If you like to travel, you might be used to sitting in front of a computer and constantly checking prices of plane tickets. Sometimes you need just a bit of luck and sometimes a bit of knowledge and tricks, which will make your path to another adventure a little bit easier.
Book 7 weeks ahead
Today we can’t even imagine searching for a plane ticket without having internet. And this is why we have to make a full use out of it. Sign up to airlines’ newsletters as you find out know about their low prices, new flights or discount coupons first. They will also inform you about last-minute flights, which are harder to find. Travel experts on Skyscanner write that we should book our flight seven weeks before travelling short distance and 18 weeks travelling longer distance. They also write that last-minute flights don’t have the best price anymore because of the business travellers, who look for a flight last minute and are prepared to give a big amount of money for a flight. Last-minute flights prices are also usually higher than flying with a low-budget airline. If you’re looking for a flight in last minute, check out flight prices on Tuesdays when airlines usually discount prices for last seats on weekends.
Online inspiration
You don’t have an exact destination in mind? Excellent! There are a lot of websites where you can choose a month you want to travel in and your goal is “anywhere”. The search engine will categorize flights by prices and you only have to decide, which destination is the most attractive to you and how much can you afford. Don’t forget that you will sometimes need a visa, which sometimes costs you a lot of money (an example is Russia, where you can get a cheap plane ticket but the visa will cost you another 80 Euros). Great websites to search a cheap plane ticket to an unknown destination are Skyscanner (different sites for different countries are available and the offer is therefor wider) and Kayak. Liking travelling pages on Facebook or Twitter is also a great option as you will sooner find a special offer.
Neighbouring countries rule
Slovenia is a small country so there’s not a big choice of airline companies. Don’t focus only on Slovenia because there’s a bigger choice waiting for you outside the country and with that comes the bigger choice of ticket prices. Italy is a great starting point. Italian airports offer a great variety of destinations. You can buy a really cheap plane ticket from Venice or Trieste and travel to big European cities for as little as 30 Euros. If Italy is too far, there’s Vienna, Graz, Budapest or Zagreb. There’s a lot of choice, you only need to know where to find and take your time to browse the internet. Sometimes you can also travel to one airport and go back from the other airport. Check one-way ticket prices to your chosen destination and maybe travel from Ljubljana and go back to Venice with another airline company.
Avoid additional costs
Low budget airlines are a great choice for short trips. But beware of additional costs. You will have to pay extra for a big bag and you’ll have to pay for both ways. Ryanair for example will charge you 60 Euros for a suitcase, weighing up to 20 kg, which can add up to 120 Euros in both sides, which is usually more than the price of your ticket. If your baggage exceeds the allowed measurements, you will also have to pay. You also can’t expect to get free food or water so take care of that before you enter the plane and avoid the high prices. Insurance will also cost you a bit more but it’s worth examining if you really need it or you’ll just risk it.
More flights to get to your dream destination
You will travel cheaper on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Planes are supposed to be less full on these days, write on the website Travelzoo. An additional bonus is also that the airports are more empty and there is no queue. Don’t be afraid to find some stops on the way to your final destination. You want to go to New York? It’s logical that you won’t find a direct flight to New York from Slovenia, but don’t just search for a connected flight (where you stop on one airport without worrying about luggage or checking, the ticket does that for you). Look also for separate flights but be sure to have enough time to go through security again, check in, search for luggage etc. These kind of flights are also great for jumping into the city that is not even your final location. Search for your combination that suits you and for the best price.