When I’m traveling abroad, finding the cheapest flight deals can be an ordeal. Flights take the biggest cut in overall travel expenses. And for a budget traveler like me, I sometimes cringe for the money I spend on flights.

Here are some personally tested flight deal hacks!

Best Flight Deals | Sign Up for Airlines’ Membership Program and Newsletter

Why are these two connected? Airlines provide 24-hour priority access to their members before making the promo fare accessible to the public. They send their members an email newsletter detailing the upcoming promo fares. Be ahead of the pack by taking advantage of the member enrolment and newsletter signup. These are given for free. When you join the mob in hunting for the best flight deals, it is either you end up booking nothing or the website is too sluggish to book anything.

BANGKOK, THAILAND. The view from Golden Mountain Temple

Best Flight Deals: Get Notified about System Glitch Airfare and Flight Deals on Facebook

What is a system glitch airfare? These are insanely low fares that only a problem with the airline system can make it happen! It does happen!

When you spend a considerable time on Facebook, consider following flight pages such as Flight Deals and Secret Flying. These two curate the cheapest flight deals found online. How to get notified? Click the LIKED button and click ALL ON notifications, so you can instantly get notifications everytime they post flight deals on their respective pages.

Secret Flying has a lot of awesome flight deals between Europe and Asia. In several instances, I just wanted to book a flight anywhere Europe! Without thinking about visa application! Haha!

Finding Best Flight Deals: Use Fare Comparison Websites, But Don’t Book Your Flights There

In comparing flights, there are many websites such as Expedia, Kayak, Airfare Watch Dog, Hipmunk, Travelocity, CheapFlights, and many more. Skycanner and FareCompare offer the most pocket-friendly deals. But refrain from booking your flights on these sites. Just use them to compare the prices. Whichever has the best deals, go to the airline’s website. Chances are the airline itself has better and cheaper flight deals for you!

ONOMICHI, JAPAN. A scene from the cycling route Shimanami Kaido.

Know the Airlines’ Airport Hubs

Cebu Pacific Airlines and Air Asia are the budget airlines from the Philippines to Southeast Asia. CebuPac’s biggest hub is in Manila and Cebu; Air Asia in Kuala Lumpur. Since Manila scares me, what I do is fly from Cebu to Kuala Lumpur and find flight deals from KL to anywhere Asia. For my trip to India and Sri Lanka this July, the cheapest flights I could find are from Air Asia. It totally makes sense; Kuala Lumpur is geographically near to the countries I’m flying in and out.

This can also be true for the rest of the world. Know the budget airlines within the country you are traveling to. Australia is Jetstar. Indonesia is Lion Air, for example.

Check this list of Airports used as airline hubs all over the world.  

OLD BAGAN, MYANMAR. Taking a selfie by an isolated temple near a river.

Book Your Flights as Early as Possible

Low-cost airlines offer promo fares for flights as far as eight months. So take advantage of this. Of course, it entails a bit of planning: where you want to go. The good thing about this is you can have enough room to save up for your trip!

DISCUSSION BOARD: Any flight deal hacks to share with us? If you find these tips, share them with your friends and contacts. Thank you!

Jona of Backpacking with a Book

Hi there, I’m Jona, originally from Cebu, Philippines, had live in Hanoi, Vietnam, and now currently based in Munich, Germany. This blog used to house thoughts on life and books, but eventually it morphed into a travel blog. For collaborations, projects, and other things, please email me at backpackingwithabook@gmail.com. For essays, creative nonfiction, and others, find me elsewhere.

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