Cheap flightz
- Thread starter JM4CY
- Start date
I use Google Flights to find the best deal. I will say, however, avoid American Airlines.
Drive halfway there and then fly. Cheapens it up a bit.
We probably need more info to provide helpful input.
- What's the nearest airport with commercial flights for you?
- Are you willing to drive to Des Moines, Minneapolis, Chicago?
A lot of times Sams and COSTCO have Southwest $500 digital gift cards for $450. I think Sams has even had them lately at $430.
Have a buddy who owns his own 4 seater. Has a runway also. You could rent it and fly yourself. Then you can go when you want to.
Potentially. Waterloo (if you consider that) and Cedar Rapids would be optimal.
clear your cookies and always go incognito, they track your cookies if you're looking a lot.
Try to fly on Tuesday and Thursdays.
Try to fly on Tuesday and Thursdays.
Go to Google flights, and on the 1st page put in Cedar Rapids for departure. Leave the destination blank and hit enter. It will show you a bunch of flights for the best prices in the next 6 months.
I don't know if any will work for you, but it's a good place to start. If you fly from a small airport, you just have to accept that the prices are never going to be great, with a few exceptions where you just get lucky.
However, you are also shielded from the worst prices sometimes due to subsidies.
I don't know if any will work for you, but it's a good place to start. If you fly from a small airport, you just have to accept that the prices are never going to be great, with a few exceptions where you just get lucky.
However, you are also shielded from the worst prices sometimes due to subsidies.
Those aren't cheap "flights" you've been searching for lol
Pick 2 out of 3?
You are going to be flying small regional airports, which means limited flight schedules and limited carriers.
Google flights would be your best bet to start looking at what's closest to you and generally what your options are.
If you are willing to drive some, you can often times get a hell of a deal. I know my sister and her family (family of 5) were flying a few months ago and it was about 2/3 the price to fly out of milwaukee vs minneapolis even with the extra fuel and parking. They also got a direct flight which was a benefit since one of my nephews is special needs and flying can be tough with him.
You'll have to do some serious digging though.
- Jun 20, 2006
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My suggestion is to book directly with the airline you'll use.
A co-worker swears by his travel agent (yeah, I thought that was a dead occupation, too). I actually used her for a trip to San Francisco that we did a few years ago and ended up saving money even with her "cut".
I had fare-watchers set up for something like 7 sites at the time, and I even tried to recreate her itinerary once she gave it to me. I couldn't get within $150 of what she quoted me. Granted that was for more than just flights, but it was definitely an option I once thought was stupid before I did it.
I had fare-watchers set up for something like 7 sites at the time, and I even tried to recreate her itinerary once she gave it to me. I couldn't get within $150 of what she quoted me. Granted that was for more than just flights, but it was definitely an option I once thought was stupid before I did it.
1. Book early. Google sez: "According to a 2023 study by CheapAir.com, flights are usually cheapest when booked between 1.5 and 5.5 months before departure. NerdWallet recommends booking domestic flights 1–3 months in advance, and international flights 2–8 months in advance. Expedia says that booking 28 days in advance for domestic flights and 60 days in advance for international flights can save you 24% and 10%, respectively."
2. Fly off-season. The Caribbean is much cheaper in the spring than at Christmas or January. Generally speaking, "off-season" means before Memorial Day and after Labor Day.
3. Do the math. If you spend $200 on gas (RT) to save $50 on a ticket, you're doing it wrong.
4. All airlines offer deals (but usually not to where you really want to go). Check their website. And buy directly from them instead of going through an aggregator. They'll make sure you have reasonable connections, etc. Also, shop their bundles. You can save bucks on hotels and cars along with your ticket if you can buy all three from the same airline.
5. Take the red-eyes. Leaving DSM at 6 a.m. and flying back at 11:00 p.m. costs less than a flight during the "normal" part of the day. Actual example: If I want to fly Contour Airlines from Kirksville, MO to Chicago on June 6th, the 7:20 departure will cost $129, but if I wait until the 2:05 departure, I pay $94.
6. Pack light and take the cheap options where you get one carry-on, period. On United, a basic economy ticket from DSM to Denver is $203 RT. The fully-refundable ticket is $312. The folks up front are paying $442 for the exact same ticket, but they get the thrill of arriving first to the same destination.
7. Off-brand airlines are generally cheaper, but there's a catch. Once flew one of those cheapo European airlines from Seville to Brussels, and the seats were made out of hard, orange plastic, sort of like the ones that used to be in middle school classrooms. I kid you not.
8. Do consider using a travel agent. A real one. Not somebody who just sells Diznee cruises. I think we pay ours about $100 a trip, but he takes care of absolutely everything, transfers, hotels, etc., AND, if there's any kind of hitch, he does all the legwork and re-bookings. All I have to do is call. Pays for itself by saving time and aggravation. Peace of mind is worth something. At least, to me.
2. Fly off-season. The Caribbean is much cheaper in the spring than at Christmas or January. Generally speaking, "off-season" means before Memorial Day and after Labor Day.
3. Do the math. If you spend $200 on gas (RT) to save $50 on a ticket, you're doing it wrong.
4. All airlines offer deals (but usually not to where you really want to go). Check their website. And buy directly from them instead of going through an aggregator. They'll make sure you have reasonable connections, etc. Also, shop their bundles. You can save bucks on hotels and cars along with your ticket if you can buy all three from the same airline.
5. Take the red-eyes. Leaving DSM at 6 a.m. and flying back at 11:00 p.m. costs less than a flight during the "normal" part of the day. Actual example: If I want to fly Contour Airlines from Kirksville, MO to Chicago on June 6th, the 7:20 departure will cost $129, but if I wait until the 2:05 departure, I pay $94.
6. Pack light and take the cheap options where you get one carry-on, period. On United, a basic economy ticket from DSM to Denver is $203 RT. The fully-refundable ticket is $312. The folks up front are paying $442 for the exact same ticket, but they get the thrill of arriving first to the same destination.
7. Off-brand airlines are generally cheaper, but there's a catch. Once flew one of those cheapo European airlines from Seville to Brussels, and the seats were made out of hard, orange plastic, sort of like the ones that used to be in middle school classrooms. I kid you not.
8. Do consider using a travel agent. A real one. Not somebody who just sells Diznee cruises. I think we pay ours about $100 a trip, but he takes care of absolutely everything, transfers, hotels, etc., AND, if there's any kind of hitch, he does all the legwork and re-bookings. All I have to do is call. Pays for itself by saving time and aggravation. Peace of mind is worth something. At least, to me.
