5 Ways to Reduce the Cost of Air Travel
As the world leaves the clutches of the COVID-19 pandemic, travel fanatics and newbies alike are starting to welcome long vacations and short trips alike back into their lives. Unfortunately, the amount of money it costs to have a getaway is too much for many families, especially when they’re struggling with inflation and finding a new job after the economic recession.
Flying is one of the main reasons traveling is so expensive, Airline tickets are costly, and the risk of having to cancel a flight due to getting coronavirus is also risky. American Airlines travel insurance is a way to overcome this possibility. When you take out travel insurance, you can often get at least some of your money back for a canceled flight.
We’ll talk about more than just travel insurance, though. There are actually more ways to reduce the cost of air travel than you may have originally thought. We’ll discuss people traveling during down times of the year, using travel points on their credit cards, and other methods to save money on air travel vacations.
#1 – Fly During Slow Months
Airline tickets are often more expensive during certain times of the year, and even on specific days of the week. Traveling by air during the weekend days of Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and even Monday are more expensive than traveling on Tuesday and Wednesday. It may not always be convenient to travel in the middle of the week, but you can save a lot of money.
Certain months are more expensive than others. Flying during the winter holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s are costly. November and December are therefore very expensive to fly. It’s also not cheap to fly during the first part of January because people are returning home from their trips in December.
Summer is also going to be pretty costly, with June, July, and August leading the way. Try to pick a month that is slower on the airline calendar, like February or March. If you’re worried about weather and conditions at your destination during these months, pick a country that has sunshine and clear skies all year round.
This is one of the reasons we love a country like Mexico. It has great weather, affordable airfare, and many locations to choose from depending on what type of entertainment you want to enjoy for a good price. Taking into consideration all of these factors will help you save the most money on airfare.
#2 – Get Travel Insurance
If you travel a lot, you understand there are a lot of risks when flying that can cost you a lot of money. Things like losing your luggage, getting hit while in your rental car, losing your luggage on the tarmac, and getting sick with COVID-19 might all be covered by travel insurance depending on what type of travel insurance you purchase.
Not every travel insurance company covers the same things, and you really need to look carefully at prices and compare between companies. Sometimes you are wasting more money than it’s worth to get travel insurance. Evaluate the risks of the trip you’re taking, and then decide whether it’s best for your situation.
Some of the top travel insurance companies with affordable rates are IMG Global is a great brand for travel insurance because they offer insurance for travelers in over 190 countries.
If you only want travel insurance to pay for possible injuries during a trip or to protect you against damage in a car accident, it might be better to just opt for medical or rental car insurance to take care of these risks. Trying to cover too many things in your travel insurance is a great way to find yourself spending more than you should.
#3 – Use Credit Card Travel Points
If you are someone who is thinking about traveling more and you use your credit card a lot, consider getting a travel points credit card. These are great because you can spend money with your credit card the way you usually would, and you get rewarded with travel points to be used on airline tickets.
This brings the expense of paying for flights way down, and you don’t even have to go out of your way to buy or spend money you wouldn’t otherwise. Capital One Venture Card is one of the best options for travelers who use travel points.
#4 – Choose an Affordable Airline
The company you go through for your flight is also very important because some airlines are much more expensive than others. You need to know how to spot travel trends and compare cheap flights online. You can Google the city you are in, and the city you want to go to, and add “cheap flights” to your search and you may get some initial results to look over.
You can dig deeper by choosing a site that compiles many different airlines and their prices, such as Expedia. And if you want a rundown of a few affordable airlines right now, some of the best ones are Sun Country Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and American Airlines. Look at items like the total cost of a roundtrip, and the cost per mile of flying with a particular airline.
If you have friends or family who have a good knowledge of how to find more affordable flights, don’t be afraid to ask for help. People who travel a lot may know how to find loopholes and figure out how to track down the cheapest flights due to their experience vacationing.
#5 – Alternatives to Flying
Flying is one of the most convenient ways to get to where you want when going on vacation. In light of inflation and the effects of the pandemic, traveling by airplane might be more money than you remember. Following these tips, doing your research, and finding creative ways to save some cash is the best way to live a stress-free vacation life.
If you simply can’t travel by airplane because of the expense, try renting a car and going somewhere local that you can drive to instead. Gas prices are high, but they cost less for a short trip into the city than taking a flight to a different country. Evaluate your wallet and see what works best for your family.
