We know that travelling can be a pretty expensive business and you’ll want to keep your travel costs as low as possible. However, we also know that flying isn’t exactly the most comfortable of activities and you won’t want any money saving measures to come at the detriment of your comfort. That’s why we’ve compiled these 10 tips to help cut your travel costs without diminishing your comfort:
1. Fly off-peak
If you’re looking to save money on your flight it’s worth investigating whether or not you can get a significantly cheaper deal by flying at a slightly more anti-social time. Look for flights early in the morning or late at night, as the chances are these flights are going to be considerably less expensive.
2. Book out of season
We all know that travel companies like to push the prices up during the periods when they know that a lot of people like to travel. For example, travelling during the summer holidays is likely to result in a much higher bill for you. There is more demand for flights and as such the airlines can charge higher prices. Book out of season to save some money on your travel costs.
3. Use your frequent flyer miles
If you’re a regular flyer, make sure you’re signed up to Lufthansa’s frequent flyer scheme, SACP. It’s more catered towards block discounts for small businesses, but an individual can register if they take a lot of flights. By registering as a frequent flyer you can receive air miles which will contribute towards affording you cheaper travel in the future.
4. Be prepared to fly from anywhere
It may be that it’s cheaper to fly from an airport that is slightly further away than your local but if this option offers a significantly cheaper flight then it’s something that’s definitely worth considering
5. Sign up to email newsletters
Quite often travel agents and airlines like to reward frequent customers or customers who’ve taken a particular interest in their business. Sign up to travel agents’ email newsletters to receive the latest special offers which could go some way to saving you some money and decreasing your travel costs.
6. Shop around
When shopping around for flights, never book the first one you come across. Shop around and see what the prices are looking at and find a few agents who do price matches – you never know you might even be able to shave some money off your original quote. I like the interface of Momondo, although Skyscanner is also a suitable alternative.
7. Use regional airlines
If you need to travel domestically then it’s quite often wiser to book using a regional airline rather than a big international one. The regional airlines can often be far cheaper and that little extra effort will go a long way to saving you some money
8. Beware of package deals
It’s probably a good idea to be wary when it comes to deals that include flights, transfer and accommodation as the likelihood is that you can probably save some money by shopping around yourself and picking up each service separately.
9. Don’t spend money on non-essentials
Airfare is a big expense, but it’s quite often all the added extras that contribute towards expensive travel costs. Have a think about what you might need, and make sure that you bring it rather than having to purchase it and if you need to purchase anything it’s best to buy it before you arrive at the airport as the prices will most likely be increased from that point onwards.
10. Rental cars
If you feel that you can do without a car when you get to your destination, you can save a lot of money by opting not to hire a car. This can severely decrease your costs, so if you can do without a car, it’s a good idea to opt out of car hire.
Melanie Dymoke is a freelance journalist and writer, with a passion for saving consumers money on flights.
