How to save money on flights this summer: 4 hacks from a cheap travel expert

This season, the shock of airline fares is hitting would-be travelers hard. But according to Scott Case, founder of Scott's Cheap Flights and author of Take More Vacations, there are several reasons why people shouldn't be surprised by sky-high prices, says Travel and Leasure.

“You've heard that travel has dropped by 10-15%, but as the number of planes has dropped even further, demand is high. Flights are actually more full today than before the pandemic,” he said in an interview. “The statistics show that there are fewer vacancies today than there were three years ago.”

There are three main reasons why flights are so expensive. First, tourism is on the rise - and the demand for it is higher, contrary to all expectations.

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“It happened much faster than analysts, airlines and anyone else expected,” Case said. Tourist travel has fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels. People are excited and eager to go on vacations that they have not been able to take in the last couple of years.”

The second reason comes from the first. “You have a huge demand, but the actual supply of flights has decreased by 15-20% compared to the period before the pandemic,” he explained. - The reason is that the airlines do not have enough pilots. They have a shortage of aircraft and not enough ground crew.”

And the third important factor is the high cost of fuel. The founder of Scott's Cheap Flights says, "Aviation fuel is the number two cost of every airline."

However, there are several more ways to save on air travel, which Case decided to share. You may just have to be more flexible than you would like.

See how you plan your trip

“If cheap flights are a priority, use the airfare search method and turn it on its head,” Case advised.

Travelers usually search for flights in a three-step process. Step one: they decide where they want to fly. Step two: they decide when they want to fly. And the third step: they look at the cost of the flight, which makes price the lowest priority. And that's when it all ends with an expensive flight.

“If you really hope to find cheap flights, don't put price last. Make it a top priority,” he said. “Continue the same three-step process, but change it.” Case suggested looking for cheap flights from your home airport first, then choosing a destination based on the price of the flight. And finally, find the dates when a cheap air ticket fits the dates of your holiday.

Hold on until autumn

“Flights are so expensive right now because a lot of people are looking for flights in two of the worst possible ways,” Case said. “They are looking for flights to one of the most expensive times of the year to travel – summer. And they are looking for flights during one of the most expensive periods to buy, that is, at the last minute.”

If you want to travel but don't have to go right now, Case suggests waiting until the fall. Then the rates will be cheaper. On June 13, Case gave the following example: “If you were looking for flights from New York to Oslo right now, the cost of the flight from July 22 to July 29 would be $ 1230 round trip. But from September 22 to September 29, it costs $237. Cheap flights are not gone forever. They just left for this summer.”

Think "Goldilocks Reservation Area"

Traveling is best if you can plan ahead. According to Case, it all comes down to booking within the "Goldilocks zone," which is two to eight months for international travel. And from one to three months for internal. And if you want to fly for the holidays, add a few months to be sure.

“We don't see any cheap flights for the summer because those summer cheap flights were available in February,” Case said. “If you're thinking of an autumn Goldilocks window, we're in it right now. And if you're thinking of a Goldilocks window for winter holiday flights, we're in it right now."

Don't forget to look for one-way flights

As for domestic travel, Case said it would be a good idea to look for two one-way tickets rather than one round-trip ticket. This is because you can find a cheaper ticket on different airlines. Unfortunately, Case said, this trick rarely works on international flights because the one-way fare is sometimes as expensive as the round-trip flight. Of course, you can always sign up for rate alerts on sites like Google. And subscribe to the Keyes newsletter, which sends information about cheap flights to your inbox. Then you can book your tickets as soon as the prices are right.