How to Get the Best Travel Deals

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Who's Ready for a Vacation?

I’ll be honest with you, it’s a difficult time to travel. Between COVID spikes, flight cancellations, and rising gas prices, the universe is not making it easy to have a little fun in the sun. But one obstacle that we can somewhat prepare for are the financial curveballs; and we can prepare for those by being thoughtful about getting the most bang for our buck on our vacays.

In that spirit, I wanted to share five ways you can save money in the planning stages of your vacation, so that you can take your savings, and put it towards something actually fun. My thinking is: why spend money on expensive flights when you could use that cash for zip lining, horseback riding, piña coladas on the beach, wildlife excursions, museum tours, scuba diving… you get the picture.

1. Finding cheap flights by booking on a particular day of the week, doesn’t work. Some bloggers claim that Tuesday is the best day to book flights, but a recent study debunked that myth. Instead, what makes a difference is when you fly. Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday flights are usually the cheapest. The bottom line here is: focus on what day you leave, not which day you buy.

2. Try a new site for deals. Some of the best deals are on Scott’s Cheap Flights, Skyscanner and Costco Travel. Yes, you heard that right, Costco: not only can you get a hot dog and soda special for $1.50 (the same price since 1985, so take that inflation!), but you can also get deals on flights, hotels, rental cars, and vacation packages.

3. Find the booking sweet spot. Research shows that you will find the cheapest flights three weeks to three months before your departure date. Some of you may come from the camp of wanting to wait until the last minute for discount flights, but that’s another myth. Airplanes aren’t concert venues: airlines won’t give tickets away for next-to-nothing in order to fill the plane. So nix that strategy, and plan ahead.

4. Search for flights in incognito mode. Some airlines track your browsing history and will show repeat visitors a higher price to cause FOMO. So always clear your web browser cache if you’re checking flight prices multiple times, or open a private browsing window. I know using incognito mode makes us all feel sketchy, but trust me on this one, your wallet will thank you.

5. Last, but certainly not least: my favorite hack when traveling is that pillows fly free. If you’re like me, you’re not checking a bag. But I do fill my carry-on up all the way. And I mean, alllll the way. I’m one of those people: I have to sit on my bag in order to zipper it closed, only to realize that I still need to pack a jacket and an extra pair of shoes. If you find yourself in that scenario, you might feel like you need bring another bag to fit those miscellaneous odds and ends— and all of a sudden, you’re checking a bag for $50 bucks. Hell to the no. Here’s a best-kept travel secret: you’re allowed to take a pillow on planes free-of-charge. So, I get creative with what the pillow is made of; get a zip up pillow case and put your extra soft items you couldn’t fit in your carry on.

xo,

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💬 I showed you mine, now you show me yours. Tell me about your favorite vacation hacks in the comments below!