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Breakfast With Tiffani

A Christian and Travel Lifestyle Blog

Budget Travel Tips- Airfare Edition

17 Jun

InShot_20160615_235846 Listen, I love nice things, like really nice things! Seriously though, if we’re being honest with ourselves, who doesn’t?!! A nice handbag, yes ma’am! Exclusive fragrance, yes, please! Luxurious travel, absolutely! I can’t begin to tell you how I’ve developed such an exquisite taste for luxury. And honestly, that doesn’t matter because as much as I love luxury,  I can also appreciate good budget travel tips! #TEAMSAVEACOIN  I mean who doesn’t want to learn how to start traveling more?

The Ultimate Budget Travel Tips

If you’re like me and you’re consistently trying to figure out how to make your Thousandaire reality line up with your Trillionaire desires, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, I’m going to share how you can dabble in the Trillionaire travel lifestyle while still living your Thousandaire travel reality. Below are 7 doable budget travel tips that will help you travel the world on a budget via inexpensive airfare.

Michelle

1. Be flexible

Whenever I get the best rates on plane tickets, it’s because I leave my travel dates open and search the entire month for ticket prices. In my experience, the least expensive days to travel are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, so these are typically the days I travel when my dates are flexible. That’s not to say that you can’t find good prices on other days, but these are the days that I have observed to consistently have good prices.

Google Flights is a great place to start your search. The Date Grid and Price Graph functions allow you to search for dates over a longer period of time in order to see when flights are the cheapest.

Google Flight cheap airfare search

2. Know when to buy

There has been a lot of mixed opinions on this topic. Some people believe there’s a best time to buy airline tickets and there’s a lot of budget travel tips out there pertaining to when to buy airline tickets. What I have seen during my many searches is that most flights tend to increase closer towards the end of the week. Here’s a couple of reasons I believe this to be true: 1) this is when most people tend to travel; 2) this is when most people get paid. So quite naturally, when the demand is high, so are the prices. If you can, try to purchase your airfare earlier in the week to avoid price increases. Disclaimer: In no way am I an Economist, just a Common Sense-ist.

3. Work, Work, Work, Work, Work, Work!

Seychelles beach
Image: http://photo.elsoar.com/

Nothing in life is free, and for a good price on travel, you’ve gotta be willing to do like Rihana said and do some work! As previously mentioned, when searching for flights, I typically start off at Google Flights or one of the other flight search engine sites, like Expedia or Orbitz. Remember, Southwest and some other discount airlines, don’t advertise on these flight search engine sites, so you have to go directly to their site to check prices.

Extra Nugget: When traveling on a budget, don’t be opposed to purchasing two one-way tickets or even tickets from two different carriers. There’s no best way to book flights. We’re simply trying to keep our coin; that may mean doing some unconventional things so we can get to Seychelles.

Budget Travel Trips in Dubai

4. Strike when the iron is hot!

I’ve been blessed to be able to take advantage of some pretty SWEET deals. But that was because I was prepared to get tickets as soon as the deal was available.

My #1 travel destination has always been to visit UAE, specifically Dubai, and in 2015, I had the opportunity to go, for a whopping $214 RT. Etihad Airways had an error fare on Christmas Day 2014, and I was already thinking about buying myself a ticket to Dubai for Christmas. Additionally, I have family and friends that live in the UAE so I was able to lodge for the $free.99. If that’s not traveling on a budget, I don’t know what is!

Two of my most frequently stalked travel deal sites are The Flight Deal and Secret Flying. You have to be ready to purchase when you see the deal because they typically don’t last past a few days.

Extra Nugget

The majority of my international travel is to places where I have friends and family, so I can stay with them and not have to worry about lodging expenses. Plus, you get to experience the area as the locals do!

5. Create An Account

If you don’t already, I would suggest creating a traveling account to help you with budgeting for traveling. I started out seriously traveling when I was in my 20s. Because I didn’t have that much money, it was very important for me to be smart about traveling. From personal experience, this budget travel tip can help you successfully pinpoint how to travel on a budget in your 20s. Deposit a few dollars in there every week or so until you have at least $500. You would be surprised where you could go for $500 on a sweet travel deal!

I understand that everyone that’s reading this may not be single. If you are looking to save on travel with a family, $500 might not be enough for you all to start with. If this is the case, I would recommend saving anywhere from $750-$1000 in your account depending on your family size. Some banks will even start you off by giving you anywhere from $100-$500 for opening an account with them. Use that to your advantage.

Once you have your minimum travel amount saved, you can start searching for airline tickets using the tips above. Please note: Once you start to build your account, it will be tempting to start looking at flights. Don’t, until you have at least your minimum travel amount and can purchase the tickets right then.

How to travel on a budget

I smile because I get to keep my coins!

6. Get to the points

DISCLAIMER: I do not recommend this tip if you are not responsible with managing consumer credit! Breakfast with Tiffani does not condone creating debt in the name of traveling on a budget!

If you are responsible with managing consumer credit, this tip is for you. Being responsible with managing consumer credit means you do not carry a balance on a credit card. A lot of credit cards, specifically travel cards, will offer a sign-up bonus in exchange for charging a minimum amount within a specified amount of time. Once you have hit that minimum within the specified time frame, they will give you a sign-up bonus. For travelcards, the bonus is typically in the form of airline points.

Simple Example

For example, Card A has a sign-up bonus of 60,000 points. The Card A company will be more than happy to give you those 60,000 points as long as you charge $4,000 within the first 3 months of opening the credit card account. Once you hit $4,000, the Card A company will post 60,000 points to your account to use as you wish.

And it’s just that simple! Depending on who you fly, when, and where you are going, 60,000 points can go a LONG way!

An additional thing to consider is if an airline-branded credit card or a regular bank travel credit card would be best for you. What’s the difference you ask?

An airline-branded credit card is a card that you are only allowed to redeem points at that airline only. You can use the card anywhere, but you tend to get more points when you use it at that airline vs somewhere else.

A regular bank travel credit card is a card that you are allowed to redeem points at multiple airlines that are partnered with the bank. As with airline-branded credit cards, you can use the card anywhere, but you tend to get more points on travel-related purchases.

When choosing between an airline-branded credit card vs. a regular bank travel card, it’s like considering, would you rather a Visa or American Express Gift Card that you can use anywhere or a store-specific card that you can only use at that store.

Budget travel tips in Guatemala

7. Travel Rewards Programs

Kindrick Lamar said it best, “Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty.” So, this tip might contradict one of the previously shared budget travel tips in point #3. Before you cancel me, hear me out.

Now, more than ever, brands want to know that you are loyal to them. So much so, that they are willing to reward you for that loyalty as shared in the tip above.

When you are loyal to one airline and accumulate status and points with them, you can then use those points in exchange for free travel. Depending on your status, they will show their appreciation for your loyalty by providing you with perks. Those perks include free upgrades, admission to their pre-flight lounge, free wifi, etc.

Now, I would be doing you a disservice if I didn’t state that travel rewards programs are really only beneficial if you travel frequently enough to accumulate points for free travel. If you’re the occasional traveler, this traveling on a budget tip may not be one for you to focus on.

Extra Nugget

Are you a frequent flyer, flying multiple times a month? If you aren’t committed to flying one particular airline, take advantage of airline’s status match programs. Just like most businesses that will price match a competitor’s price, so will airlines. Airline companies will match your status in an effort to ensure you continue flying with them. Learn more about Airline Status Matching in the Instagram post below.

Budget Travel Tips- Landing

Well, there you have it, 7 doable budget travel tips to get you started on your journey of traveling the world on a budget. So, let me hear from you. Do you currently practice some of the budget travel tips mentioned above? What are some ways that you have been able to start traveling on a budget?

View this post on Instagram

Hey y’all! Happy Tuesday! Long post, but it will be worth it, I promise! ⠀ ⠀ So, I know the majority of us aren’t taking any flights right now, I hear these airports are DRY! But for those are are, y’all please be safe ♥️ I’ve noticed a lot of people are antsy and ready to go somewhere, 🙋🏾‍♀️ me included. But before we all dip, let me put you on game that can improve your travel experience when it is time to GO 👇🏾👇🏾⠀ ⠀ The name of the game is loyalty. Stay loyal to one brand, earn points with them and they will treat you right. BUT, did you know that your loyalty to one company can help you establish status in another? ⠀ ⠀ Yup, airlines, like most businesses have a Frequent Flyer Status Match Program. So the status you’ve built on Airline A, can be matched to Airline B’s equivalent 🤯 Yup! ⠀ ⠀ Each airline has a specific way to apply for a Status Match with their brand, but it’s usually a simple application or email request. Just google, “How to status match with *insert airline here*.” Also make certain your specific method of gaining status is eligible for a Status Match. ⠀ ⠀ Alright so you’ve got some homework. I know, I know, I just want y’all to be ready when it’s time to go. ⠀ ⠀ (a.) if you currently have status on an airline, get to applying for status matches with the other airlines. ⠀ ⠀ (b.) if you do not currently have status on an airline, apply for all frequent flyer programs. Once you’ve done that, you’ll need to decide which one you will do majority of your traveling on. Why apply for them all if you will frequent one? Because all points matter. And we don’t need you missing out on any points. But that’s a post for another day. ⠀ ⠀ Alright, I’ve taken up enough of your day. Let us know which airline you rock with. Drop them in the comments below. 👇🏾 Happy Status Matching! 😉 #bwt #tiffanitravels 📷: @nudimension85 ⠀

A post shared by Christian Travel & Lifestyle (@breakfast_with_tiffani) on Apr 28, 2020 at 5:49am PDT

32 Comments Filed Under: Traveling, Uncategorized

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ashley Sue says

    June 17, 2016 at 3:14 am

    These are great tips! I haven’t traveled much so I’ll keep a lot of these in mind, especially the one about trying to book a flight earlier in the week. I didn’t realize flights go up later in the week, but that makes total sense. I always try to play around with the departing dates to see if leaving a day or two later/earlier is cheaper!

    Ashley Sue Makeup

    Reply
    • Tiffani says

      June 17, 2016 at 3:23 pm

      Thanks for stopping by Ashley! Yes they have really helped me in the past. I just got back from Central America, I went to Guatemala and Panama for $124 RT I refuse to spend a lot of money on a plane ticket!

      Reply
  2. Dana says

    June 17, 2016 at 10:06 am

    Loves these tips!

    Reply
    • Tiffani says

      June 17, 2016 at 3:32 pm

      Thanks for stopping by Donna! I hope they’re able to help you find some good flights!

      Reply
  3. Psyche says

    June 21, 2016 at 9:14 am

    Great tips! I’ve really benefitted from being flexible around travel dates. #BLMGirl

    Reply
    • Tiffani says

      June 27, 2016 at 2:01 pm

      Yes, that’s the key gotta be flexible!

      Reply
  4. Edwige says

    June 21, 2016 at 3:23 pm

    Great tips! Love them all
    #blmgirl

    Edwige | http://www.hypnozglam.com

    Reply
    • Tiffani says

      June 27, 2016 at 2:02 pm

      Thanks for stopping by and showing love!

      Reply
  5. Mary says

    June 28, 2016 at 4:20 pm

    Great advice! I travel often and whenever I book a flight, I sign up to be notified of deals from that airline- sometimes they run promos that are better than other sites! Always gotta jump on the best deal.

    Reply
    • Tiffani says

      June 29, 2016 at 1:14 am

      Yes, that way you have more money to enjoy your trip!

      Reply
  6. allison says

    June 28, 2016 at 4:22 pm

    Great tips! I have found that being flexible on dates/times really does save you money.

    Reply
    • Tiffani says

      June 29, 2016 at 1:15 am

      Every time. Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  7. Katelin @ The Road We're On says

    June 28, 2016 at 7:15 pm

    I love the expression, “Goals are just dreams with their work boots on.” I think that applies here–there is so much value in working for what you want and earning all that you have.

    Reply
    • Tiffani says

      June 29, 2016 at 1:15 am

      Well said Katelin!

      Reply
  8. Mel Thompson says

    June 28, 2016 at 7:23 pm

    We just got home from our vacation this week but your photos have me ready to go again!

    Reply
    • Tiffani says

      June 29, 2016 at 1:16 am

      Hahaha, traveling is always a great idea!

      Reply
  9. Pamela Kuhn says

    June 28, 2016 at 7:46 pm

    Oh, how I enjoyed this. We love to travel and now with the empty next and downsizing we can just take off when we want. Thank you for the links. I didn’t know about some of them.

    Reply
    • Tiffani says

      June 29, 2016 at 1:18 am

      I’m so glad I was able to help. Happy wandering !

      Reply
  10. Mihaela Echols says

    June 28, 2016 at 9:12 pm

    Perfect! we are getting ready for a trip soon! I love the know when to buy tip!

    Reply
    • Tiffani says

      June 29, 2016 at 1:18 am

      Thanks for stopping by. I’m glad you enjoyed the post!

      Reply
  11. Brittney Moses says

    June 28, 2016 at 10:06 pm

    Ahhhh these are helpful confirmations I have to keep in mind. Thank you. I’ve found myself traveling a lot this summer and all the prices spiked like crazy! Wish I had read this earlier, but nevertheless, thanks for the tips!

    Reply
    • Tiffani says

      June 29, 2016 at 1:19 am

      Thanks for stopping by Brittney! Happy traveling this summer!

      Reply
  12. Marie says

    June 29, 2016 at 7:55 am

    I love traveling. I’d rather trade traveling for New things. 🙂 these are great tips

    Reply
    • Tiffani says

      October 19, 2016 at 4:05 am

      I’m the same way, hahaha! I’m glad they helped you!

      Reply
  13. Keith Haney says

    October 18, 2016 at 2:51 pm

    These are awesome tips. Since I need to plan for months for anything major this is a great list to keep handy. Thanks

    Reply
    • Tiffani says

      October 19, 2016 at 4:04 am

      Thanks for stopping by Keith. I’m glad you found value in this post! Happy Traveling!

      Reply
  14. Carissa says

    August 21, 2019 at 6:41 pm

    These are great tips! I always wonder how people travel often and with the costs, how can I do it…but this just opened my eyes! Thanks for sharing!! I’m going to start looking for my husband and I!
    Carissa recently posted…Why Every Mom Should Sneak Away From Work and Go To Massage Envy!My Profile

    Reply
    • Tiffani says

      August 26, 2019 at 3:00 pm

      Yes, you gotta get on it. Shoot me an email if you need any help and I would love to send a few places over to you.

      Reply
  15. junaid says

    April 23, 2022 at 4:00 am

    This is very informative site . Travler can easily get info from here.
    junaid recently posted…Arang kel Neelum Valley Azad Kashmir PakistanMy Profile

    Reply

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Hey Sweets, I'm Tiffani, with an "i"! The Co-founder of Breakfast With Tiffani, a Christian lifestyle blog, created to promote a well balanced Christian lifestyle filled with The Father, Faith, and copious amounts of Fun!
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