TIPS: Flights & Flying
COMPARING AND FINDING CHEAPER FLIGHTS
basIf you typically have about 10 windows open on your computer, comparing flight websites from multiple sellers, you’re going to love these sites. They do all the searching for you, and some even have graphs showing you how your fare fluctuates by individual departure dates.
I have used this site on the advice of other travel bloggers (who travel a LOT and are very frugal!) and found it easy to navigate and accurate with easy charts to show you which days offer different fares.
Another aggregate site, worth checking out when you are looking for the perfect fare.
The name says it all with this site, and discounts are the name of the game. This is the Canadian version, but there’s a .com site as well. And if you’d prefer to chat to an actual human, they have those, too. In fact, after booking with them to fly to Florida, I actually got a personal phone call asking how I found their service, and offering me a discount on my next flight. Ha! Cheap fares AND service. What’s not to love?
www.google.com/flights/explore
Like momondo, this site gives you a graph that shows you the difference a day makes in the price of your fare.
TIP: Once you’ve found your flight and the carrier, also check with the airline directly. Sometimes the prices on these aggregate search sites are the same as the airline’s, and you might feel more comfortable booking directly with the airline than through a third-party reseller you may not recognize.
CHEAP FLIGHTS FROM CANADA:
For anyone flying out of Canada, this site searches for cheap deals for flights out of Canadian airports (there’s a list of cities in the navigation bar for you to select your departure city). How cheap? How about $455 direct to Portugal return, including all taxes, cheap! The site even walks you through where and how to book each deal, after they’ve found it, including promo codes if there are any available! You can also register to get the deals right to your inbox when they come up. Best part is that it’s all FREE!
CHEAP FLIGHTS FROM CANADA & THE U.S.
Similar to above, this subscription service scours the internet for cheap airfares, and then sends the deals right to your inbox. There are 3 plans to choose from, but the free basic level isn’t likely to net you many deals. Instead, opt for the Premium plan which sends multiple deals from up to 4 different departure airports you choose, including Canadian ones. Although the fares are posted in U.S. dollars, the booking sites will convert to Canadian dollars and the deals are still amazing for both domestic and international flights. Premium’s annual fee is $69 U.S. but pays for itself with even one deal. Read more in our review.
SEATING ON PLANES:
More and more airlines are charging you to reserve different types of seating in their Economy ‘levels’. So if you want to know the ‘best’ seats on any given aircraft, check out this site, find the type of plane you will be flying by your route, and it will tell you the best seats, as well as how to avoid seats that have obstructions under them, or may not recline.
If you’d like to read more articles on Travel Tips and Trip Planning, click here.
Subscribe and you'll never miss an update!
Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from Grownup Travels. (We keep your email STRICTLY private)
Thank you for subscribing to Grownup Travels!