Cheap Flights: Tips for getting the cheapest flight

Top Tips for getting Cheap Flights 

1. Book Early: If you are travelling at a popular time, school holidays, the cheap seats on each flight will sell out very early.
2. Check All The Options: Make sure you know all the airlines that fly the route you are interested in. All Cheap Flights is a great place to find all the budget airlines flying the route you wish.
3. Check the Destination: Some airlines use airports many miles away from the city you are expecting. Check the cost of transport into the city does not wipe out the saving you made.
4. Be Flexible: Flights at different times or different days of the week vary can greatly vary in price, the most popular times and dates sell out fastest, avoid these times and you are likely to find cheaper tickets. For example with EasyJet Barcelona to London on Thursday 2 and a half weeks away the cheapest price is £289.99, look 2 days earlier on the Tuesday it is 32 times cheaper at £8.99!
5. Book a Package Holiday: If you are going to an airport served by the package tour operators see if they have an deals going. Often they will have very cheap packages (even cheaper than their flight only prices) where the hotel is allocated when you land. This is fine if you just wanted the flight, just go off and stay where you wanted to stay.
6. Taxes and Charges: There are all sorts of taxes and charges that budget airlines like to add to the advertised price and increase the cost of the cheap flight. Always follow the booking process through to the page where you enter your credit card details. This page should give you the true cost of your fight compared to the advetised price.
   For example flying from London to Alicante Easyjet charge £17 where as BMI charge over £45.
7. Watch your weight: Budget airlines have very strict policies on luggage allowances, bring more than you are allowed and can expect a heavy bill, normally at least 5 per kg each way, and if you are planning a shopping trip don't forget to leave room on the way out for your purchases on the way home. Finally be aware most airlines have recently introduced a max weight per bag, so if you normally pack one heavy bag between 2 people you maybe in for a shock at the check in desk this year.
8. Bear in mind in the cost of not arriving: Several times in the past year hundreds of fights have been cancelled whether it is for terrorist alerts, fog, or strikes. Airlines have a responsibility to refund the price you paid if they cannot supply the cheap flight, but they are not liable for any other costs you have, hotels, car hire or anything else you have booked separately. They are only liable if you booked everything as a package. This maybe the reason why the airlines attached to tour operators hardly cancelled any flights during the security alerts in August 2006. Scheduled airlines have agreements in place with each other to take each others passengers in time of trouble, so you are more likely, but certainly not guaranteed, to arrive at your destination. If you are booking an expensive hotel at your destination that cannot be cancelled consider booking it as a flight and hotel package from the same source.
9. Check Your Emails: Ensure that emails from your choosen airline get to your inbox and are not hiding in a spam folder and check for any emails before you leave for the airport as some airlines will only send out information about flight changes cancellations via the email address you supplied at the time of booking.
10. Consider using a Credit Card: Most budget airlines will charge you extra to pay with a credit card rather than a debit card. So to save the most money you should use a debit card, but using a credit card gives you more protection. If the airline goes bust before you travel the credit card is forced by UK law to refund your money if you spend more than £100, but if you paid by debit card there is no such cover.
11. Collect miles on your Credit Card: Many airlines promote their own credit cards, these allow you to collect their miles points when you use the cedit card. Even better some cards will offer you an introductory bonus of enough miles to get a return flight within Europe
12. Try winning flights: There are a large number of companies offering flights and holidays to win. The Win Flights Blog has a list of the current offers. If you are entering a lot of completions it may be worth setting up a separate email address to use, but do remember to check occasionally it to see if you have won the prize.