Stewardess Sgoodie, Travel Tips
March 3, 2023

9 Ways to Finding Cheap Flights: From A Flight Attendant

There isn’t an art to finding cheap flights but there sure are a lot of myths roaming the internet. I am here to set the record straight and help you find the cheapest flights possible. There are certain tools you can use to find the best deals, however, I cannot guarantee these tools will work every time. If you need a flight tomorrow, you’ll still be paying a pretty penny no matter what you do.

If you don’t know, I am a flight attendant. You can call me Stewardess Sgoodie. Not only have I been a flight attendant for 5 years, but I have also been finding cheap flights even way before then. This is not only my tried techniques but also information I have received from countless passengers and friends who search for the best deals daily for cheap airfare!

The 9 Ways to Finding Cheap Flights

Work for an Airline

 

This is my best tip and maybe it’s a best-kept secret because not many people talk about it. Working for an airline can not only guarantee you will have discounted flights, you can even fly for free. Now, I am just basing this off of airlines in America. There are different travel rules with airlines in Europe or Asia that I can’t comment on because I don’t quite know what they are. For U.S.-based airlines, you can get free flying domestically and pay taxes for international destinations (some more expensive than others). We flew business class to Seoul roundtrip and it was only $40. You definitely can’t beat that. You don’t have to be a flight attendant to have these benefits either. You can work in any position from corporate to being a gate agent, as long as you work for the airline. The con with this is you do fly standby and will only get a seat when there is an open seat, which isn’t every flight. You can definitely want to get a seat but sometimes you won’t be able to. It has happened to us plenty of times. 

 
Best Ways to Find Cheap Flights
Best Ways to Find Cheap Flights

First class for free!

Use Skyscanner for your Search Engine

 

Sky-scanner is the best booking site thus far because it is easy to use and always “scans” for the best deals. They are very flexible in terms of searching for flights. You really only have to put your home airport in. Especially if you are open with your schedule or where you want to go, Sky-scanner makes it very easy to find the best deals. The same goes for google flights. This is another great search engine that offers a lot of flexibility in terms of finding the best deals. I usually start and book with sky-scanner but double check google flights just in case! It is important to stay away from other travel agencies like KAYAK, Priceline, Expedia, and Orbitz. They are known to actually mark up the flight prices so that they can make a profit.

Open up a Travel Credit Card and Use Points

 
This I am actually fairly new to, but I am loving the benefits of having one! We are planning a trip to Africa and are able to book flights with our points. If you have the points for it, you can even book business-class seats for free. Especially if you are a business traveler, having a travel credit card is a great way to gain many points for your miles.  It is such a great benefit because you can also use it for hotels and many other travel expenses! I currently have the Chase Sapphire Preserve and my husband has the Capitol One Venture. They are both introductory credit cards and only have an annual fee of $95. If you are just starting out, these are perfect for you. The benefits of them I have added in the graph below, however, I do notice that with flights, Chase seems to have a better point-to-dollar ratio. I also prefer having either of these cards over airline-specific cards because then you can use your points for multiple airlines, expanding your destinations and deals!
Best Ways to Find Cheap Flights

Be Flexible

Be as flexible as a palm tree and you will absolutely find cheap airfare. If you are traveling during holidays, summer break, or when kids are out from school, there is a good chance flight prices will be super expensive. Try avoiding such times to travel and be flexible in your dates leaving and coming back. It may be cheaper to fly home on a Tuesday instead of a Sunday or Monday so always be open to that! Also, be open to different destinations especially if you want the best deals. Sky-scanner gives you the opportunity to “explore everywhere” so you can see what places have the cheapest flights!

Book Early but Not Super Early

I have to be honest, I haven’t quite figured out the algorithm for this one and I don’t think many people have either. However, I do know a few things. If you book way too far out from your vacation the flights will definitely be expensive. If you book way too late, the likelihood of flight prices increasing is very high. There is a special sweet spot and although I don’t know exactly what it is, I do know you need to keep your eye on flights 3-5 months before your trip. Another benefit of having the Capitol One Venture card is they actually tell you what day to book before and will notify you when the flight prices drop. That in itself is a reason to apply for the card. 

Fly Budget Airlines

Before getting my job with American, I used to be Spirit’s frequent flyer because nothing can beat the discounted price! Budget airlines are great because they get you from one destination to the next for a highly budgeted price. If you are expecting a luxury experience, however, you will definitely have to pay more. The only thing about budget airlines is that you need to be careful of extra fees. Usually, it costs extra to bring a carry-on suitcase. US-based budget airlines include Southwest, Allegiant, Frontier, Spirit, JetBlue, and Sun Country. There are many other airlines in Europe and Asia including Ryanair for Europe and Lion Air for Asia.

Join the Mailing List for Airlines

I know this firsthand because I am on the mailing list for American and I swear I see emails with deals at least once a month! They are usually last minute and might not fit your schedule but you never know what deals you will get in your inbox. 

Don’t Fly Direct 

Nonstop is always nice, but, it may not be your cheapest option. If your final destination is Madrid, flying to Lisbon and then catching a quick flight to Madrid may be the cheapest way to get there. That is why I like to use Sky-Scanner, it gives you the flexibility to look all of this up.

For Students

This is only for students but if you are a full-time student and within the age stipulations, you can use many websites that offer “student” discounts. I used to use Student Universe religiously. I would also suggest reading this blog post for student discounts that airlines specifically offer. 

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