As the old saying goes, even the longest journey starts with a single step. But let’s be honest, these journeys will start with a flight (single and otherwise). There’s so much to cover here that I am going to do a three part series on how to find cheap airfare. Since my blog concentrates on European travel, these tips are geared towards that. But they can be applied to any place you want to go. My goal is to save you hundreds but cost you thousands!
Here is a rundown of what we will cover:
Take a Connection
One would think that a nonstop flight would be cheaper than a connecting flight. I’ll be honest, I don’t entirely know all the in’s and out’s of airline economics, but that makes intuitive sense. But that is NOT what happens. If you search airfare as often as I do, you will notice that connecting itineraries tend to be cheaper than nonstop ones. Why? Two reasons. First, airlines know that everyone wants to fly nonstop and therefore passengers will usually pay a premium to fly nonstop. Second is fortress hubs. What’s that? It’s where a single airline is, essentially, the only game in town.
For instance, I am based in Atlanta. This is a fortress hub for Delta. Delta flys 80% of the passengers out of Atlanta. Therefore, Delta has a near monopoly on nonstop flights and they price accordingly. So frequently when I travel internationally, I’m not traveling Delta. Instead I am travelling on connecting itineraries on other airlines. About the only two cities where this doesn’t hold true is Chicago and New York. Both cities will typically have nonstop options from multiple carries, possibly on both sides of the Atlantic, driving prices down.
Long story short, you will likely have more success finding a cheap flight by taking a connection.
Shoulder Season
The European travel market (all travel markets really) has a low season (mid-October – March, excluding Christmastime), a high season (June – August), and then the shoulder season (April/May or September/October). For Europe, shoulder season would be late Spring (April/May) or early Fall (September/October). I’ve found the month of May to be especially fruitful when it comes to booking flights to Europe. In 2020, I will make my 4th trip to Europe in the month of May.
Shoulder season brings the perfect balance of cheaper airfare, pretty good weather, less crowds, and better availability for accommodations. Obviously, if you run across a deal during the high/peak season, then by all means book it. But those come around less often. Or, if you really enjoy the cold, then by all means visit Berlin in January (I wouldn’t recommend). Then there’s the day of the week. For that, you need to say hello to:
Cheap Travel Days
The best airfares are not published on a Tuesday (or Wednesday or whatever day you heard it from “someone”). When I worked in the Delta Reservations call center, for whatever reason that urban legend was my pet peeve. Truth is, airlines are constantly changing pricing, so a good deal can pop up any time any day. But there IS typically a best day(s) to fly.
Tuesday, Wednesdays, and Saturdays are typically the cheapest days to fly. Saturdays can be iffy if that Saturday is the first day of a “typical” week long break or long weekend, such as Spring Break or Memorial Day. Also, keep in mind that frequently only the “outbound” flight (the flight to Europe) needs to be booked on these low days. Often, you can fly out on a Tuesday and return on almost any day and get a good deal. Speaking of deals, how much can I expect to pay?
What is a Good Price?
Every market is different, but you should never, ever pay over $1,000 per person for a trip to Europe. Frankly, you don’t love your family, friends, or yourself if you let that happen (just kidding…kinda). Here’s some examples of flights I’ve booked over the last 4/5 years of travel:
- $440/person ATL -> Oslo (OSL) Bergen (BGO) -> ATL
- $580/person ATL -> Manchester (MAN) Inverness (INV) -> ATL
- $450/person Chicago (ORD) -> Zurich (ZRH) Roundtrip (RT)
- $400/person JFK -> Reykjavik (KEF) RT
Again, every market is different. I urge you to search airfare often to get a good sense of what the “normal” price is for where you want to go. Nonetheless, I would say a good rule of thumb is if it’s under $600 RT then it’s a good deal. Otherwise, Keep Fishin’. And to make sure you’re finding all the fish, you should definitely check:
Cheap Airfare Websites
Just like voting, when checking for airfare, you should do it early and often. There are several websites/Facebook pages that constantly publish very detailed alerts on fare deals including city pair (ex. New York to London), airlines (British Airways), and dates (Mar – Apr). These are:
These websites also have Facebook pages. If you like those pages, you can fill up your timeline with fare deals instead of fake political news and memes (although I do love a good meme). The Flight Deal and Airfare Spot also have Facebook groups if you want to join them.
Now that you know the basics, I’m going to point you to Part 2 of my series to learn some really advanced methods.