Flight tickets can put a dent in any travel budget, but there are ways you can save money when booking your flights. Here are some helpful hints and strategies that may save money when booking them. Make an effort to be flexible when booking flights; airfare can differ depending on the time or day, making certain days or destinations much cheaper than others. 2. Know the Rules of the Airline Flight tickets are the single most costly component of travel, yet there are ways to lower airfare costs. Booking early and using Google Flights to search through months of flights until finding your cheapest dates are two effective strategies for saving. Flexibility when booking travel dates is also key - airlines will soon know your specific travel date is fixed and may increase prices accordingly. Also try avoiding holiday weekends since this is often when airfare reaches its highest. Additionally, you can save by accepting to fly on smaller aircraft or to less-than-popular locations. For flights on the West Coast, Southwest or JetBlue often offers better deals; international trips should consider visiting neighboring countries like Germany or France instead of major cities like London or Paris where travel costs might be more costly. Fares vary depending on demand and airlines increase them as seats sell out. If a ticket remains at its current price for several days, that could be a good indicator that it is time to purchase or sign up for airfare alerts to stay aware of price drops. Unchecking "direct flights only" while searching for flights may also help secure more affordable airfare. Connecting flights may actually be cheaper in long-haul trips than nonstop ones, making this method effective at finding bargain airfare deals. Finally, using credit cards that offer airline miles can also help save you money on airfare by helping offset ticket costs. When selecting such cards for this purpose, look for those offering generous mile bonuses with no annual fee and potentially cash back purchases that could reduce the total ticket cost even further. 3. Know the Rules of the Airport Plan ahead if you want to save on flights - typically 70 days out is optimal, though this number could change depending on travel dates and destinations. If unsure when is best for booking, try tools such as Kayak's price predictor - this tool monitors flight prices over time and alerts when prices should decrease. Searching for connecting flights is another method to save money when air travel, as many airlines offer flat fees per flight connection or only charge extra when your bag exceeds certain weight limits. Booking less desirable seats could also help you save on airfare costs this way. Use services such as Skyscanner or Google Flights that allow direct booking with airlines, like Skyscanner and Google Flights. While booking direct can be less convenient than booking through third parties, booking directly can often be more cost-effective - plus, booking directly means that should any issues arise on your trip you can easily speak to customer service reps who can quickly address it! When booking flights, some airlines will often release sales on Tuesday evenings or early Wednesday mornings to fill any unsold seats and increase revenue. While it doesn't guarantee great savings for every airline's offer, it may still be worthwhile keeping an eye out. Signing up for an airline's newsletter can also be advantageous; they're more likely to alert you of sale fares; Frontier and Southwest carriers in particular are known for offering low fare sales. Be mindful that some airlines charge additional fees for check-in, seating, carry-on bags and in-flight food services that can quickly add up - be sure to do the math carefully to make sure that you're actually saving money! In addition, keep in mind that certain carriers have strict baggage rules and won't refund unused bags. 4. Know the Rules of the Flight Flight prices are determined by supply and demand; however, their pricing may not always follow a linear formula of "X miles equals Y price". Many factors come into play when pricing flights. These include seasonal changes and high or low travel seasons; flight departure time/date (e.g., early morning or overnight "red eye"); number of seats on each flight and their availability - as well as price of jet fuel - an expense major airlines bear, which in turn affects airfares. When do flights tend to be the cheapest? Although not an exact science, experts often recommend searching on Tuesday evenings and Wednesday mornings when airlines release sale fares that can lead to great bargains if purchased soon thereafter by other travelers - these airlines often release sale fares which then filter down through to travelers like yourself allowing you to score some great bargains! One strategy when booking low-cost flights is choosing longer journeys with multiple stopovers or connections instead of direct or nonstop flights, giving more rerouting options if they become delayed or canceled. For example, if booking a connecting flight and it becomes delayed or canceled, call your airline to see if they will endorse it with another airline (assuming the second airline still flies) without incurring cancellation fees. Finally, it can often be less expensive to fly into a smaller regional airport rather than one located in one of the larger hub cities, provided your flight arrives at its intended destination. This may help avoid transatlantic or transcontinental flights at higher prices while shortening travel times significantly. One final tip when booking cheap flights is being flexible with your dates and travel times. To find the best price, search multiple dates at once until finding one you prefer; additionally, booking one-way flights over roundtrip can save money as they tend to be less costly. Lastly, when comparing flight prices be sure to factor in any airline baggage fees associated with both checked and carry-on bags as these fees should also be included in comparisons.