How to Save on Flights

If you’re a frequent traveller, perhaps you’re familiar with the frustrations that can accompany booking flights. Oftentimes, takeoff is one of the most expensive parts of your trip.

To help you find budget-friendly airfare, we put together this guide that addresses how to save on flights. From booking at the right time to using price tracking tools to paying with a travel credit card, there are plenty of ways to avoid pricey plane rides.

Save on Flights by Booking at the Right Time

Take it from any seasoned traveller, sometimes, when booking a flight, timing is everything.

To help you out, check out these booking tips:

Book Early or at the Last Minute

Some savvy flyers find that the best way to secure an affordable flight is to book either early or at the last minute. This will all of course depend on the flight itself, the destination, and supply and demand.

For peak-season domestic flights, you may be able to get away with booking a couple months before departure. For international flights, consider booking about 4 to 10 months in advance.

If you plan on taking the gamble of waiting until the last minute to secure a deal, note that these discounts can be rare, making banking on last-minute bookings a riskier method than planning ahead.

Book a Mid-Week Flight to Save More on Flights

The day your flight falls on can impact the price of the flight altogether. Typically, flights that takeoff in the middle of the week are cheaper – think Tuesday to Thursday.

Be Flexible

When booking flights, flexibility can also be your best friend.

Here’s how to be flexible and financially savvy when booking flights:

Book Off-Peak Season to Save on Flights

In general, July and August tend to be the busiest (and priciest) times to travel as many tourists take summer breaks and want to take advantage of nice weather. Overall, the spring and fall are less crowded and cheaper.

That said, peak times are dependent on the destination – as seasons and holidays may vary. To find the least chaotic time to visit, which often corresponds with the most budget-friendly time to visit, always research your destination for festivals, breaks (think spring break or summer vacation – also something to consider in general), and weather.

Booking off-peak might be tricky for those that follow standard work and school schedules, but if you have vacation time or the ability to work remotely – use this to your advantage.

Embrace Stopovers

Most people try to avoid stopovers at all costs, but there are a few ways they can actually be beneficial. 

It’s easy to think non-stop, direct flights are the best, and the majority of travellers would agree. That’s exactly why layover or stopover flights can be cheaper, since they aren’t in high demand.

If you start to view stopovers as an extension of your trip rather than a delay, you can experience more than you initially expected, all at a lower price. For example, a layover can give you extra time to explore a new city on your way to your final destination. During that time, you might be able to grab lunch and taste some local cuisine, or visit a few attractions between touchdown and takeoff. In fact, tons of airlines offer free stopovers in a city for up to a few days, giving you plenty of time to tack on exciting activities.

Stop viewing stopovers as an inconvenience, and consider seeing them for what they truly are – a bonus vacation for a fraction of the flight cost.

Get Creative with Connecting Flights

Another way to stay budget-conscious is to break up your flight into cheaper connecting flights.

To do this effectively, research all the flights that touchdown into your final destination. There may be some airports halfway to your final destination that offer discounted flights due to the shorter distance. If that’s the case, fly into the halfway point, then fly into your final destination from that halfway point for cheap. Sure you’re adding some extra steps to the process, but you’re also saving more money and exploring a new place you might not have ever heard of otherwise.

Book at Alternative Airports

Sometimes, there are multiple airports in your region or city. If so, look beyond the most popular or biggest takeoff points and see whether or not there are other airports that can fly you to your destination for less money.

All in all, explore your options to score the best price.

Get a Travel Credit Card

Tons of travel credit cards earn you points on travel purchases, including flights. Some cards even partner with specific airlines to reward you on every booking. After you earn points, you can turn around and redeem them towards your next flight or transfer them to airline partners. With a travel credit card, you’ll also have automatic extensive and comprehensive travel coverage.

Consider travel cards like the top-rated Scotiabank Gold American Express Card – earning you Scene+ points on everyday purchases, plus extra points on Scene+ Travel purchases. Once you earn your Scene+ points, you can use them to book eligible travel – including flights – through partnered platforms like Expedia. The card also comes with no foreign transaction fees – which voids the 2.5% foreign transaction fee on international purchases. This is beneficial for flights that need to be booked in local currency outside of Canada.

If you’re loyal to an airline like Air Canada, then cards like the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card earn you solid Aeroplan points on everyday expenses and Air Canada purchases. You can use these Aeroplan points towards Air Canada flights and travel.

All travel credit cards also come with multiple travel-oriented perks, but none carry quite as many as the American Express Platinum Card. This premium option holds plenty of airport benefits, including unlimited complimentary visits to 1400+ airport lounges through the American Express Global Lounge Collection, an annual travel credit that can be redeemed toward eligible flights, and priority travel perks that include discounts on airport parking.

Some cards, like the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard, also include companion vouchers. Companion vouchers allow cardholders to purchase a companion ticket for an accompanying traveller at a reduced rate. This card’s companion voucher in particular can be applied to any eligible roundtrip flight offered by WestJet (excluding additional fees and charges linked to specific destinations and fare-types). 

To filter through more travel credit cards that meet your flight and vacation needs, check out our Best Credit Card Finder tool.

Take Advantage of Price Tracking Tools

Whether you’re paying with points or cash, you can simplify your search for the best flight rates by using an airline price tracking tool.

Some popular price tracking tools include:

Point.me

Point.me offers a self-serve search engine that compiles the best point deals on flights for every credit card travel loyalty program. Results present you with side-by-side comparisons so you can pick the best flight possible.

If you need some extra help, you can also pay for concierge services that can guide you through your options and the redemption process.

Sign up for a Basic, Standard, or Premium membership based on your price-tracking needs.

To learn more, visit our How to Optimally Redeem Your Credit Card Points blog post.

Pointhound

Also expanded upon in the How to Optimally Redeem Your Credit Card Points article, Pointhound offers a no-fee search engine that finds users free and discounted flights through over 150 airlines.

The program works best for Canadian cardholders who collect American Express Membership Rewards points.

Skyscanner

Similar to the previous two cross-search tools, Skyscanner scans over 1,000 airlines to compare flight fares.

Through this platform, users can filter for preferred airlines, the fastest flights, and the cheapest departure times.

Once you find a flight that works for you, you can book directly through the featured provider.

Set Up Price Alerts

To make the most out of your flight-price tracking tools, take the time to set up alerts.

When a deal comes around for your desired trip, some cross-search programs (like Skyscanner) will send you an alert via email.

Typically, price alerts can be set up through the participating website’s results page.

Conclusion

Finding the best flight prices can be frustrating, tedious, and time-consuming. 

If you’re up to the task, be sure to book at the right time – either in advance or at the last minute, while paying special attention to the time of takeoff.

If you’re not restricted by a rigid work schedule, consider booking an off-peak flight, flights with stopovers, compiling cheap connecting flights, or booking your departure at an alternative airport.

To optimize your airfare, apply for a travel credit card that can earn you points on flight purchases which can later be redeemed towards future flights. These cards also tend to come with tons of travel-optimizing perks and coverage.

Finally, if you want to fast-track the entire process, take advantage of price tracking tools that will compare flights from top airlines, showing you which options are the best for your point redemptions and wallet.