How to Get Cheap Flight Tickets: 10 Proven Tips for Budget Travellers

Flight tickets are rarely cheap these days. If you have ever booked your trip months in advance only to find your co-passenger paid half your fare, then you are not alone. Finding ways of cutting down travel costs has become a must for every budget-conscious traveller.

From setting up fare alerts to knowing where to find hidden discounts and special offers, this guide gets into the nitty-gritty of hacks for cheap flights. Regardless of whether you are planning your next big adventure, are a student, or fly frequently, here's how you get those cheap flight tickets without compromising on comfort.

Why Do Flight Prices Fluctuate?

Prices for air travel change constantly, as revenue management systems automatically respond to demand and costs.

• Demand and load factors: Higher demand or fuller cabins shove fares upwards, while low load factors can trigger discounts to fill seats.

• Booking timing: Prices are allocated through fare buckets, with cheaper inventory selling first, resulting in later buyers seeing higher fares.

• Seasonality and events: Holidays, festivals, and school breaks typically result in higher prices; shoulder seasons are generally more affordable.

• Route competition: When there is more competition on a route, fares are usually lower; often, monopoly routes tend to remain higher.

• Operating costs: Changes in fuel, taxes, and surcharges are factored into the final ticket price.

• Travel day and time: Midweek and off-peak hours can have lower prices compared to weekends and peak departures.

• Fare rules and ancillaries: Minimum stays, advance-purchase requirements, and paid extras change the real cost of a trip.

Hacks to Get Cheap Flights

Small changes in timing and flexibility can yield significant fare reductions without compromising comfort or safety. Combine the tactics below with disciplined price tracking to capture real savings, not just headline discounts.

Be Flexible With Dates and Destinations

Flexibility is the single strongest lever for lowering fares. Shifting travel to shoulder seasons or avoiding peak holidays reduces demand pressure and opens lower fare classes. The ability to travel midweek or at unpopular times can yield noticeably cheaper options, while being open to alternative destinations with similar experiences widens the pool of acceptable prices. If dates cannot be adjusted, consider adjusting the trip length by a day or two to capture better fare buckets. If you're looking to learn how to get flight tickets cheaply, this is the habit that pays off most often.

Set Smart Fare Alerts

Price alerts reduce the need for constant monitoring, helping you catch drops within your target budget range. Set alerts for your origin-destination pair, as well as for nearby airports and adjacent dates, to surface options you might otherwise miss. Set limits so you're only notified for meaningful changes, and keep the alerts active for a few weeks to understand typical price bands. When a notification hits your target, move decisively-the cheapest buckets can vanish within hours. Those seeking how to get cheap flights efficiently should rely on alerts rather than manually refreshing prices.

Compare Across Sites, Then Check The Airline

Compare first to map the complete price spectrum across multiple dates, routings, and fare classes. Once an interesting fare has been identified, check its inclusions on the airline's own channel, as cabin bags, seat selection, and change rules can significantly impact the final price. Watch out for extra fees that appear late in the checkout process, and calculate the door-to-door value rather than relying on headline prices. A slightly higher base fare can be cheaper overall once ancillary charges are factored in.

Fly on Cheaper Days and Times

Demand patterns indicate that certain days and times of the week offer better deals than others. Midweek flights can be cheaper than weekend ones; early morning and very late evening flying may be more affordable than more popular times. Red-eyes may save you a night of accommodation, as well as some money, if you can fly them. Consider the total travel time and ground transport trade-offs to determine if the schedule change offsets any money saved.

Consider Nearby and Secondary Airports

Secondary airports can significantly impact your fare by altering demand and operating costs on a route. Search within a reasonable ground-travel radius on each end of the trip and consider transfers, tolls, and time. Secondary airports may have lower fees and less congestion, which could mean improved punctuality and sometimes lower ground costs, including parking. Always calculate your total trip cost, including baggage, transportation, and time, before accepting a lower base fare.

Split Tickets and Mix Airlines

Separate, one-way or self-connecting itineraries can be cheaper than a single through-ticket, especially for long or multi-region trips. Combine legs with generous layovers to account for potential delays; ensure minimum connection times are comfortable, as separate tickets usually offer no protection. Open-jaw tickets reduce backtracking and can optimise pricing when your entry and exit cities differ. Check the baggage allowances and rules of each segment to avoid unexpected fees on mixed fares.

Use Points, Miles, and Reward Cards

These points offset cash fares when the redemption rates are reasonable, especially for long-haul economy and during off-peak dates. Ensure to focus on earning flexible points that transfer to multiple programmes for better availability and increased value. Consider part-pay options to reduce cash outlay when award seats are rare; avoid low-value redemptions where the return on points is poor. Keep an eye on expiry policies and seasonal surcharges so that the value does not erode before you can redeem it. Pairing points with Niva Bupa's travel insurance can also protect such plans from disruption while keeping costs predictable.

Watch Sales, Error Fares, and Limited-Time Promos

Flash sales and seasonal offers may occasionally provide discounts, although there may be blackout dates or particularly restrictive terms. If your travel plans are flexible, keep checking often and jump on a booking when one comes up that fits your target and reasonable conditions. Very occasionally, mispriced tickets appear but are quickly removed; these have risks, such as cancellation later or a schedule change. Add fully refundable options for hotels and plans until the tickets are confirmed after issuance. Always read the fine print for the fare rules before check-out.

Book in the Right Window, Not Last-Minute

The cheapest fare won't always be at the earliest or latest time, but sits in a window that varies by route and season. For busy holiday periods, booking earlier secures inventory before demand spikes, while shoulder seasons may reward moderate lead times. Last-minute bookings are often unreliable for securing savings, especially on popular routes, and may come with stricter rules. Track routes over time to learn typical patterns and set a realistic target price you will act on.

Employ Throwaway and Hidden‑City Logic Cautiously ​

Some tickets are cheaper when the itinerary continues past your real destination, so you book the more extended trip and get off at the layover instead of taking the final leg. This can save money, but it comes with risks: checked bags go to the ticketed final destination, skipping a segment can cancel the rest of your journey, and repeated use may violate airline rules. If you try it, keep it to one-way trips, travel with cabin baggage only, leave generous buffers, and be prepared to adjust your plans if schedules change.

Also Read : 15 Cheap Foreign Trips From India

Conclusion

Controlled flexibility, disciplined monitoring, and total-trip cost thinking hold the key to securing cheaper flights, not chasing myths. Combine brilliant timing with comparisons, alerts, and selective use of points to capture genuine value. Prioritise transparent fare rules and realistic connections so that fees, delays, or rebooking costs do not sap away savings. Consider Niva Bupa's travel insurance for extra protection from medical and journey contingencies on unpredictable routes, providing added peace of mind while securing value.

FAQs

1. What is the single best way to reduce airfare?

   Flexibility with dates and times typically delivers the largest savings by accessing less competitive fare buckets. If you’re mapping how to get cheap flight tickets for a tight schedule, shifting by even a day can help.

2. Is it true that one weekday is always the cheapest to book?

   No single booking day is universally the cheapest; the price depends more on demand, inventory, and travel dates than the day you click 'buy'. Learning how to get cheap flights is about patterns, not calendar myths.

3. Are last-minute flights ever cheaper?

   They can be, but relying on them is risky; popular routes and seasons usually get more expensive close to departure.

4. Does private browsing or clearing cookies lower prices?

   These steps may reduce personalised pricing, but meaningful savings usually come from flexibility, timing, and comparisons. For systematic results, focus on practical hacks to get cheap flights rather than one-off tricks.

5. Are self-connecting itineraries worth it?

   They can cut costs but require longer buffers, careful baggage planning, and acceptance of lower disruption protection.

6. When should points be used versus cash?

   Use points when the pence-per-point value is substantial, often on long-haul economy off-peak dates or when cash fares are unusually high. This aligns with the core of how to get cheap flight tickets without compromising value.

7. Do secondary airports always save money?

   Not always; include ground transport, time, and ancillary fees to confirm the total trip is genuinely cheaper.