Travel Tip Tuesday: Saving a Little Green

The blogosphere is full of fun travel ideas, new vacation options, and breathtaking travel photos to transport us easily, and cheaply, from our favorite armchair to whichever destination awaits our next “click.”

And, now, the blogosphere has one more location to check out Travel Tip Tuesday.

That’s right! Robin, of My Melange and I have joined forces to bring you the best travel tips, latest trends, and new destinations from around the globe. We’re always accepting your ideas and tips for inclusion in upcoming editions of Travel Tip Tuesday, and we have a load of interesting information ready to pass on to you.

Everyone loves to save a little green, right? (Or, if you are in Europe, a little blue, orange, and green!) I’m going to clue you in today on how I saved more than $1,800 on two of my latest round-trip Texas-Calabria tickets. Hard to believe, I know, but these two little tricks, which most people already know, but rarely use, boil down to one little word.

Flexibility!

Nooo, I am not going to tell you to fly out at 5:00 AM, or to pass over holidays, or even to move your flight towards the middle of the week. You already know that! However, if you are planning an intercontinental trip that either departs or arrives in a lesser-known airport, flexibility is even more important.

Step One: Go to the big search engines, such as Travelocity, Orbitz, or Cheaptickets. At this point you are testing the waters, and getting an idea as to what tickets might cost. Travelocity and Orbitz will allow you to search a range of dates for domestic tickets and on select international markets. If you can choose this option – do it! You will also notice a small box you can check to allow them to search nearby airports.

I saved $1,200 once by flying into the airport in Crotone, rather than Lamezia Terme.

$1,200.00!

Check that box!

Step Two: Go to the Aggregator Sites. These sites, such as Qixo, Kayak, Sidestep, and Mobissimo search multiple sites, including the big search engines and individual airline sites. If you find an airline and a price that meet your needs, congrats! But, don’t stop there.

Step Three: Go to that individual airline’s website anyway, enter your dates and departure information, and see what you get. I once saved $400 – and was able to fly out of my hometown airport – by conducting a last-minute check on my airline’s website! In fact, I cut my price in half and flew from Beaumont to Paris, with one stop in Houston for $450!

Step Four: Unless you find a flight you love, or have an event you just can’t miss, always keep looking. I generally start ticket shopping at least two months prior to a trip. I enter a WIDE range of dates, and do a minimum of 50 searches before I buy. I saved $600 on my last trip by staying in Texas one more night than I had previously planned.

I also never forget to check my frequent flyer accounts, which speaking of … just might work for my trip home this summer!

If you have any travel tips or advice to pass along, let me know and you could be featured right here on Travel Tip Tuesday!

Buon Viaggio!