60l backpack as a carry on, without any problems, but anything can happen. Traveling with your carry-on also saves you the time of waiting for luggage when arriving at your destination as well as the problems of lost luggage. Finally, with several companies, you can do all your check-in online without going to the counter when you have no baggage to check in.
5. Stopover
Planning the layovers yourself can save you money and at the same time allow you to see more places. For example, for a Qc-Colombia flight that costs $1000, when I search for Qc-Miami, the flight is $300 and Miami-Colombia is $250 (always round trip), the total comes back to me at $550 instead of $1000. All you have to do is arrange your dates so you don't miss your second flight.
Some companies offer stop-over options that allow you to stay in the country longer before reaching your final destination. For example, when I went to Mexico, I had a stopover in Panama with Copa Airlines, for $40 more, I stayed 7 days in Panama.
Remember to make sure you have plenty of time for your layovers, 30 mins for a layover just means you want to miss your flight
6. One way ticket
This is rather rare, but it can happen that buying a return flight separately is cheaper. For example, a return flight to Thailand could cost $1200, but $600 one way and $500 return, so you would save $100 and with $100 you can do a lot of things in Asia . Note that these are exceptions that happen, this is not always applicable.
Buying one-way tickets also allows you to be more flexible and leave from another location.
7. The airports nearby
Departing from a nearby town can sometimes save you money and layover time, but don't forget the associated expense and time. Personally, if the price difference isn't significant ($200+ savings), I don't think it's worth it. Sometimes it's more harm than good.
For example, you will need to find a way to get to or pay for parking at the airport. You will also need to predict the weather, if there is a snowstorm, for example, which prevents you from going to the other city, you will miss your flight. Finally, if you have to sleep in a hotel, it is sometimes more expensive than a plane ticket from your city. Compare the pros and cons before doing so.
It is sometimes positive, but not always.
8. Private navigation
When doing your research, make sure you're in private browsing mode. This prevents sites from recognizing your device and therefore driving up prices during your many searches.
9. Travel deals pages
My last tip for you is to subscribe to the FREE pages that share travel offers.
For Canada, you absolutely must subscribe to the Flytripper pages, (Facebook, Instagram and especially the email subscription), you will see lots of deals and tricks pass without spending a penny or wasting time.
For the people of Quebec, there is also ''Les vols d'Alexi'' which has just started again, you have a free subscription or the premium which costs $60/year.
10. Don't Hesitate
When you find an affordable ticket, don't hesitate to buy it, the price may drop further, but you will still have had a reasonable price and the wait can also cause the price to increase quickly.
I hope my tips will help you. Write me in the comments if you have any questions.
Kelly on the map ☺️
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