Book Cheap Airline Tickets in 3 Steps

I’ve written longer, more in-depth articles about booking the cheapest airfares to anywhere, (along with a podcast episode) but you can book the cheapest airline tickets to anywhere in 3 steps. It’s easier than most people realise, to ensure you get an awesome deal on your next airfare; whether it be for work, or vacation.

If you know where you want to go, and approximately when you want to go then you can book the cheapest flight to virtually anywhere in three simple steps. If you don’t know where or when, click here.

Step One – Start with the Airline

Airlines set the ticket prices, not Google, nor Skyscanner or any other flight booking website. The airline pays the cost of:

• Leasing the Aircraft
• Maintenance and Crew
• Airport Gate Fees
• Catering and Cleaning Fees
• Marketing
  

So therefore it’s the airline that sets the cost of fares, based on their cost of operation. Once you know how much the airline is charging, use that as a base, anything cheaper means you’re getting a good deal.

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Step Two – Check Dates Either Side

Flight ticket prices are based on maximising profit (like any business).

Knowing that cheap airline seats sell first on peak demand travel days (usually weekends for leisure, weekdays for business); you should check dates either side. Often cheaper airline tickets can be found a day or two from your initial search.

Also not every airline flies every route, everyday and this can drastically affect price. More flights = more seats which means cheaper tickets, (which also means the opposite is true).

I once saved $400 by flying on a Saturday instead of Friday between Sydney and Los Angeles, just because an additional flight was operating that day.

A sample flight schedule:

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Step Three – Use a Comparison Site

A flight search comparison site quickly displays flight prices from multiple sources. They are not a travel agent, they will send you to a travel agent to book the ticket.

On my site, I use Jetradar flight search engine because results are based on your own search filters (cheap, quick, with bags etc) and include trusted online travel agencies, (along with direct links to airlines). Their filters make it easy to quickly find your ideal flight without being bombarded by pop-up ads.

Jetradar also include budget airlines (that pay zero commission like Jetstar, Air Asia, Scoot and Norwegian Air) so you can know you’re getting a good deal.

Online Travel agents sell flight tickets for commission. They reduce their commission to appear higher in search results. However the difference between the cheapest agent and the most expensive is often around $50-$80 (depending upon the destination). In some cases it’s as little as $12-$20 difference.

Online travel agencies have lots of sneaky fees they will try and convince you to add-on, but don’t be fooled by them. They are optional, you can purchase just the discounted airline ticket without any additional add-ons or insurance (which you can purchase from anywhere), and so save money compared to buying your flight, direct from the airline.

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That’s it! If you’ve found a cheap price for your airline ticket, then book it!

Search and compare flights now:

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Cheap travel tool – For those that don’t know

If you don’t know where you want to go, or when you want to go, then my cheap travel tool will save you. At a glance, you can see the cheapest month to travel, between any two cities (based on previous searches).

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Thanks for reading!
Happy travels
cheers,
Jade Jackson – Listen to my podcast Jade Talks Travel
Travel Writer | Podcaster | Photographer