Tips on Finding Discount Airfare When You’re a Student
Spring break is a blast. You’ve dreamt about it since you were a freshman in high school and by the time you’re old enough that your parents will actually let you go, you’ll probably want to go all out and give yourself the perfect spring break, the one that you’ve always dreamed about.
That doesn’t mean that it’ll be cheap! Spring break is expensive. There’s a lot to pay for: airfare, hotel accommodations, food, cover charges, and of course, beer and margaritas. By the time you actually make it to your destination, you’ll want to have some cash left over. To start your vacation off right, try hard to find the best airfare you can.
By following these tips, you’ll be able to get a good deal on your spring break airfare. You’ll probably have to spend some time doing your research, but the result will be worth it.
1. Look into student travel agencies: That school ID and college e-mail address are good for more than cheap pizza. Students get great deals on a whole range of goods and services, including airfare. Travel agencies designed for students are experienced at finding the best rates for students, so they’ll be able to tap into their resources to get you a good deal.
2. Consider buying a package: Just like an extra value meal is cheaper than buying a burger, fries, and soda separately, vacation packages are usually cheaper than paying for hotels and airfare separately. Vacation packages will often offer meals as well, which can really add up. By buying everything at once, you’ll save a lot of money.
3. Get creative with your discounts: Did you charge your tuition and books on your credit card? Find out if you have a rewards program filled with points that you can use toward airfares and other spring break necessities. Did your parents sign you up for AAA this year? That’s worth a discount too.
4. Use an aggregator: Aggregators are web sites that search thousands of other sites in order to come up with the best airfares. They’re only searching regular fares, not the special student fares that you’re entitled to, but they still often manage to come up with the very best flight prices.
5. Plan ahead: Remember that travel gets more expensive as time passes. The same flight that’s affordable in December might be way out of your price range in February, so start checking rates as early as you can.
6. Bid for your flight: Vacation bidding sites like priceline.com and skyauction.com let users bid for their flights. These sites aren’t perfect, and you might end up flying on that same airline that lost your Aunt Mildred’s luggage three years ago, but at least you’re setting the price.
As you’re working hard to get yourself the best possible spring break flight prices, remember that the money you save now is money that you can spend on your trip. Keep at it, and you’ll save enough money to make yourself proud.
