Budget Flight Finder

Short tips for searching for low-cost flight options

That is almost always the case with budget carriers, where only a few places are available on each flight at the indicated special prices. Usually it makes sense to make reservations at least 8 week before your flight and at least 3 to 6 month in advanced.

Due to the amount of revenue, flight reservations professionals can either agree upon preferential conditions with the airline companies or reduce their commissions and then sell the same flight at a reduced price. They also compete with each other, which is why most trip professionals suggest that you review the tariffs with several agencies before you confirm your trip to make sure you have found the cheapest tariff.

They make it simple to browse across a number of web pages with little fuss, but each comparative page usually displays only the rates of the supplier it selects, so pricing can differ from location to location based on your route/day, etc. There is no flight comparator platform that can match every available fare of every carrier and every agency, which is why we now offer our Meta Suche to help you quickly find available fare from major locations.

Most, but not all, sites publicize their tariffs inclusive of state tax and surcharges. Sadly, at the beginning of the checkout procedure, you will often find a number of extra fee -based choices (especially for low budget airlines) and will not see them until you have partially completed the checkout procedure.

Charges may cover items such as checked baggage, reserved seating, reservations charges and in-flight catering, so you can always review the overall costs thoroughly before making a confirmation of your flight. Due to these charges it is not possible to make comparisons on a similar tariffs for a similar base. Pricing that seems more costly at first may end up being less costly if all extra charges have been added, and you won't see them until you start the checkout procedure, but before you make your reservations.

Because fares differ widely due to the law of choice and availability, never expect a budget or charters flight to be better value than a regular one. Cheap airlines without bells and whistles can quote the lowest fares for your trip one single flight a day, whereas regular airlines can quote an even lower fares the next.

Try to be on Tuesday or Wednesday if possible, as these are usually the least frequented dates for them. You will be informed by our settlement finder if lower rates are available within +/- 3 workdays. Even though they do not apply to all airline companies often if you are flying during the week and at least one Saturday stays, you can take advantages of recreational airfare.

Nonstop is the most comfortable and therefore the most loved flight. When you are ready to make a connection on the way, you will often make a big savings although your travelling times are increasing. With this in mind, the surest way is to make the entire flight in one booking (as a flight from your point of origin to your destination) with the same carrier to prevent missing flight issues when it comes to delay.

Compiling your own travel route with different airline departures may result in you being beached at the destination and having no choice but to purchase the full fare for a fare to conclude your journey. A few comparative pages (including our own) now show results for self connection services where you can mix several services from different airline companies or agencies that are less expensive than a regular service, but in some cases do not always have enough free travel for you to pick up your baggage and board the connection if you are delayed.

Remember that these stand-alone trips can help saving your cash, but if you miss your connection, it's not the airlines' job and you'll probably have to buy another flight for the next available flight. While the rates from the smaller, more isolated cities are usually lower, the cost of extra travelling and possibly an accommodation in a nearby resort can quickly undermine your cost saving.

A further thing to consider is the greater chance of trip delay if you have a long trip to the airports that could result in you missin your flight. As fares are so expensive and often vary several days a week, it will always be a tough choice to make a booking now or wait until later to see if the fare drops.