Who doesn’t love vacation? To get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and escape to a new place with new experiences is something we all look forward to. But the truth is that it’s not cheap to go on vacation and many of us simply can’t afford to get away as often as we would like. This is especially true if you’re when considering the price of flights. Vacationing is certainly a luxury but that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve it every now and then. And there are ways to cut back on the costs of your flights. The best trick you can learn to spend less on your next plan trip is that flexibility is key.
You might think that there is not a lot of room for flexibility when you fly, but if you’re willing to start from a blank slate in your vacation, you can design an affordable vacation without sacrificing too much.
Where are you going?
Let’s start where most of us start, with picking a destination for our vacation. And now let’s forget it. If you don’t care where you’re going on your next vacation, right there, you’ve saved a good deal of money. Now, that might seem like a big leap considering your destination will have a big impact on how much you enjoy your getaway, but I’m not suggesting you just hop on the cheapest flight to anywhere. If you go into selecting a destination with a little flexibility in mind then the price can be very kind. Choose the type of vacation you’d like and the kinds of things you’d like to do, such as lounging on a beach, outdoor adventures, or just experiencing a new culture. Then you can choose a destination that offers the best deal while still meeting you vacation needs.
When are you going?
When you choose to travel can have just as much, if not more, impact on the price of your flights. You might have an ideal time you want to go on vacation – maybe you want to escape the Canadian winter to somewhere warm – but if you look for those off-season rates you can save a lot of money. Going on vacation outside of the tourist season means that airline tickets are heavily discounted. Now that might mean making some sacrifices that you’re not willing to make. You want to ensure the weather will be suitable for what you have planned. You might be going for a certain experience that is only available at a particular time of year. That’s fine, but if you want to save some real money, it might take a little more flexibility than that.
If such leeway isn’t in the cards for your vacation plans, some smaller scale flexibility can still ensure you save on your flights. For instance, if you have you heart set on a particular time of the year, month, or even as specific as a week, picking which fights you take can mean a drastic difference in your airfare. Mid-week flights are generally significantly less expensive than those Friday or Saturday flights. While it might be a little inconvenient to fly out during the work week, the money saved and absence of weekend travellers will make it worth it in the end. You can also go those extra miles in saving your hard-earned money but choosing unpopular times to travel. People generally don’t like to fly early in the morning or late at night (for understandable reasons) so those flights are usually discounted. Save even more if you’re willing to do a layover or two. It might not be the most comfortable way to travel but it means you can spend a little more when you do make it to your destination.