For those of us who would like to visit the most picturesque places in the world to capture that perfect shot, traveling is always on our mind. In fact, almost everybody loves to travel. And most, if not all of us, want to see as much of the world as possible.

However, flights are relatively expensive, and this makes it nearly impossible for people who work regular jobs. But what if there are ways for you to score cheaper priced flights?

Well, there is! And here's a list of ten easy ways to save more on your flights.

 

Take Advantage Of Travel Promos And Vouchers

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Travel sites like Traveloka or Agoda tend to have promos and vouchers that will save you a decent amount of change. Airline websites also offer seasonal promotions or special flash sales in order to sell seats on underbooked flights, so be sure to check them regularly if you have a destination in mind.

If you are a student or under 26 years old, take full advantage of that as there will also be many discounts uniquely available for you. Youth and student promos can be as much as 20% or 30% off the regular price, and you can even get cashback from sites like ShopBack Philippines—that is after applying relevant discount codes!.

There are just so many ways to get the maximum discount off your flight to your dream destination as long as you know where to look.

 

Have A Flexible Travel Date

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Dreaming of a beach vacation? If you’re on a strict budget, you might want to have a slightly more flexible travel dates and be willing to travel during off-peak periods in order to enjoy special promos and discounts off underbooked flights.

This usually works out for the better because you’ll be visiting in the off season when there are fewer tourists. Lesser people means shorter queues for popular attractions, and if you’re really lucky, you can even have the whole place to yourself for an unobstructed photo opportunity.

Sometimes, the off season may not be the best time to visit a destination though. Major attractions may be closed due to holidays or local guides may not be willing to accept travelers due to superstitions and sentiments. So always have these considerations in mind and plan accordingly.

 

Have A Flexible Travel Destination

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Always wanted to visit Morocco or Japan? It might be hard to visit your dream destination if you’re on a budget. But hey, you might need to shelf those travel plans for now and pick other destinations which fit your limited budget.

There are plenty of really beautiful places that are less touristy, more off-beat, but really great for photo opportunities or just for exploration. With this in mind, keep your travel destinations flexible and you’ll be able to find the lowest airfare available.

 

Avoid Flying Direct

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This loophole is somewhat a drastic measure for desperate times. For the informed, it’s called “hidden city ticketing”. Basically, it involves booking a flight to a place (which you have no intention of visiting) with a stopover in a city (which you really intended to visit in the first place). These multi-stopover flights are sometimes cheaper than direct flights to your intended destination due to many reasons (for eg. popularity of the destination).

Another way is to compare direct flights against flights with one or multiple stopovers to your destination. Obviously, direct flights are more expensive. But sometimes, if you’re lucky, the route with multiple stopovers will be cheaper. It’ll definitely take you a little longer to get there but if you can save a lot and be able to use that money on better experiences at your dream destination then why not?

 

Go Incognito

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A common tip amongst other travel blogs would be this; doing your research and browsing incognito (or private browsing for those using Safari). This is partly because airline websites track your IP address and monitor the destinations and locations based on your browsing history when you visit their site. With this information, the site will calculate and show you slightly more expensive fares for your preferred destinations.

So before you open up your browser and start looking for prices on the web, it is imperative that you go incognito because if you don't, you just might be charged higher prices than normal.

 

Earn Miles And Points

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If you travel a lot or even do it yearly, you’re probably familiar with miles and points. These are the reward systems for airlines (and even some credit card companies) that could score you a free trip when you have accrued enough. It might take a while to earn but if you plan ahead and score them religiously, you’ll be able to go on that free trip in no time. And what is cheaper than free?

 

Book Early

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When you are talking about booking airline flights early, early does not mean a few months before. Some hardcore travelers even book their flights a year in advance! The advantage of doing this is that prices are usually discounted—since the airlines can secure your early booking—and you can forecast your holidays way in advance. It might not work out for some people who work in volatile industries that might suddenly require you to change your travel plans but if you’ve got a fixed schedule and know the right time for a vacation, book early and save!

 

Delete Your Cookies

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This is somewhat similar to staying incognito. You have to retain anonymity during your browsing sessions because airline websites will track your browser visits. So aside from going incognito, try checking and clearing your cookies once in a while. With today’s technology and our digital footprint, it’s not that hard for airline websites to understand your Google searches and raise the fare for that particular location you keep Googling. Sneaky huh?

 

Compare Several Airline Websites And Search Engines

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Always go for a second opinion. Or third. Or more. This is especially important because you have to make sure that you are getting the ultimate bang for your buck. Always, always compare prices between different airline websites, travel sites, and even search engines in order to get the best deal.

 

Look For Tickets In Other Currencies

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This might not be immediately intuitive to many but you can take advantage of ever-changing exchange rates! Search for flights in a country where the currency is weaker than yours and you just might score that decent discount you’ve been waiting for. Of course, you’ll have to consider if bank and money transfer rates are worth it if you pay in a foreign currency. But hey, anything for a cheaper flight right?

 

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Buying cheap air tickets seem to be a never ending game against the system, but if you plan your destinations and play your cards right, you’ll be able to score a cheap flight that fits your budget and be on your way!

 

* PHOTO BY YUICHI KIOSO
** ARTICLE CONTRIBUTED BY KENNETH FONG