Flying Around The World (or Anywhere) With Family on a Budget

Note: This is a dynamically expanding page, meaning I am updating it and adding content constantly. Bookmark our site and be sure to check back regularly.

When To Buy Your Tickets

The best time to buy airplane tickets is Wednesday morning at 1 am, but if that specific slot doesn’t work for you, then stay up late and purchase airfare when everyone else is sleeping so you get a a great deal.

• Domestic: The ideal time to buy is usually 6-8 weeks prior to your departure for short or domestic travel. 
• International: The ideal time is 8-12 weeks for big international travel.

Are you thinking of using rewards points? You can purchase a single around the world ticket for 120,000 points.

6 Steps Sequence to find the best price every time!

1. Adioso is great if you have some flexibility start here.
2. Go to the carriers website (example: Us Air, Amercian, United etc.) and see what the fare is.
3. Go to Vayama – good for international flights out of United States.
4. Go to Google Flights and start playing with dates and play with calendar.
5. If you are flying overseas for international flights from international countries look on Momondo.
6. Skyscanner (affiliate link) is great for finding budget airlines go to here for a final search(affiliate link).

Also…

• Sing up to receive alerts from Airfare Watchdog
• Browse Incognito in Google chrome to prevent price changes on sites like Priceline or Hotwire.

When traveling abroad always fly with budget carriers.

Huge list of best budget carriers and low cost airlines worldwide

(Clickable Map of low-cost airlines coming soon)

• The Big Project Awesome site, basic but has all the links in one spot.

• Wikipedia List of Low-Cost Airlines.

Within Europe and Asia look at these budget carriers:

Europe:

1. Ryan Air:  Hubs now at London Stansted and Luton, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Nottingham, Glasgow Prestwick, Dublin, Shannon, Brussels, Frankfurt Hahn, Stockholm, Bergamo (nr. Milan), Rome and Girona (nr. Barcelona)
2. EasyJet: Hubs now at Gatwick, Luton, Stansted, Liverpool, Newcastle, Bristol, Belfast, Berlin Schönefeld, Dortmund, Geneva, Paris Orly

 Southeast Asia:

1. Tiger airways (Low cost flights from Singapore Changi Airport to Southeast Asia

Great Article from Money Magazine

How to Book a Cheap Ticket

1. Be flexible with dates.
2. Fly to secondary airports.
3. Fly budget carriers – Here are some examples:
   1. Norwegian – flight to Scandinavia for $400
   2. RyanAir – Hubs now at London Stansted and Luton, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Nottingham, Glasgow Prestwick, Dublin, Shannon, Brussels, Frankfurt Hahn, Stockholm, Bergamo (nr. Milan), Rome and Girona (nr. Barcelona)
   3. AirAsia –  Internal and regional flights from hubs in Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Bangkok and Jakarta
   4. EasyJet – Hubs now at Gatwick, Luton, Stansted, Liverpool, Newcastle, Bristol, Belfast, Berlin Schönefeld, Dortmund, Geneva, Paris Orly
   5. German Wings – To UK and rest of Europe from German
   6. SAS
   7.  Tiger Airways – Low cost flights from Singapore Changi Airport to Southeast Asia 
4. Try alternative routes – Go to a different city and then get a cheaper flight to your destination. Use connecting flights.
5. Join airline mailing lists or set up ALERTS!
   •  Kayak
   • Airfare Watchdog
6. Search on airline sites.
7. All search engines are not equal.
   1. Skyscanner #4
   2. Momondo (good for international flights) #3
   3. Google Flights #2
   4. ITA Matrix
   5. Kayak
   6. Vayama (good for international flights out of the U.S.) #1
8. Look at round trips and one-way flights regardless of what you want.
9.  Sometimes, prices will go up if an airline notices your search (they do this using cookies). So book on a different computer or using a VPN.
   • Use incognito or private browsing modes.
10. RTW tickets
    • Often not the best deal for families; use budget carriers instead
    • Can be a good deal if you know where you’re going and have lots of airline points
11. Look into onward travel requirements for every country you visit: Onword Travel Hack

 

Airline Miles and Rewards

Tools To Redeem Your Miles :

Airline Booking Tools (Usually Free!)

• Air France/KLM Award Booking
• American Airlines Award Booking
• ANA Tool – Awesome tool for Star Alliance Booking
• BA Executive Club Award Search
• Delta Airline Award Booking
• Southwest Airline Award Booking
• United Airlines Award Booking
• US Air Award Booking

Saving Money on Activities

1. Get tourism cards. They will save you money if you want to do sightseeing.
2. Go to museums on free days.
3. Use discount cards: VIP Backpackers (Aus, NZ, Fiji), ISIC, IYTC, YHA, STA Travel
4. Visit local tourist offices – Tourism office worldwide directory
5. Go on free walking tours.
6. Book via student websites like STA Travel
7. For deals on activities in NZ: bookme.co.nz

Flight Hacking With Miles

Earn Miles & Points:

• Airline Frequent Flyer Program Sign-Up
• Hotel Frequent Flyer Program Sign-Up

Spend Miles & Points:

• Airline Award Charts
• Hotel Award Charts

Paid Tools:

• Award Nexus
• Expert Flyer
• KVS Tool

Cruises

1. Vacations to go – Book last minute cruises
2. Cruise Sheet: Last- Minute Deals Under $50

Manage Your Miles & Points

• Award Wallet

First Class Feel in Every Situation

• Seat Guru Here is a great (Video Explanation)

Saving Money on Inter-Destination Transport

1. Get train passes, especially if you’re going to Europe, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Australia (best deal).
2. If you look for specials online and book early, it may be cheaper.
3. Book on buses 3 months in advance.
4. Megabus, Naked Bus (NZ), Boltbus, etc.
5. Buses, budget airlines, hitchhiking.
6. Car relocation: drivenow.com, hittheroad.ca, autodriveaway

Saving Money on Local Transport

1. Take local buses, ferries, etc.
2. Never take a taxi.
3. Buy metro cards. Ask at the station or hostel for the best deal.
4. Car Sharing Services: Zipcar, Jayride, Gumtree, Getaround
5. Rent a bike. Check out Zilok.com and Sharegoods.com.