Tips and Tricks

After stopping off in Dubai to see my dad and getting a free facial (at this time of year, you walk out of the airport and the humidity has you soaking in a flash!), I'm home.

Not just that, but my suitcase is home too. This is small miracle. The lady at check-in tried to charge me for the bag being over weight, but wanted the cash (What can you afford? Nothing. I tired to explain.) handed over in my passport....hmm, a charge or is that a bribe? Her supervisor came back just in time and my case started down the conveyor belt. Oh Kenya, what a send off. Only once I was in Dubai did I realise that I had no ticket for my bag and had convinced myself that I would never be seeing it again. But there it was, on the carousel in bonnie Scotland. I think it has some kind of homing device.

Tips & Tricks for Flying on a Budget

Kate Sorenson contributed this piece on budget travel. Kate is an expert couponer who shares her knowledge and excellent finds on her site, CouponCravings.com. She knows how to find all the best deals and shares several of her favorites each day with the rest of her readers. To check CouponCravings out, click here!

Flying is never cheap. The most expensive part of any vacation is usually the cost of flights, but many of us have learned to simply accept the outrageous prices airlines demand. However, savvy flyers know that there are clever ways to reduce the money spent on flights. Read on to learn some of the best tricks for flying on a budget.

Be Flexible

You will find the absolute best deals if you can move your schedule around a bit and leave at a moment’s notice. When a flight has seats remaining right before takeoff, prices are significantly reduced. If you can snatch up a last minute flight, you’ll save an abundance of cash. Some articles suggest signing up with an airline’s email alerts to stay on top of deals. Or, if your vacation dates aren’t set, search for the days when the tickets are cheapest – avoiding holiday traffic is always a plus. Finally, if you’re willing to go on a bit of an adventure, look for flights with connecting cities that are cheaper. It may take a bit longer, but when it can shave so much off your bill, is that really important?

Use the Airline Websites

Airplane travel sites, such as Travelocity.com, may be easier and more convenient to use, but often the best deals are found on the airline websites themselves. If you’re on an email alert list, you’ll hear about any sales the airline offers. Usually, the prices are cut on Monday night, so look for deals Tuesday mornings.

Avoid Hidden Fees

Airplane tickets are expensive enough as it is, but the airlines nickel-and-dime you at every possible moment. Hidden Fees Have Airline Passengers in a Frenzy explains some of the fees you can expect; in-flight meals or entertainment, checking bags, and renting a pillow and blanket all add to the cost of a flight. Not all of these fees are avoidable, but the more careful you are when planning and packing, the more money you can save. Pack snacks in your carry-on luggage to avoid paying a small fortune for dinner and be smart with your bag space to reduce the money you spend on checking luggage.

You may expect a flight to run your wallet dry, but frugal shoppers can save money on their tickets and smart flyers can avoid additional fees. Take advantage of all the deals available to you and you’ll find you can travel without breaking the bank.