Flight Tips

General Principles

• It doesn’t always matter to get to your final destination right away
• Once you’ve crossed the ocean or are closer to Australia, it can be cheaper to get little ​flights to and from main cities
  • You can save money  
  • You can see something you didn’t plan on
  • Keep in mind: it might take more time to get to your final destination
    • But have an open mind and you’ll have an adventure along the way!

Remember the Rule of Flexibility

• The more of these factors you have, the cheaper deals available:
  • Less luggage (carry on or less)
  • Book in advance (3-8 months)
  • Extra time invested in searching for flights
  • Long travel time (getting from A to B)
  • Flexible dates
• If you aren’t willing to compromise on these factors, your airfare might be more

Be flexible!

• Most people ​book flights in this order:
  • Pick their dates, then destination, and see what prices come up > this usually results in high costs!
  • Do it backwards if you want a cheap flight to Europe/Asia/Australia:
• See what cheap fares are available to the overall area in your general time-frame
  • Use the “flexible dates” search feature available on a lot of sites
• Figure out the small connections to get you to your final destination
• Don’t rule out trains/buses!

When should I book my flight?

• After your agreement is signed
• When you see a great deal
• International flights: ideally 2-8 months in advance
  • Remember: prices tend to increase about a month or two before departure
  • If you’re going between September and May, you can book a little closer to your departure date
• Remember: prices tend to increase about a month or two before departure

When is the cheapest time to fly?

• January through mid-May
• September through early December

When is the most expensive time to fly? 

• Peak summer (mid-June through mid-August)
• Christmas/New Year’s

Cheapest days to fly (generally speaking):

• Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday
• Friday and Sunday usually the most expensive days
  

Great resources for finding flights on your own:

• Kiwi.com
• Skyscanner
• Google Flights
• Kayak
• Momondo
• Southwest (their flights don’t show up in general search engines like Expedia, Orbitz, etc.)
• Allegiant Airlines (for cheap flights from SLC/Provo to LAX, SFO, etc.)

Great organizations for finding flights for you:

• Scott’s Cheap Flights
• Pomelo
• Flights from Home (out of SLC & Vegas)
• Hopper app
• Cheap Fly Club
• I Know The Pilot 
• Matt’s Flights

Note: “Cross the ocean as cheaply as possible!” — Scott’s Cheap Flights