Whether you are a newbie or an experienced digital nomad, don’t let the cost of travel discourage you from seeing the world. After all, one of the best aspects of being a nomad is being able to travel while still doing a steady job. We’re here to offer some budget-friendly travel hacks and advice on where to hunt for low-cost flights.
Don’t forget to purchase travel and health insurance before making one of the most significant trips. In case you need it, we’ve also provided options for insurance that you may purchase mid-trip.
Be adaptable with dates and locations.
Although we are mindful that this is not always practicable, flexibility is essential for finding low-cost flights! There will be differences in price depending on the dates and locations.
Price increases are unavoidable when a location is visited frequently by tourists. Considering supply and demand, many websites, including those mentioned above, let you choose “the world” or a comparable destination as your departure location.
You can compare costs throughout the month using the “flexible dates” function available on many search engines.
Avoid making last-minute flight reservations because they only get more expensive as you approach closer to your departure date. Even though it’s not always possible, making reservations a month in advance can help!
This shows flights worldwide. Just keep in mind that the best areas are often off the usual path if this sounds frightening or if you have specific locations in mind.
Search engines comparison
There are many booking websites, and you might locate a flight on many of them at different prices. You might be asking why different airline search engines list different flight prices; it depends on how much the price has been inflated to cover a commission.
Finding affordable airline tickets requires price comparison across many search engines. There are several options, some of which are occasionally more expensive than others.
A few search engines to consider are listed below:
- In addition, Skyscanner looks up major and low-cost airlines and websites in English and other languages.
- You can quickly compare travel dates and destinations with Google Flights.
- Momondo offers the majority of airlines and frequently has less expensive flights than other websites.
- Hopper helps you find cheap flights and hotels by using data-driven algorithms to forecast when flights will be the cheapest.
It might also be helpful to search specific airline websites, and occasionally that is the most cost-effective choice. However, since there are so many places to get flights, as we previously indicated, it’s wise to be flexible. So do your research to discover the finest airline ticket deals!
Get inexpensive flight newsletters.
Searching the internet for cheap flights might be challenging when life gets busy. However, the benefit of subscribing to newsletters is receiving emails as soon as low-cost tickets become available in your inbox.
You can sign up for their newsletters for the airlines with whom you have miles. Some airlines provide mileage bonuses. Websites like secretflying.com, which finds cheap flight tickets from any airline, can also provide you with information about bargains.
We also adore Scott’s Cheap Flights, a fantastic website and no-cost weekly newsletter that delivers the top travel offers from your chosen airports to your email. Most offers feature reliable airlines and range from 40 to 90% off regular pricing.
They also offer a premium email with discounted peak season flights, special flight price errors, early offers, and premium and premium deals.
This option might not be helpful if you’re looking for a certain schedule, but it can show you the fantastic prices offered. If it means traveling to a new location for an incredible price, you never know what you can make work!
Book Flights on Several Airlines
When you search for flights, you frequently only see options from a single airline. However, it may be worthwhile to take the time to compare several airlines if you have a long journey with layovers. You can do this to alter your flight path to get the greatest deal. Websites like Kiwi.com will do the legwork for you by locating cheaper flight itineraries that may employ multiple carriers.
If it says “self-transfer” when you book, make sure you have ample time between planes to get your luggage and check in again. It’s a terrific way to save money. Most of the time, the airlines will handle this for you with no trouble.
Remember that you will also receive two separate boarding passes—one for each flight—so be sure to guard your second one!
Don’t worry if your first flight is running late; in our experience, the pilot can frequently make up time throughout the flight, and connecting flights nearly always wait for all passengers to arrive.
Accept Layovers with Grace
Sometimes in life, convenience has a price. This also applies to flights. We can get to our location earlier rather than later thanks to direct flights, which save travel time. The cost is normally higher for direct flights and lower for trips with a layover, though.
I’ve discovered that layovers aren’t all that unpleasant for a few reasons. First, considered to be cheating by some, stopping in a random city allows me to expand my list of places visited.
In addition, if the day of travel is lengthy, it can be pleasant to disembark and explore a new airport. Additionally, you never know what wonderful food a new airport might offer or how cool it might be!
Even websites like Clever Layover and Airwander can help you schedule a layover that saves you money. Sometimes, you can spend a day in a different place while waiting between planes. Some airlines in nations that are frequently used as layover destinations especially cater to travelers who are only passing through and provide free city tours with pickup and drop-off at the airport and even complimentary hotel stays.
Free stopover offers on airlines:
Iceland Air provides layovers in Iceland at no additional cost.
Singapore Airlines offers incredibly affordable stopover packages starting at $35, including lodging, transportation, a sim card, and a ticket to attractions.
Emirates arranges for you to check into hotels around-the-clock at special rates for your layover in Dubai.
Turkish Airlines offers complimentary pick-up-and-drop-off tours of Istanbul that last between three and nine hours. However, you must stop for at least six hours to check-in. Just register at global Arrivals.
Anyone staying overnight for six hours or longer can take advantage of Air Canada’s offer of a free hotel night and a free night in Montreal, Vancouver, or Toronto. So if you do this on a round trip, you might visit two significant Canadian cities for nothing!
If you decide to have a layover in Doha, Qatar Air will provide you with a free night in a hotel.
Fly on Cheap Airlines
Budget airlines might be your best ally when attempting to save money! Although they are typical “no frills,” budget airlines are not that bad. When you book with a low-cost airline, you can have less legroom and pay for more luggage.
The positive is that flying is typically a pleasant experience, and the money you save can be used once you get to your destination. However, budget airlines occasionally charge extra for free services on more expensive airlines, like checked baggage and in-flight meals and drinks. Before making a reservation, review the small print to ensure you get the deal you want.
Conclusion
Saving money might be crucial to living the digital nomad lifestyle at times. For example, the strategies we’ve listed here can be a tremendous help if you’re trying to save money on airline tickets, cutting a significant amount off the price of your tickets.
One of the primary reasons you’ve embraced life as a digital nomad is probably because you want to see as much of the globe as possible, and learning how to save money on travel can help you do that.