by Rick Seaney
Here’s a reality check: summer flights are typically not wallet-friendly. In fact, summer ranks alongside Thanksgiving and Christmas as one of the priciest times to book air travel, especially with prices surging around the Fourth of July. However, there are still opportunities to save significantly.
1.)Utilize an online alert system. Numerous airfare comparison websites, including mine, provide options to sign up for fare alerts. This means you can receive notifications about deals without much effort on your side.
What to do: Conduct a brief fare search for your desired vacation spot to gauge initial prices, helping you identify a truly great deal when it appears. If you receive a notification for a price you’re happy with, act quickly, as the best deals are often limited in availability.
2.)Choose early or late flights. Traveling during early to mid-June or mid to late August can yield significantly lower fares compared to peak season. Prices generally climb when children are on break during the height of summer travel.
What you can do: If you don’t have school-aged children or if your kids are still little, take advantage of these lower fare periods. If not, there are still strategies worth considering.
3.)Select the least expensive days. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays tend to be the most affordable days to fly throughout the year. While many of us prefer traveling over the weekend with a Friday departure and Sunday return, this high demand drives up prices, benefiting the airlines.
What to do: Attempt to fly on the most affordable days both to and from your destination. If that isn’t feasible, try to incorporate at least one economical travel day into your plans to secure savings.
4.)Consider connecting flights. Have you heard of the ‘convenience tax’? It’s not an official charge, but it’s very real—the often higher fare we pay for direct flights. While nonstop routes may sometimes be cheaper, connecting flights can frequently offer prices up to 60% lower.
What you can do: Compare the costs of nonstop flights against those with connections to see the differences in pricing and overall travel time. Determining whether the trade-off is worthwhile is personal; often, it proves beneficial and may even provide kids with a necessary break to stretch their legs at the airport.
5.)Choose the appropriate bag. Before grabbing that large suitcase, consider whether you truly need all that room. Not only are carry-on bags typically free with most airlines, but they also stay with you, reducing the risk of loss. I rely on my carry-on for trips both to Europe and Asia.
What to do: Visit your airline’s website to review any fees associated with baggage. Many budget airlines charge for carry-ons, a practice also observed by some basic economy fares from larger legacy carriers.
6.)Enroll in expedited security screening. Time equates to money, and nothing eats up your time more than waiting in security lines. Instead, take advantage of PreCheck lanes that allow you to breeze through without removing your shoes.
What to do: Sign up for PreCheck, which costs $85 for a five-year membership, and allows children under 12 to benefit from their parent’s membership at no extra charge. For those traveling internationally, consider Global Entry, which also includes PreCheck (note that children of all ages must pay for this membership).
FARECOMPARE.COM
