Frugal Travel Tips For Airfare

Transport is an important part of the travel budget and often includes airfare. Frugal travelers do more than keep an eye on the Internet for discounted flights. He or she seeks more creative ways to spread the travel dollar.

Using free stop over

When Hubby and I first traveled to Australia, we took a flight to Air New Zealand. Why? Because the airline offered a free stop over at its hub in New Zealand. We had never seen the country and were planning to see it anyway. As such, we did not have to pay for air travel.

The second time, we traveled to Australia, we flew to Air Tahiti Nui. This airline offered, you guessed it, a free stop in Tahiti to get on the way or back. Another place we always wanted to visit.

Hidden cities

Free stop over is a benefit offered openly by some airlines. Hidden cities are not only unintentional, but are actively discouraged by airlines. However they can be big savings for frugal travelers.

An example of this is a trip from New York City to Las Vegas. Sometimes a flight from New York City to Los Angeles is less expensive, even if the flight stops in Las Vegas to pick up more passengers. So does the frugal traveler have to stop early, does he really want to travel?

Some things ... The luggage will be sent to the ticketed destination so that the trick is to carry passengers only. Also the flyer must remember that the return ticket must start at its actual destination.

Is hitting

For a flexible, easy-going traveler, flying for a flight is like winning the travel lottery. There is usually compensation there and you are allowing someone else who really needs to arrive at their destination on time.

Passengers aware of the rules know the compensation offered (check the carrier website), know the next flights (beware of the carrier with a flight once a week), and can weigh against the pain of disrupted plans . Hubby and I always decide before arriving at the airport (quickly so we have a boarding pass to leave) whether it is worth it or not. In this way we can be the first to offer our seats.

There are ways to increase the likelihood of a collision, with the simplest already booking an entire flight (usually a flight later in the day).

There is not a travel budget for air travel. By monitoring discount sites and using some creativity, frugal travelers can get more for less.