This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click on my link and buy an item I will make a small commision off that purchase at no additional cost to you. To see my full disclosure policy click here.

There really is a secret to cheap airfare. These money-saving travel tips will find you cheap international flights and make family travel more affordable.

When we start planning a new trip, one of the first items we have to agree on is the budget. And since most of our trips involve us having to pay a premium fare just to get off our island, finding the cheapest airline ticket possible is usually our first priority.

Trying to find affordable plane tickets that don’t break the bank can seem daunting to a lot of folks. I totally get it. You can spend hours online comparing prices, and still never be sure that you’re getting the best deal. It’s understandable why so many people give up and call a travel agent.

But, if you know where to look to find the best deals and exactly when to book your trip, you can find terrific discounts on flights. I’ve even found flights for less than $20!! Let me show you how!

5 Best Tips to Find the Cheapest Airline Ticket

1. The Best Time To Buy

You’ve probably heard that the sooner you can buy your plane ticket, the better the fare will be. This is true. But did you know there is an exact window of time when the fare will be the best? It is called the “60 Day Rule”. In general, it is best to buy your ticket is two months (60 days) to a month and a half (six weeks) before your intended trip. This is a true case of the early bird catches the worm.

When you go to purchase your tickets, try to buy them on Tuesday afternoon between 2 and 4 PM (Eastern Time Zone). The reason for this has to do with the airlines pricing their flights on Monday, but these prices don’t show up in the system until Tuesday morning. Then, after seeing the competition prices, the airlines will adjust their prices accordingly. The new prices post early Tuesday afternoon. Here again, you snooze – you lose. To get the best deals, you have to act fast.

2. The Best Time To Fly

Most people know to try to avoid the holiday rush at airports because that is when the flight prices go through the roof. But did you know there is actually a preferred time to fly if you want to find the cheapest tickets?

To get the best price, try to fly on Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon.  In general, people travel less in the middle of the week. Also, most people prefer to have morning flights, so afternoon flights are often under-booked. Not only can you usually find a cheaper ticket for the flight, but the odds of you having no seatmate go up when you fly during the non-“rush hours” of the airport you’re flying through.

3. Procrastination Pays

If you are planning a weekend flight, buying your ticket on late Friday afternoon/Friday night, or super early Saturday morning is usually your best bet. The flights for the week have all been scheduled, and the airline won’t be setting new prices until Monday morning. This means any seats that are not booked by the weekend can usually be gotten at incredible deals. Though I am telling this story second-hand, and it may be the stuff of urban legends, I have a friend who claims he booked a flight from Memphis, Tennessee to New York City on a Friday night that departed the next morning at 6 AM, and his ticket was only $75! Airlines are looking to dump the last of their unsold flights for the week, and are willing to wheel and deal. You can find some absolute steals if you’re thinking about taking a last-minute getaway.

4. Their Pain, Your Gain

There is no such thing as a perfect system. Sometimes the airline’s price calculators malfunction, and when they do you can find airline tickets for a fraction of what they would normally cost.

Generally, these malfunctions occur when you have a complicated flight that involves many layovers (much like my 32-hour flight to Saipan when we moved here – with four layovers in three different countries), so this is not a sure-fire tip that you can count on to work every time. However, this is a perfect suggestion for those spontaneous last-minute get-aways because you can find some bargains this way!

I use two different websites to help me find these system errors. The first one is AirFareWatchdog. They list their Top 50 Best Deals they find every day on their front page.  I usually can find flights for under $100 here. Getting out-of-town for the weekend for less than a Benjamin is what I’m talking about!! The best part of AirFareWatchdog? You can swap the departure and arrival cities, and the price will still be the same!

Secret Flying is quite arguably the best resource for flight pricing errors on the interwebs. I can almost never believe my eyes when I go looking for what airline fares they post every day.

A flight from New York to London for $99!! I can’t go out on Friday night for that little!

They are prompt at updating their site when tickets sell out, so you don’t have to worry about missing out on the good deals. One of the best ways to be aware of hot fares as they become available is to follow them on your social media feeds. You can find them here on Facebook or Twitter.

5. The “Hidden” City

I still remember the first time someone showed me this trick. It seems so obvious, I can’t believe I never thought of it before. It is now one of my most favorite ways to save some serious cash on airline fares.

The “Hidden City” fare is a favorite among seasoned travelers. It is a cheaper fare because you are looking for your final destination to be in the middle of a route. What this means is finding cheaper flights by getting off at a layover while en route to the actual destination.

Let me give you an example of how this works:

Let’s say that Flight A from New York to Chicago costs $400. Flight B from New York to Detroit, with a layover in Chicago, costs $200. You choose Flight B. Once the plane lands in Chicago, you disembark, and there you are in Chicago with an extra $200 in your pocket.

While this is a great option – there are some drawbacks. I wouldn’t recommend doing this very often if you plan on using airline loyalty rewards programs. You take a risk of getting kicked out of the program if you get caught.

Also, you cannot check your baggage as it will be routed to the final destination. I would strongly urge you to pack light and arrive early if you use this method. Your worst nightmare will come true if the overhead bins are full and they have to check your carry-on. You can sometimes ask the airline to “short check” your baggage, and it will come off at your requested layover. This is subject to the airline’s rules, so call ahead.

Trying to find these routes aren’t always easy though. I use Skiplagged to help me find these hidden fare gems. They do all the work for you. All you do is put in your departure and arrival cities, and they do the rest.

$84 to get from Newark to Portland? Get your suitcases packed!

Waiting to buy your tickets at the right time, and doing just a little legwork beforehand can result in saving you mucho moolah on airline tickets. Your flight shouldn’t be the most expensive part of your vacation (unless you live in the middle of the Pacific ocean like me, then it’s another story).

If you try any of these tips and they work out for you, let me know! What are your favorite tips when it comes to finding the cheapest airline tickets? Do you love to fly? Or do you fly to get where you love? Tell me about it in the comments!

Thanks for stopping by! I’d love it if you’d Pin me!