Flight Deals: Part I
One of the biggest misconceptions around traveling is that it’s expensive. I can’t begin to tell you how many half-hearted jokes I get about me traveling: “ooo you rich” or “I’m tryna get like you”. Although flattering at times, I can’t stress how not rich I am lol, I just plan. Yes, you do need a little coin to travel but it’s not only for some elite class of people and doesn’t cost nearly as much as people may think. There’s different ways to cut costs on trips such as choosing cheaper accommodations or opting for self exploration vs. paying for tours and excursions. Another way to save a coin on travel and where people don’t look to as often are flight deals.
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Flight deals are one of the best ways to travel consistently and affordably. It’s how I am able to travel at least 4 times a year, to some of the most sought after destinations. I’m not talking DR (no shade), I’m talking flights to Morocco, Indonesia, Colombia and Greece for as low as $350. Sounds too-good-to-be-true but I would not be here if it wasn’t. There’s really no secret or magic code to flight deals, and it’s pretty accessible to everyone. New year, new travels goals that don’t hurt your pockets! For those of you who are new to flight deals, cozy up and check out my tips to snagging your next flight deal.
Part I: Plan
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Stay ready, so you don’t have to get ready: Whether you’re on the hunt for a good deal or one falls into your lap, be in a position to cop a deal at a moments notice. You can figure out PTO later! One way I do this is by setting up a regular savings for travel. I already know I’m going to travel, so it helps to have money set aside to do it.
A caveat to the point above is travel credit cards, which are the cheat code to traveling more, while spending less. I’m not telling you to charge all your travels, aimlessly on a credit card and rack up debt. Credit cards are good, when used right. Between cash back rewards, exclusive perks, and point systems, credit cards like Chase Sapphire Reserve offer great incentives like 3x points on travel and dining purchases, Priority Lounge membership and Global Entry application fee waiver, and 1x points on all purchases (just make sure to try and pay off your balance each month). With my points I’ve booked flights to LA, Lagos, and Houston, at no extra cost. Some cards have annual fees but many do not, so if you can, I highly suggest checking one out.
Chase deals, not destinations: Instead of chasing a destination, consider taking your chances on a flight deal to somewhere you hadn’t thought to visit like Ecuador or Croatia. Don’t worry, Thailand isn’t going anywhere.
If you would’ve asked me a few years ago what a flight deal was, I probably wouldn’t be able to tell you. But since my first flight deal to Spain and Morocco, I’ve been hooked! Places I hadn’t considered going, rose to the top of my travel list because of flight deals. Here’s a few flight deals I've gotten over the past few years: $272 round trip from NYC to Rome, Italy in January, $392 from NYC to Athens, Greece in May, $384 from NYC to Bogota, Colombia in May and $351 multi-city trip between NYC and Madrid, Spain and Casablanca, Morocco in May. You peep the trend ;).
Off season is go season: Plan to travel abroad during U.S. holidays such as Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, Memorial Day weekend and Thanksgiving. Why? These holidays fall right before and after high tourist season in many parts of Europe, Asia, and even, Africa. They are surprisingly a lot cheaper and you use utilize those off days!
Do a quick google search on what’s going on in a specific country during the off season. It helps knowing what season the country will be in, and what regions or landscapes to explore. This will help you plan many aspects of your trip from what tours and excursions to do and how and what to pack.
Stay tuned for Part II of Flight Deals! I’ll be revealing the top flight deal sites, as well as the top flight search engines to find and snag the best deals. No sense in paying for overpriced flights when you can get them at a discount! We’re traveling more in 2020, forreal this time! Comment, share, and repost!
