Well, my friends, it’s time. Spring Break has dawned upon us and everyone’s officially checked out of this whole school thing. Many students wonder how do we, broke college kids, have the moneyn to fly out somewhere awesome for Spring Break? As great as Mount Pleasant is, sometimes we just need that escape.
Here are some tricks I’ve learned that helped me and my friends score cheap flights this Spring Break (three $400 nonstop, round trips to England):
1. http://www.ScottsCheapFlights.com
This website is basically a gold mine. In the free version (so college-friendly), you sign up for emails that are sent about cheap international flights. These are either just good timing cheap flights or mistake fares to virtually anywhere in the world. Scott’s Flights basically alerts you through email when there are cheap fares to a specific place from a multitude of airports. Then they recommend you go through Google Flights to purchase.
2. http://www.Google.com/flights
Google Flights is my holy grail. The first trick is to always go incognito mode on your computer (Shift+Command+N for Macbooks in Google Chrome) so that cookies–the information websites collect about you–won’t be able to track you. This way Google Flights and the flight companies don’t know if you’ve been eyeing flights for a while so they won’t get that little itch to raise the prices. You can put in all of the information into the search bar and then use the calendar feature to see which dates are the cheapest. At the end of the day, being flexible with your dates and times of departure really help bring down the price. Google Flights also allows you to select multiple cities in which they will provide multiple connecting flights. Overall, it’s just a great tool rather than going to a flight company’s website as you can compare them all and switch around the dates.
3. http://www.StudentUniverse.com
This platform is great for students like us. All you have to do is become a member (don’t worry – it’s free) and begin your search. Student Universe has basically pre-negotiated set deals with various flight companies to ensure we get the best student discounts they offer. You can easily put in your information and then navigate through the website. They even send you promo codes to your inbox for first-come offers!
Major Key Points for Success:
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Always use incognito mode.
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Be flexible with your dates.
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The best rates are at the 2-3 month before departure mark.
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Tuesdays are the best days to buy flights, but Thursday is usually the cheapest departure date.
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Always check the hidden bag fees! A lot of these flight deals won’t come with a checked bag but one can always be purchased.
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Don’t forget your passport (seriously, triple check).
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Be safe in the airport and at your destination, but most importantly, have fun!
Catch ya later, my chips.