How to Save On Flights to Go Anywhere in The World
The first time you go online and search for a flight to your chosen destination, you may be either pleasantly or unpleasantly surprised by how much it costs. Fortunately, there are tips you can use to find the best price on flights.
It can take time and patience, but planning ahead and watching for the best deal can help you save on flights. You should always consider saving, but no matter how much money you save, you need to spend it wisely. Here are some tips on how to find the best flight deals:
1. Be Flexible
If you are willing to change your dates just a little, you may be able to slash the price of your flight. There are search options that will help you look for the cheapest month and day, and many of them will let you see all the different options available so you can choose the best time and day.
2. Travel Light
The less you carry with you, the fewer bags you will need to check. Every extra bag you check bumps your price up significantly, even up to $100 per bag. The website for the airline will tell you how much free baggage you can bring on the plane, including size and weight specifications.
Once you get to the airport, you can check your bags and make sure you are within the limits. Not only is extra baggage expensive, but you will also enjoy your trip more if you are carrying around less baggage. Traveling light means you can get around easier once you reach your destination, too.
3. Set Price Alerts
You can sign up online so that you will be notified when there is a price drop for destinations in which you have expressed an interest. You can also be notified if a price is about to go up, so you can go ahead and purchase your tickets while they still cost less.
You can even set multiple price alerts if you are willing to be flexible so that you can be notified of great deals for multiple places. Setting up price alerts can allow you to stay ahead of the game and ultimately save on flights.
4. Get a Travel Rewards Credit Card
The best time to sign up may be when you are traveling, but you can also find great deals by searching too. Some travel credit cards offer large bonuses just for signing up, and you can use your rewards to get free or reduced-price flights.
5. Off-Season Travel Can Save You a Ton Of Money
You can save on flights, but also on other travel needs like lodging and attractions. When a tourist location is having a harder time getting visitors, there may be significant price drops to try to fill the rooms and get visitors to come. Just compare the difference between flights to Europe during the winter and during the summer: a last-minute flight during the summer may cost over $1,000, but a winter flight you reserve ahead of time might only cost about $400. Taking control of these costs by planning in advance and traveling when others aren't can help you save on flights.
6. Pick a Different Airport
There are some places that simply cost less to fly into and out of, so when you search for flights, you can search for other airports in the area. You can also fly out of different airports; the airport in your smaller town or city might cost far more than an airport just a few hours away.
7. Take Advantage Of Layovers
Depending on the terms of your ticket, you might be able to extend a layover to stay in a place you really wanted to visit anyway. Or if you already have a long layover, you may be able to take public transit into the city and look around while you wait. This can help you save on flights, so that you can have more mini-trips within your vacation, instead of paying more to spend a night or two in each location.
8. Watch For Sales
Even if you are signed up for alerts, you can also keep looking for other sales to save on flights. Sign up for newsletters and bookmark sites like Skyscanner that will help you find the best current deals.
9. Find the Best Time To Book
Even the timing of when you book can let you save on flights. You can save money by booking a foreign flight at least 4 months in advance or a domestic flight at least 30 days in advance. Last-minute prices are more likely to take advantage of your greater need.
The best day of the week to book is Saturday for a domestic flight or Sunday for a foreign flight, and the best month to book is August for domestic and September for international.
How Much Does a Vacation Usually Cost?
You can have a staycation without spending any money at all or a vacation where you travel far and stay in 5-star hotels. Just an average vacation with airfare, lodging, food, and activities runs about $1800-$2500, with the price going up to $7000+ for a family of four. Some cities are more expensive, like Paris, while a trip to Branson, Missouri for a family of four averages “only” about $5,800. All of these seem like a lot of money, so it isn't surprising that many people turn to vacation loans to finance their vacations.
Instead of skipping your vacation entirely, you can start thinking of ways to save money on your trip right away. You can save on flights, lodging, food and everything else if you plan wisely and are willing to be flexible and make some sacrifices.
Apps You Can Use To Travel Now And Pay Later
If searching for your own flight seems overwhelming, there are apps you can use to book your flight that will assist you in booking your flight without waiting to come up with all of the funds upfront. You may still need to go through a credit check or pay fees, but it won't be as extensive a process as going through a loan application. Some of the best apps include:
Affirm
It lets you use Expedia and Cheap Air to help you find your flight, allowing you to charge your flight and then only charging interest until you pay it off. This San Francisco startup lets you choose whether you want to pay back the loan over a 3, 6 or 12 month period. You can also simply search for flights through Expedia or Cheap Air and then choose Affirm as your payment option.
Airfordable
This app lets you use any booking engine but Spirit.com and doesn't do a credit check. The flight must cost at least $200, and you will only be charged one service fee upfront, which costs between 10 and 20% of the flight, depending on factors such as current demand, date of travel, and ticket price. The trip must be paid in full 60 days before departure.
Flymble
It will run a credit check before allowing you to get financing for your flight, and only charges one service fee of between 10.5 and 17% of the ticket. This app is only open to UK residents, who must also be at least 18, have a debit or credit card, and have a phone. The maximum amount you can finance through this app is £3000.
Bliss
It is based out of San Francisco, like Affirm. The service will search over 200 sites to find the cheapest flight and give you 6 months to pay the money back with 0% APR. Not only that, but Bliss also lets you collect points so that you can get discounts or free flights later.
STA Travel
This app is based in Zurich and London but can be used by residents of several other countries. More than just a way to get flights, STA Travel considers itself the biggest travel agency in the world for students and young people. Like Airfordable, STA Travel expects you to pay off the bill before actually setting off. With only a deposit, you can reserve a flight, tour, and/or a place to stay almost anywhere in the world.
Why Get a Travel Loan?
Should you take out a loan just for travel? As with any loan, you need to carefully consider your financial situation before taking out any loan. But traveling is important for many reasons, and a travel loan might be the best way for you to get the funds you need. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of a travel loan:
Reasons to Get a Travel Loan
If you currently have a good, steady job and you know you have the extra money to make the payments after your trip, it might be a good time to take out a travel loan. Hopefully, you have a budget so you know how much extra you have left over at the end of the month so you can make payments on your loan. If you don't have a budget, it's not too late to get started, because budgeting helps everyone, no matter what your income is.
Many places let you build up vacation time, but you put off going on vacation because you think you're too busy at work. If you have the time, you should take advantage of it. Some workplaces will even take away your excess vacation time if you don't use it quickly enough.
Is it an emergency? If there is a place you need to go, and you don't have the money saved up, you might need to take out a travel loan.
Is there business you need to conduct in another location, or a continuing education seminar you want to attend? Take out a travel loan so you can meet your professional obligations.
Do you have little to no credit history? Taking out a travel loan, and then paying it off every month for a period, will help you start building a good credit history. Many people are worried about debt and the negative consequences of getting a loan, but getting a personal loan can actually help your credit.
Downsides to Getting a Travel Loan
Going into debt is serious, even if you know you can afford it. As long as you have outstanding debt, you will have to make those payments every month until you have paid it off.
Travel loans will come with extra fees and interest, so you will have to pay those back too.
If something happens and you can't make one of your payments, it could have a negative effect on your credit.
How To Get a Personal Loan For Travel
Once you make the decision to take out a loan, you need to decide what kind of loan you want and the advantages and disadvantages of each one. Some will come with more fees, but some will have more requirements and take more time. You may not be eligible for some kinds of loans if you don't have much credit history or if you have a poor record of paying in the past.
Most people can get a travel loan if they know how, but you want to make sure you get the one that not only helps you get you the money you need but also has the best terms and lowest interest rate.
Secured Loans vs Unsecured Loans
What kind of loan are you looking for? First, you need to learn the difference between the different kinds of loans. The two main kinds of loans are secured and unsecured loans. They each have different advantages and disadvantages, so you should weigh your options carefully.
Secured Loans
They are backed by property or another kind of asset. You may already have a secured loan, like a car loan, where your vehicle is the collateral your lender can take if you don't pay the money back. You can take out a secured loan for almost anything, as long as you have the assets to back it up, such as real estate or other tangible assets. The biggest advantage of a secured loan is that you can generally get better terms because the lender knows they can get satisfaction whether or not you pay the money back. The disadvantage, obviously, is that if you can't pay back a secured loan the lender will be able to take the property you used to secure the loan.
Unsecured Loans
These loans are not backed up by anything except your own promise to pay the money back. These kinds of loans are a lot riskier for the lender because all they have to count on is your reputation. If you don't pay back the loan, the lender can take you to court and possibly garnish your wages. The fact that the loan is riskier is the reason the terms on an unsecured loan are not usually as favorable, especially the interest rate.
Personal Travel Loans
A personal travel loan is a kind of unsecured personal loan, and you aren't really required to spend the money in any particular way. You can use the funds from an unsecured loan at your own discretion, and nobody will check to make sure you really used the cash to travel. You can even use the money to pay off some of your other debts before you go on your trip so you can relax more while you're traveling.
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All the Ways You Can Use a Vacation Loan
When you use one of those apps to purchase your ticket, you can save on flights by purchasing your airfare when the prices are best. There are a lot of other things you can spend a vacation loan on, though. You need to think carefully about all of your potential vacation needs so you know how much money to borrow.
Transportation to Your Destination
Of course, you can use your loan to buy plane tickets or rent a vehicle. You can even save on flights by flying to a different airport and then renting a vehicle to get the rest of the way to your destination. You can also save on flights by following tips from travel experts on when to buy your tickets. Even something like a train ticket may cost far less if you reserve it well in advance.
Lodging
Your other most important expense is lodging. You will need a safe, clean place to stay while you are on your trip. It doesn't have to be fancy or expensive, but the amount you spend on your room can add up, especially if you have your family with you. Compare prices at several places in the neighborhoods where you want to stay, or stay in a neighborhood a little further away where you can enjoy a quieter experience. Check out hostels, Airbnb, and other kinds of lodging.
Food
You can't go to your home kitchen and make a sandwich when you get hungry when you're on vacation. If you're lucky and if you plan well, you may have a kitchen where you are staying. This will save you money, but you will still end up needing extra money for eating out at least some of the time. You can get a more authentic experience eating at restaurants where locals eat, and it will cost far less than a meal in a tourist trap. You can also save money by finding a local grocery and at least getting snacks and drinks there.
Attractions
There isn't much point in going to your favorite vacation place if you don't take advantage of what it has to offer. You may need to pay for amusement park tickets in Orlando, jazz concerts in St. Louis, or a Broadway show in New York. If you plan ahead, then you may be able to find discounts. Some cities even have a City Pass that allows the holder to enjoy several attractions and exhibits for a discounted price, and some of them even have public transit included in the cost. Check out the tourist offices for the cities you plan to visit and find online forums where people can give you advice on great ways to save money.
Other Needs
If you are visiting a place with a different climate, you may need to purchase or at least borrow some clothing so you can be comfortable in different weather. If you are planning on walking a lot, you will need sturdy shoes and good socks. Travel pillows, blankets, and towels might be necessary if you are going to a place that doesn't have them. If you are visiting a foreign country, you need to make sure you have the right chargers, adaptors, and other electronics.
Other Ways To Finance Your Travel
You don't have to keep your dreams small if you really want to travel around the world. There are a lot of ways you can get discounts and earn money that will help you achieve your wildest travel dreams. Travel finance can come in the form of a travel loan, but there are also some other ways to make sure you have enough money to cover your dream vacation.
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Do this by using travel credit cards and using them at the places you normally do, for shopping, gas, and other needs. You won't have to spend any extra money to get these travel points that can help you save on flights, in the form of discounts or even free flights.
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Research to find discounts and tips on how to spend less money and save on flights, so that you can go to the places you want.
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The one where you just earn money you can save for traveling. You can find something flexible or something you can do in your time off, or even find a sales job where you can work when you want. Keep that money in a different account so you don't spend it on your regular bills.
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Do this so that you have more money left in your current budget.
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Try doing this instead of maintaining a vehicle.
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It may not seem like much, but it will add up.
Some of the simplest tips are the best: put aside just $20 a week, open a savings account just for travel, make your own coffee instead of buying a $5 cup every morning, get a roommate, and if you have high interest rates or expensive cable bills, call and negotiate to see if you can save some money. People are surprisingly willing to say yes if you just ask.
Conclusion
Once you make the decision to travel, it can be heartbreaking to find out you just don't have the funds for the trip you planned. But travel financing, coming in the form of getting vacation loans, saving on flights and other travel expenses, and accumulating funds through saving and budgeting, can make your dreams a reality. Don't give up on your trip before you have exhausted every option.
Some people put off traveling until they have a better job and more money or until they are retired, but there will always be reasons to put off traveling. If you put it off for too long, then you may never actually get around to doing it.
Don't wait until you are old and rich, when you are too tired to actually travel. Go now, while you still have the energy and patience to travel anywhere and everywhere! Use our tips to save on flights and fund your trip, and enjoy the opportunity to go anywhere in the world!