How to find cheap flights
Finding that cheap flight to your ultimate holiday destination among the thousands of overpriced seats available on airlines you don’t want to fly with to places you don’t want to visit, is the holy grail of crafty travellers everywhere.
It used to be that you walked into a travel agent and were given a quote on a flight and this, at the end of the day, was exactly how much your bank balance would be hit with once you’d shut your eyes and taken the plunge.
Well not anymore. The process of booking flights has changed beyond all recognition and with a bit of patience, an internet connection and a determination to save yourself money, you can find cheap(er) flights for almost any destination.
The reason is that there is now a plethora of internet sites vying for your attention and, more importantly, your cash, which works in your favour because prices are driven down by competition.
Don’t settle for the fare that you’re given in your local travel agent. If you hunt around and use the competition to your advantage, you’re sure to find somebody willing to cut some of the excess costs on your flight.
The first port of call is to investigate the usual suspects and this means a quick visit to the websites of the “budget” airlines. Try companies like Ryanair, Lufthansa, Easyjet, Aer Lingus, bmi and Monarch.
All of these are “no frills” carriers which means that while the flight may not be as comfortable as a similar route on British Airways, it is likely to cost you a lot less. For most short haul flights throughout Europe you are only likely to be in the air for 2-3 hours at most, and if you can save money for such a short trip why not grin and bear it?
High Street travel agents do have their place in our quest to find cheaper flights although some pavement pounding might be required. Many of the high street agents, faced with the huge threat of online bookings and sales, have had to resort to cut throat measures to keep customers coming back.
The on the ball traveller will have jotted down the prices found on the budget airline websites and ask if they can be better when visiting the likes of Flight Centre, STA Travel or Thomas Cook.
It is also worth getting a written quote from one high street travel agent and taking it with you on your visit to the next high street travel agent to ask if they can offer a more competitive price. Many companies have marketing campaigns that explicitly advertise the fact that they will beat any advertised price from a competitor; all you need to do is put their claims to the test.
The final weapon in the armoury of the traveller intent on finding a cheaper flight is the price comparison website. These are sites that trawl through some of the best deals available on multiple airlines throughout the world to ensure that you save time and effort hunting for deals. Of these sites some of the best include Kayak, Travel Supermarket, Sky Scanner, Flight Comparison and Cheap-Flights-Finder.
Remember cheap flights are out there; sometimes it just takes a relentless determination to sniff them out.
