How to get Cheap Flights

Have you ever noticed a great deal on cheap flights, went back to book it the next day and found the price had rocketed?

Air fare pricing is widely misunderstood. But it's actually quite simple - and once you understand it, you'll be able to take advantage of the best deals on cheap flights.

Charter flights and low cost carriers have their own set of rules and pricing structure. The below advice applies to scheduled flights - the most popular type of flight.

How flight tickets are priced

This section will help you to understand how prices are set for air travel. You'll be able to use this information to spot a good deal on cheap flights.

The seats on a plane are divided into classes. In travel agent speak, 'classes' don't refer to first class, business class and coach - they refer to price classes.

A designated number of seats on the plane is put into each class. There are often more than ten classes on a flight, represented by a letter (for example, A Class, B Class, C Class...).

Classes each have a different ticket price. So, for example, the ten seats in A Class will be sold at $50, the ten seats in B Class will be sold at $75 and the ten seats in C Class will be sold at $100.

Classes don't correspond to particular area on the plane. You might be booked in Y Class and the passenger beside you might be booked in H Class. Only the airline or your travel agent know what class you are booked in.

All seats are on sale together, but it is usually the cheapest classes that sell out first. So if you see a flight for $50 and the next day the price has risen to $75, that means the A Class has sold out.

Airlines set the class prices according to time, day, season and several other factors. For example, a Monday morning flight in December could have an A Class of $100. A plane flying the same route on a Wednesday evening in April could have an A Class of $50.

Cheap restricted and flexible tickets

Buying cheap flights can be false economy if you need to change your ticket. This explanation of fare rules will give an understanding of flexible and restricted tickets.

Each price class has its own set of fare rules. These are a complicated set of restrictions involving seasons, days of the week, maximum and minimum stays and flight numbers, among other things.

The cheapest classes tend to have the most restrictions. It is likely that passengers booked in A Class won't be able to amend their ticket or get a refund if they cancel it.

More expensive classes tend to be more flexible. Some can be cancelled with a full refund or changed without charge. Others require a cancellation or amendment fee (usually $25 to $100).

However when changing to another flight, you will almost always have to pay the difference in fare. This means that if you originally booked your flight in B Class at $75, and B Class is sold out in the flight you want to change to, you will have to pay the price to 'upgrade' to C Class. In our example, C Class was $100 - so you would have to pay $25 plus any amendment fee.

Remember that this 'upgrade' does not involve different seats or extra services - unless you rebook into business or first class.

If you think that your travel plans might change, avoid booking the cheapest fare available until you have checked the fare rules. If these are not clear on the website, give the airline or travel agent a call.

Tips for getting cheap flights

There aren't any 'tricks' involved in getting cheap flights. The price you pay really depends on the demand for that flight and how early you book it.

If you decide to book a flight for next week's bank holiday weekend, it's likely to be very expensive. That's because lots of people want to travel on this date and the cheaper classes sell out fast.

If you book the same weekend a year in advance, you'll probably pay much less because the cheap classes will still be available.

It is possible to get a cheap last minute flight, but you'll have to find a flight that is in low demand.

Low demand flights include...

• Flights on Wednesdays or Saturdays
• Very early morning or late evening flights
• Flights to and from less popular airports
• Flights in low season
• Flights in shoulder season
• Flights which involve long connection times

Airline sales and cancellations

Air tickets rarely decrease in price. Many large airlines never hold sales, while others may do occasionally for particular routes.

Airline sales are usually unpredictable. Airlines don't want to encourage people to hold off buying their flights until they get a discount. This is also why airlines don't offer special 'last minute' bargains like hotels do.

Flights may occasionally decrease in price due to cancellations. If A Class is sold out, then two passengers in A Class cancel their tickets, these cheap seats will become available to buy again.

Although it is possible to pick up a discount flight or a cancellation bargain, these deals are not very reliable. In most cases you are better booking early than holding out for a sale that never comes and having to pay for more expensive seats.

Be a courier

If you can travel without checked luggage, you could sell your baggage allowance to a courier company. These companies will pay a proportion of your ticket in exchange for transporting their package or parcel.

In most cases you won't have to handle the package - the courier company will arrange its delivery.

However, these days opportunities for couriers are very limited. There's been a huge increase in the number and capacity of cargo planes, reducing the need for couriers.

If you do want to be a courier, you'll need to be flexible in terms of date and destination. You won't be allowed to drink on the flight as you'll have to pass through customs and answer any required questions. You'll also have to pack light!

Testing your options

Many people assume that the cheapest flights are return flights with a single airline. This usually is the case, but there are exceptions so it's worth trying a few different options.

Follow these steps to find the best cheap flights...

1. Decide which airports you want to fly from and to. Try to be flexible with these. Are you willing to travel to a neighbouring airport?
2. Visit a flight price comparison site like SkyScanner, and try each route.
3. You'll probably find some cheap flights from the search results. Take note of the airlines with the best deals, visit their website and check prices through it. There could be a difference of up to $30.
4. Go back to the comparison site and make a note of the airports where the flights connect.
5. Now search for one way flights for these routes. For example, if a flight from Perth to London connects in Kuala Lumpur, check one way flights from Perth to Kuala Lumpur and from Kuala Lumpur to London. Also price the return flight in this way. You will often find budget carriers (like Air Asia) don't advertise connecting flights - but one way tickets can be joined together. You could fly from Perth to London with Air Asia from as little as $300!
6. Compare all your options but beware of false economy. For example, if a flight includes a long connection, remember that you'll probably have to spend money on expensive airport food.

What to watch out for

Whether you've booked cheap flights or an expensive flexible ticket, many people don't realise that there are very strict regulations in air travel. Here are some to keep in mind...

• Plane tickets are almost always non-transferable. This means that you can't change the name on the ticket.
• This restriction is so strict that many airlines won't even allow you to correct a mistake in a name. If a passport says Robert Smith and the ticket says Robbie Smith, Rob Smith, Robert Smyth or Robet Smith, he probably won't be allowed to fly.
• If you don't use the outbound leg of the journey, the rest of the ticket will be cancelled. So if you have booked a return flight from Perth to Adelaide, you can't decide to drive to Adelaide and then take the return flight home. The entire ticket is cancelled if you don't check in for the first flight.
• Even flexible tickets can rarely be re-routed i.e. you can't change your Perth to Adelaide flight for a Perth to Melbourne one.
• Fare rules are complex. Even if your tickets says it is flexible, ask your travel agent for clarification before making plans.
• If you are travelling with two different carriers on the same ticket, the most restrictive rules apply. So if your flight from Brisbane to Sydney has a baggage allowance of 18kg and your flight from Sydney to London has a limit of 23kg, you'll only be allowed 18kg.
• If you have booked two legs of your journey separately, the airline or travel agents are not responsible if a delay in the first leg causes you to miss the second.
• Remember that even if your flight is non refundable, you can still apply to get the taxes back if you cancel. This is often quite a sizeable chunk of the ticket price.

Our top advice? Book early and be flexible!