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Traveling is expensive, especially when you are often flying. But just because someone can afford to fly tens of thousands of miles a year does not mean they enjoy spending. A few frequent frugal flyers have found a few travel hacks.
We asked frequent flyers for their top frugal tips to help save you money on your next flight. We couldn’t include all of the travel hacks here. Visit and bookmark ChaChingQueen for the full, and growing list of travel hacks from frugal frequent flyers.
1) Stop Buying Food At The Airport
An easy way to save is to avoid the markup at airports. The food at the airport is outrageously high.
Lokesh Pant, CEO of Bargain Air Ticket, recommends that flyers “stop falling for the expensive food trap at the airport. Always carry lightweight and healthy food like apples, bananas, chocolate bars, and even sandwiches. And make sure to carry an empty bottle to fill with potable water from the water source post-security.”
Katelynn, a full-time travel writer, agrees, “I’ve saved hundreds of dollars by never purchasing a single thing at an airport. Airport prices are absolutely insane and dependent on your lack of planning and organization. I was recently in an airport in Morocco, and the same water bottle I had just bought at a grocery store was six times higher at the airport! “Katelynn flies internationally several times a month.
2) Don’t Park At The Airport
Jenny, a professional travel blogger, says to avoid Parking at the airport, despite the convenience of driving yourself. She says, “Parking will cost you at least $10 daily throughout your trip. This is one expense you can definitely do without. You might also ask whether a friend or family member would be willing to pick you up and drive you there.”
3) E-Sim Card To Save On Phone And Data
Katelynn found another clever travel hack. She explains, “My biggest money-saving tip that I always practice when traveling internationally is using e-SIM cards. They’re often cheaper, have more data than physical SIM cards, and are easier to install. Many people don’t know about e-SIMS yet, but they are game changers!”
Katelynn offers this example, I was in Italy a few weeks ago and used Airalo, and I’m in Portugal now, and I’m using MEO. These e-SIMs have consistently worked more reliably than big cellphone carriers which tend to charge a premium for a physical temporary SIM. I was consistently having to travel without the internet on my phone until I was able to go to get a SIM card. Now I don’t have that problem anymore. I also get 25-30 GB of service for the same price as I was getting 5-7 GB from the major carriers, meaning I don’t have to keep reloading my cell service or constantly worry about running out of data.”
To find a local e-SIM, search “(country name) e-SIM,” and a number of options will pop up.
4) Avoid Peak Travel
One of the best ways to save money on a trip is to travel during off-peak times. This can either be off-peak during the week or off-season. Traveling off-peak frequently results in cost savings if your travel dates are flexible.
For instance, if you travel on a Tuesday or a Wednesday, you’ll typically find cheaper flights, and hotels are frequently less expensive during the week than on the weekends.
Anthony Radchenko, a co-founder at Air Advisor, explains, “Airlines and hotels often cut their prices when you visit vacation destinations during non-peak travel dates. For example, Florida’s off-season is from July to August. The main Florida tourist season runs from December to the end of April, as tickets are cheaper during this period.”
5) Procrastinate!
If you can hold off and book your vacation at the last minute, you may find better deals on anything from flights to hotel rooms to car rentals on websites like StressFreeCarRental.com. Being more adaptable about where you go and how long you stay is necessary for this to work. Still, the significant savings might be well worth it.
6) Utilize The “Hidden City” Ticketing Loophole
Jeremy Scott Foster, CEO at TravelFreak, shares his favorite travel hack. He uses the website Skiplagged, which detects airline companies’ pricing loopholes. It helps you book a flight where a layover happens at your destination.
A hidden-city flight is where you get off at a layover city versus the airline’s final destination. Skiplagged offers these hidden-city flights, which save travelers an average of $128 per ticket. Unlike other booking sites and airlines, the Skiplagged search portal is dedicated to finding these fares for users, ensuring users get the best deal possible.
Jeremy says, “I took advantage of the Skiplagged website while my trip to Dubai and booked a flight from LA to Bangkok with Dubai being the layover destination. And I simply (intentionally) missed the second leg of the flight.”
Dan Gellert, Chief Operating Officer, Skiplagged offers some additional insights, “For the best prices on hidden-city flights, book 0-12 days before departure to save an average of 47% on flights. For weekend trips you will get the best deals 3-5 days before departure.”
Avoid doing this hack too often, or the airlines may flag you.
Travel Does Not Need To Cost So Much
Traveling is expensive. But following the above tips from frugal frequent fliers will leave more money in your pocket.
Be sure to visit and bookmark ChaChingQueen Travel Hacks From Frugal Frequent Flyers for the full and growing list.
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This article was originally published on ChaChingQueen.
