Airfare takes a huge chunk out of your travel budget and has a significant effect on your travel plans. An expensive ticket can lead you to choose a cheaper destination, shorten your itinerary (if you’re buying a round-trip ticket), spend less money at your vacation stop to stay within budget, or schedule your flight for a later date. There are thousands of airline tickets and deals available online, and there are hidden gems of cheaper flights if you know where and how to look for them.

Read on as we share what you can do to book cheaper flights and enjoy your vacations more.

 Flight search engines are your primary resources for finding flights and tickets that are within your budget range. Not all flight search engines are the same, as some sites offer flights from major airlines while others have a wider variety of flight options, including budget carriers. If you are planning a vacation to South Africa, the United Kingdom, or Australia, the SA Airlines site offers the cheapest flights in South Africa and other trans-Atlantic destinations by comparing thousands of flights daily, including the national flag carrier, South African Airways, and other budget airlines. Be on the lookout for promos and limited offers to avail of fare discounts. You also have to note that there is no consistently perfect flight search engine, so it is a wise idea to have more than one trusted source online for cheap flight options. 

 One of the easiest ways of getting a lower ticket price is to book the flight as early as you can. Tickets to some flight destinations can be available as early as three months before the flight date, and some airlines and flight search engines offer bookings even earlier than three months. Book your flights within this period and not within three weeks before the flight, as that is when plane ticket prices get more expensive. Some airlines base their ticket prices on the number of available seats. Thus, an early booking not only gives you lower ticket prices but also access to the seats you  

Another smart move in conjunction with booking a flight early is to book a flight off-season. Airline ticket prices can vary depending on the day of the week, the season, and the holidays that coincide with your flight dates, such as the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas, or New Year’s Eve. August is a peak travel month around Europe, and winter is when warmer travel destinations get many flight bookings. School holidays such as spring breaks and summer breaks can also be peak travel seasons where parents travel with their kids. Setting your travel dates within these months or seasons can mean that the ticket prices cost more. Thus, book your flights outside of busy seasons and do not fly during dates when most people are flying.

Also, choose flights on weekdays because most people travel on weekends and the ticket prices are higher on these dates. Ticket prices are also lower if you choose to fly after a major holiday or if you choose early-morning or late-night flights. The key point here is being flexible with your flights and getting cheaper flights as a result.

There are still lots of ways that you can book cheaper flights. You just have to be resourceful and diligent with your flight searches and inquiries. Flexibility is also a key trait that you need to have as a traveler as it opens up more options and opportunities for your travel. In a nutshell, being early, smart, and flexible with your booking can help you get cheaper flights and have a wonderful travel experience.