If you’re anything like me, you like to get the most out of every dollar. And, you probably like earning free things, right? Well, with a couple money-saving tips, you can be on your way to a great deal on your next domestic flight.
Bargain Tip #1:
Stay up late. A former airline employee once told me to check airfare in the middle of the night. Apparently, during off-peak hours (about 1 or 2 in the morning), airlines will lower the price of airfare for just a couple hours. So, if you have a cup of coffee with dinner, you may be on your caffeinated-way to a great deal!
Bargain Tip #2:
Shop more. Some airlines, if you sign up for their rewards programs, will give you bonus points and/or miles simply for shopping with their partnered companies. Delta Airlines, for instance, has a program called SkyMiles where you can earn Delta miles for shopping with partners such as 1800Flowers.com, Hilton, and even Netflix. So, if you are a SkyMiles member, you can easily earn miles for that bouquet of roses you were going to buy your sweetheart anyway.
Similarly, with Southwest’s Rapid Rewards Shopping program, you can earn Rapid Rewards points for your everyday online purchases. Anyone who flies Southwest can sign up for their Rapid Rewards program for free to earn points for every flight you take, but now you can earn points for shopping online. With their shopping program, you can use their site to link to your favorite online stores and earn a certain number of points per dollar you spend. From Nordstrom to Sports Authority to Magazines.com, they have a large selection of partnered stores.
Bargain Tip #3:
Do your homework. Go to individual airlines’ websites, not just a travel site that does a mass search for you. Some small airlines, such as Jet Blue and Allegiant Air, have fewer flights available daily and may not show up on general travel searches, but they often offer some of the best prices around. Go directly to these airlines’ websites to see if they offer the flight you need or you may miss out on a good deal.
Another reason to go directly to the airline’s website, is that you can see if there is a flight near where you need to go. For example, someone searching for a flight from Sacramento to Las Vegas could go to Allegiant’s website and see that, while they do not fly out of the Sacramento airport, they do fly out of nearby Stockton. If the flight is a good enough deal, it may be worth driving to an airport a little further away.
If you love traveling, fly within the U.S. a lot, or simply can’t resist a good deal, then try these tips for your next domestic travel adventure!