This Is How To Save Money On Travel: 6 Expert Tips

Travel is wonderful. It promises enlightenment, new experiences, and the smug satisfaction of saying, “Well, when I was in Portugal…”

But traveling these days feels a bit like being punched in the wallet. Modern airlines use a combination of arcane rituals, machine learning, and revenge to set prices. There’s a fee for everything short of blinking. Seat reservation? Extra. Cabin baggage? Extra. Want to sit next to the person you love? Better love them from row 32.

You suddenly realize that you are no longer a person: you are an algorithm’s chew toy. You consider shipping yourself in a crate labeled “bananas” like Bugs Bunny.

Welcome to the grand, flaming stupid of modern air travel. If the Wright brothers could see what we’ve done with their invention, they’d bury themselves deeper.

So what’s a budget-conscious traveler to do? We game the system. We fight back with delicious, forbidden knowledge.

Our expert this time is Brian Kelly. He’s the founder of The Points Guy, one of the most popular travel advice websites. And his book is: “How to Win at Travel.”

If you’ve ever opened Expedia, screamed, and slammed your laptop shut, this post is for you.

Caveat: Airline rules change. Frequent flier plans change. Some of these tips may not apply in the country or branch of the multiverse you’re in, etc. But many of the underlying principles below will still help.

Let’s get to it…

 

Flexibility Is The #1 Money Saver

The more you expand your search, the better savings you’ll find. To the degree you can, be flexible with dates, times, destinations, and let deals guide where you go.

When should you travel? When no one else wants to. The single biggest determinant of airfare is demand between city pairs. You’ll get better prices on days when fewer people where you’re at are going where you want to go. (Generally, this means Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.) Traveling on Christmas or Thanksgiving will be cheaper than traveling the days before or after.

Should you book flights early or late? The cheapest airfare is always in the middle. That sweet spot where your need to lock plans down intersects with the airline’s need to not fly an empty metal tube across the sky. For domestic travel, this means 6–8 weeks in advance. For international? 3–6 months (longer if it’s for holidays, special events, or, God help you, the World Cup.)

(To learn the 6 secrets to a great vacation, click here.)

So where do insiders begin their planning?

 

Start With Google Flights

It’s right here. But don’t actually buy your ticket there. No, that would be too straightforward for the twisted world of travel. Google is just your reconnaissance mission, the best place to comparison shop.

They give you all the options in one place. Want to search multiple airports? Done. Want to hunt flights by alliance? Sure thing. You can even look for the cheapest fares to a whole country or continent, which is perfect if your travel planning style is “Anywhere but here, please.”

Google also provides historic pricing data. You can see fare graphs going back 60 days. They even have a “fare predict” feature, an oracle whispering whether prices will rise or fall.

(To learn the 5 secrets to wealth – slowly but surely – click here.)

So when’s the best time of the year to travel?

 

Go During Shoulder Season

Do not fly during the high season. You’re paying a premium to experience the worst version of a place. The high season is summer in the Mediterranean, or winter in the Caribbean; times when the weather’s ideal and the prices are criminal. (Flying to Disney World over Easter should qualify you for combat pay.)

Might make you think you should go during the low season: “I’ll save money and avoid the crowds!” True, but the weather will be disappointing and lots of stuff will be closed. The solution?

“Shoulder season.” That glorious little gap sandwiched between the hellfire of peak travel and the ghost town of off-season. It’s the stretch where the weather usually behaves and prices approach fairness. The crowds have gone home or haven’t arrived, meaning you can walk into a museum without feeling like you’re on a conveyor belt being pushed toward the exit.

(To learn the 8 steps to being smarter with money, click here.)

Prices still insane? Like we talked about, the primary determinant of cost is demand between cities. But we can exploit that too…

 

Positioning

Big cities have lower fares because airlines are fighting for market share. Meanwhile, if you live in a secondary market like Oklahoma City, you’re gonna get gouged.

Solution? “Positioning”: buy a cheap flight to a major city where airfare to your destination is more affordable.

Example: Oklahoma City to Tokyo costs about $1,800. You curse the gods, your ancestors, and the inexplicable popularity of animated schoolgirls with superpowers. So fly to Los Angeles first on a $200 Southwest flight where a ticket to Tokyo is $800 round-trip.

(To learn the 6 easy ways to save money, click here.)

Okay, it’s time to buy the ticket. And here’s one time when we won’t choose the lowest price…

 

Buying Your Ticket

Generally, Book Through The Airline

You’re probably familiar with those Online Travel Agencies that have names which sound like obscure boy bands: Kayak, Hopper, Momondo, Skyscanner. They’re fine for price comparison but when it comes time to book? Do it directly with the airline.

Yes, you can save a small amount with an OTA. But when your flight gets delayed or canceled (which, I assure you, it will), or your connection gets missed because your previous flight was delayed (see previous parenthetical), you’re more likely to deal with a customer service nightmare. You’ll have to call the OTA and they don’t have the same powers airlines do. An airline can seamlessly slot you on their next flight. Dealing with an OTA means a greater chance of you sleeping on a bench next to a Cinnabon.

Check Fees Before You Buy

“I’ll book this $118.18 flight from Spirit Airlines, and I’ll be a genius.”

No, you’re not a genius. You’re a mark. Welcome to the hustle.

Let’s do some math because Spirit doesn’t want you to do the math. They charge you $79 for each carry-on bag. Need to check a bag? That’s another $79. Your “great deal” is now over $275. It’s a bait and switch.

While you’re at it, check for discounts. Many airlines have better rates for students, children, seniors, military, bereavement, etc. Memberships like AARP, Costco and AAA can also get you better rates.

Book The Earliest Flight Possible

Statistically speaking (yes, we’re doing statistics now, keep up) anything after 3 p.m. has a 50% chance of being cancelled, delayed, or rerouted via Neptune.

If your flight’s canceled in the morning, you can easily be rebooked. But late in the day? You’ve just bet against entropy, and entropy is undefeated. Hope you like sitting on the floor of Gate 43B, between a Hudson News and a broken massage chair, eating Skittles for dinner.

One last thing for the booking process: after you buy, set a price alert to see if the fare drops. Most major carriers no longer charge change fees. So if the price of your ticket goes down, many airlines will give you a voucher for the difference or you can cancel free and rebook.

(To learn the 4 things millionaires have in common, click here.)

Time for the twisted necromancy of credit card points and frequent flier miles…

 

Use Credit Cards To Get Miles

The chorus of fiscally conservative wet blankets will bleat, “But what about debt?” clutching their Dave Ramsey workbooks. Yes, yes, debt is bad. Thank you. But overspending is a you problem, not a card problem. If you use credit cards responsibly and pay them off every month, they’re a godsend.

Look, life is expensive and full of stuff you don’t want to pay for but have to. If you’re going to hemorrhage cash on boring, adult things like roof repairs, you deserve a free lay-flat seat to Tokyo.

Run as many of your expenses through credit cards as humanly possible. It’s like money laundering but not illegal. Every gallon of milk becomes a mile closer to London. Every tank of gas is a down payment on Prague. (I ran an entire Master’s degree through a points card.)

Find the Best Card For You

Brian only recommends using an airline’s co-branded card if you’re chasing elite status. A card with transferable points is where the real payoff lies, one that doesn’t keep you tethered to any one airline.

You’ll also want to poke around for cards with the best sign-up bonus. A sign-up bonus is a one-time pile o’ miles a credit card company gives you for getting a card. They can be big.

For current top offers for most rewards cards, go here.

Maximize Bonus Category Spending

Most credit cards offer bonuses in different categories. Some on groceries, others on dining, gas, office supplies, etc. The goal is to get credit cards that offer bonus categories in the areas where you spend the most. You just have to find the card that matches your life. It’s like dating, but with more self-awareness.

It’s worth looking around because the deals have gotten wild. The Bilt Rewards Mastercard offers rewards for paying rent. And the Amex Blue Cash Preferred has a bonus for streaming services. Seriously. You’re getting points for watching “Bridgerton.” The 21st century is a glorious and ridiculous place.

But what about expenditures where there’s no category bonus?

Buy Gift Cards

Imagine you’re staring down a $5,000 home improvement project. (Sidebar: WHY is home improvement always $5,000?!?) You’re thinking, “Well, I’ll just use my credit card and earn one point per dollar.”

No. The genius move is figuring out how to shift that spending into more lucrative categories. Like I said, many credit cards offer a points multiple for grocery store purchases. So march into your local grocery store and buy $5,000 in Home Depot gift cards. Boom. 5000 points just became 20,000 points. It’s financial transubstantiation. The ghost of Adam Smith salutes you.

Yes, the cashier might eye you with the same suspicion they reserve for someone buying twenty gallons of lighter fluid and a shovel, but you can send them a postcard from Paris.

Don’t Hoard Points

Airlines are notorious for devaluing their point programs and they do it without notice. Brian says that redemptions which cost 100,000 miles five years ago now cost 300,000 or more. Consider it an incentive to take that vacation as soon as possible.

(To learn how to spend money to maximize your happiness, click here.)

Okay, we’ve covered a lot. Time to round it up — and learn the secret to faster customer service…

 

Sum Up

Here’s how to save money on travel…

• Flexibility: The more you bend, the less you spend.
• Start with Google Flights: Don’t buy your ticket there but it’s great for price comparison. It’s fast, it’s free, and it’s so easy to use I can actually do it sober.
• Go During Shoulder Season: Peak season does not mean peak experience. Don’t get mugged by the calendar.
• Positioning: This is code for “fly to a city you don’t want to go to so you can afford to get to the city you do want to go to.”
• Buying Your Ticket: “There’s a $39 flight to Barcelona!” This is a trap. That flight requires you to bring your own seatbelt and has layovers in two separate cities that have both recently been on fire. Check fees, check discounts, book through the airline and get an early flight.
• Use Credit Cards To Get Miles: The IRS has no official position on “point hacking,” but anecdotal evidence suggests they are mildly jealous.

Dealing with airline customer service. Just the phrase sends a little chill down your spine, doesn’t it?

Trick 1: The Lounge — Where Competence Lives

If you have access to an airport lounge, use the customer service agents there. You’ll be blessed with shorter lines, better service, and people who aren’t quite as dead inside.

Trick 2: Call a Foreign Office

No lounge access? Call one of the airline’s foreign offices. Most will have English-speaking agents and wait times are often shorter.

Trick 3: Press 2 for Spanish. No, Really.

Call the U.S. airline number and press 2 for Spanish. You’ll speak to a bilingual agent who is far less likely to be overwhelmed. (I find it wildly ironic that to get a decent level of service, I have to select the option that’s not even for me.)

Even with all these tricks, travel still has its frustrations. Airports feel like society’s punishment for trying to escape. Your toothpaste is a threat to national security and your boarding group is a caste system unto itself.

You get on the plane and the child next to you is watching “Cocomelon” on full volume like they were personally sent to test your capacity for violence. The “meal” is either a tragic reinterpretation of lasagna or a warm package of what can only be described as “post-chicken.”

You arrive to find the hotel shower requires an engineering degree to operate and has the pressure of a sigh. The minibar contains a tiny bottle of gin and one sad almond, both priced like they’re being auctioned at Sotheby’s.

And yet… we love travel. Why?

Because the light hits the sea just right and you forget, briefly, about your responsibilities. You sit on a beach and, for five full minutes, think about absolutely nothing. You get that weird electric jolt of “oh my god, I’m actually living” for the first time in months.

So yes, travel can be a logistical nightmare, a financial black hole, and a surefire way to develop an aggressive relationship with Imodium. But it’s still wonderful. It knocks you out of autopilot. It makes you see. It makes you feel. It makes you shut up and look at something that isn’t your phone for five minutes.

It interrupts the script you’ve been reciting to yourself every day. And sometimes, a brief pause in that monologue is enough to remember that the world is larger than your anxieties. You stop needing to control everything. It exposes the fragility of your certainties, and the narrowness of your comfort zone. It forces you to see yourself in relief against a backdrop of not-your-life. It’s in realizing that no one knows you here, and somehow that makes you more yourself, not less.

Travel doesn’t fix you. But it does stretch you. And maybe that’s all we really need: a brief reminder that we are not stuck. That wonder still exists.