Travelling is my favourite thing to do. I managed to visit 27 countries so far and lived in three different part of the world long term. I like to travel fast and I like to travel slow. Travel is the one thing I am very happy to spend my money on. However, I prefer to spend my money on the local experiences of the destinations I travel to rather than getting there. So, I try to get the cheapest plane tickets I find. The price range I love is anything under £50 for a return ticket! Most of my trips were on budget airlines, which might not be the best option for some people. Think of planes as a way of transportation. Some of my tickets on budget airlines were much cheaper than national train tickets within the U.K. In fact they were even cheaper than a meal in London! For example, I went to Romania for £12, Athens for £30, Italy for £40 and so on.
I find most of my flights on Skyscanner and in this post I want to tell you about four features I use to search for cheap airfare: Everywhere Search, Multi-city Search, Weekend Feature and Price Alert. I added a few bonus tips at the end of the post as well!
Watch the video:
Everywhere Search on Skyscanner
The Everywhere Search is actually my absolute favourite feature and it helped me find destinations that I did not even consider.
I am happy to travel to most places as long as they are safe. My only travel requirement sometimes is a specific time of the year or weather. With this feature, you get to see destinations from the cheapest to the most expensive and it’s all very well organised by country and city names. That is how I picket my November destination. My friend and I have a free week at the end of November and all we wanted is to get away from London to some nice weather. One of the everywhere search options that popped up was Madeira Island in Portugal and that’s exactly where we are heading. Keep an eye on Instagram to see the upcoming updates.
Multi-city Search on Skyscanner
I usually use the multi city search when I am going to more than one place in a country, where the trip starts somewhere and ends at another. I also use it to find better flight possibilities. For example, when I wanted to go to Greece in April, the flight from London to Santorini was a joke it was £175 return ticket. That was way more than I was willing to spend. So, I looked up a flight from London to Athens then from Athens to Santorini with a return from there to London. Surprisingly that route plus two hotel nights in Athens were still cheaper than the first direct flight I found. London to Athens was £40 then two nights at hotel in Athens were £60. After that, I flew to Santorini and the national flight was SIXTEEN pounds only.
This search feature also worked on Italy. I booked from London to Rome then Milan to London. I travelled by train from the bottom of Italy to the top. That made my trip so convenient. I just love all the possibilities that the multi city search feature bring! If you haven’t tried it you really should!
Photo in Santorini
Weekend Feature on Skyscanner
Weekends away are the best! When anyone wants me to suggest a gift for his/her friend or spouse, my first idea always involves a holiday. I don’t think people realise how doable weekend travel is. It’s not the cheapest time to travel to popular destinations, but sometimes there are really surprising deals! This feature shows you the upcoming weekends with their prices. It doesn’t get easier than this to plan a weekend getaway.
Price Alert on Skyscanner
Sometimes even when you try really hard, the ticket price is still not right, setting a price alert might be the best option. That way you can get a notification when the ticket prices are going down.
Bonus tips to book a cheaper flight:
Using the features I just mentioned above should save you a little bit, but if you want even more money saving tips on plane tickets then keep on reading because I have three extra for you!
Book a ticket before payday
Check tickets the week before payday. This is not scientifically proven, but it's just what I have noticed. Every time, I got a ticket a week before the end of the month, which is payday for most people in the UK, the price is much lower!
Book a ticket after a major holiday
Book plane tickets after major holidays. Again this is just through observation. For instance, after Christmas, I booked a holiday for the last week January to Romania for £12! The return ticket could also have been £12, but I picked the most convenient time for £30. The total was still under £50 and I thought it was amazing! I think it’s just that most people are broke at that time after spending so much money on Christmas presents.
Follow the most obvious tip
Just going to point out the obvious here. Go to unpopular destinations and choose the off-season time to go. Seriously going during peak times is not as fun as you might think. I went to Portugal in July, which is considered peak season then and it was just too hot and too crowded. I am planning another trip for the off-season now because I want to experience it when there is space for me on the pavement!
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Over to you: What are your favourite Skyscanner features that usually help you save on plane tickets? And do you have any extra tips to save even more?
Disclaimer: This post is in collaboration with Skyscanner. This post includes affiliate links that will give me a commission if they are used with no extra cost to you.