save money on travel - family vacation
Adobe Stock

Are you using Google Flights wrong? Save money on travel with 6 booking tricks

These are an experts secrets to save money on travel.

If you’re planning your upcoming spring break vacation, or maybe even looking ahead to summer vacations, do not spend more money than you have to. Make this the year you travel more for less! We are sharing resources and websites that will help you travel more and save money without sacrificing quality.

Family travel expert and deal finder Kamree Price, from Our Family Passport, shared her secrets to affordable travel.

 

Plan Ahead and Plan Early

One of the biggest strategies Kamree emphasized is planning ahead. “The sweet spot for bigger families is about six to nine months in advance,” she advised. This will help you find the best deals, set up price trackers, and make necessary adjustments.

“ You can find last minute deals, but a lot of times it’s harder to find those last minute deals for a family of six than it is, you know, for a couple,” Kamree emphasized.

Flexibility is Key

While planning ahead is important, being flexible with your travel dates can also save you some money. “Flights can be cheaper on a Monday than on a Sunday,” Kamree noted. Even small adjustments, like leaving a day earlier or later, can make a big difference in cost. Being more flexible  allows you to take advantage of lower prices and better deals.

Book the Most Expensive Items First

Kamree’s suggested booking the most expensive items first. “ If you’re going to Europe, flights are gonna probably be a lot if you have a larger family,” she said. “So start looking at flights first and then you can kind of start just plugging everything else in.”

By securing the most costly parts of your trip first, you can better manage your budget and find savings on other things. “ If you can get a deal on that most expensive item, then you’ve already cut that budget so far,” Kamree emphasized.

Use Price Matching and Fare Adjustments

Booking directly through airlines and hotels can have added benefits. “You can price match [hotels] if you find a cheaper nightly rate,” Kamree said. “ There’s special forms that you can fill out.” Additionally, many airlines offer fare adjustments if prices drop after you book. Then you can get e-credits that you can use for future travel.

Free Tools and Resources

Kamree highlighted some free tools that can help you save money on travel.

Google Flights

Use this tool to set up price trackers and view flexible date calendars. “Google Flights is such a gold mine of resources  and people use it wrong all of the time,” Kamree said. She recommended price tracking specific flights or specific destinations.

“ Google Flights has an incredible flexible date calendar,” Kamree emphasized. As you change the dates of your trip, it will change the flight fares.

Additionally, you can check a graph for specific airlines that will tell you when they historically raise and lower their prices, and if a fare is typically low or high. “ It basically tells you book now or wait,” Kamree said.

Skyscanner

This tool offers an “everywhere” search option that shows you the cheapest destinations from your departure city. “ It’ll tell you all of the places you can go and it organizes them by price,” Kamree said.

“ I never book through Skyscanner,” Kamree said. “Use it as a tool to find prices and then go and book direct,” she emphasized.


Find more travel advice from Kamree on Instagram, @ourfamilypassport.

Add comment