Whether you’re embarking on a well deserved holiday to a foreign country or perhaps just a short trip over the weekend to visit family, flight costs are always a pain. The cost of the flight can often be the most costly part of your entire trip and thus it’s absolutely essential to make sure you’re not wasting a penny on expensive flights.

1.) Book ahead, but not too far ahead:

In the airfare industry, there’s a time period that’s considered the tipping point in flight prices. Roughly six weeks before the flight departure, the flight price is bound to adjust, keep in mind that this can go either way, up or down, however, if you follow the rest of the tips the flight price would be more inclined to go down, rather than up.

2.) Be flexible with your dates:

Consider off-season on, it’s really not that bad, in fact, sometimes visiting the popular holiday destinations during off season can be so much better than trying to take a photo with Leaning Tower of Pisa with 8 other guys doing the same pose in the background. The lower airfare is obviously a huge benefit here, flying in off season to a popular destinations can sometimes be up to half the price of a flight in peak season.

3.) Be your own travel agent:

Why spend an extra 20% on service fees when you can book your own flight in a matter of minutes? Searching and booking for a cheap flight online has never been as easy as it is today. There are wonderful OTA’s (Online Travel Agencies) out there that have exremely innovative tech that allows you to compare thousands of airlines and flight options in seconds and book the cheapest flight instantly, make sure to use these. Popular and cheap OTA’s include Flight Factory, FlightSite, Skyscanner and Kayak.

4.) Look out for student deals:

Some OTA’s and other travel agencies often have special deals for students, as long as you have a student card, you qualify for most of these deals. Be sure to monitor popular travel agency websites and sign up for their newsletters to make sure you’re always notified of any special student deals or packages. You can also find student deals by searching for something like “student flights” or “student travel deals” etc on Google.

5.) Save on other travel costs

Sometimes the flight prices just aren’t going to be cheap, if you’re heading to a popular destination, it’s bound to be a bit more pricey. Saving on other costs can be a good way to still keep to your budget. You don’t need to stay in that 5 star hotel… There are a lot of things that you can cut down on when traveling, accommodation being the biggest, traveling on land can also be cheaper if you take a local taxi and avoid hiring a luxury car. Do your research on the nearby restaurants and food establishments, pick the ones with lower prices and your bound to save a ton of money overall.

In conclusion, there are loads you can do to save on travelling costs. You might need to give up a room with a flat screen and room service, but that’s not why you’re there, you’re there for the experience.