Most of us want to travel to different places right? Well, I can say that all people want to travel and book the cheapest airline fare they can find.

Although some people may say that they do not want to travel to many places, there is at least one place that they certainly want to go before they die. Many people say that traveling to different places is expensive. I completely agree with you.

It is expensive if you don’t know how to travel cheap. Do you know that you can get good deals of travel tickets at a very low price, lower than your lavish meal? Below are some tips for you to book the cheapest airline fare, so you will never run out of slots.

Before I share these practical hacks, I would like to make a disclaimer that these may not apply to everyone, particularly to the impatient ones.

The tips that follow require patience, vigilance, and of course being active online. So if you want to travel with a very low, low, low price ticket, then persevere.

How to Book the Cheapest Airline Fare in the Philippines

1. Research a place where you want to go, or schedule the day you want to go that certain place.

It is best to plan first, and then make a list of places where you want to go, so that you will have a couple of options to choose from.

You may change your mind anytime, especially when your friends talk about traveling or going out during a long weekend or holidays.

I suggest you make a list of at least five places.

Make the list realistic. Don’t consider going to a very far place yet.

Remember that you would be traveling on a budget, and you want to get a cheap fare. Like here in the Philippines, I started listing places within the Philippines and a couple of Southeast Asian countries.

2. Search for the available airline companies in your place that can take you to your destination. Not all airlines in your place havea route going to your destination.

Grab your desktop computer, laptop, or your smart phone, and go to the very famous search engine (I don’t want to mention any search engine here). Then, search for the available airlines locally. From there, you will discover that other airline companies have existed long before you know them.

You may have thought that only those big airline companies existed. Several small airline companies exist, although they may be partly or wholly owned by big airline companies.

3. List those airline companies. Check each of them, feel their website environment, and get used to their graphical interface. Don’t judge the airline company by its website.

In my experience, not all good-looking websites offer the best deals.

Sometimes, those with simple websites give you some of the deals from your wildest dream.

4. When you find these cheap deals, book it right away before anything else.

They don’t last for even up to three days. Some promos last only for an hour, so don’t be too complacent.

5. If possible, don’t book from travel agencies.

If you want to book the cheapest airline fare, don’t rely much on travel agencies. I am not saying here that you avoid them.

Don’t rely on them because they also book on the same airline company on which you can book the ticket by yourself.

Nevertheless, transacting with travel agencies has advantages, such great package deals for a certain season.

However, if you want to book the cheapest deal for yourself, then go to the official website of an airline. I am not a big fan of travel agencies because I can book airline tickets on my own.

In one instance, I discovered that I was charged approximately Php200 for booking an airline ticket through an agency. However, when I checked the price by attempting to book on the website, the price was less than Php200.

Therefore, I realized that booking on my own is better than booking through an agency. I could have saved the Php200 to pay for the terminal fee,in case it is required, or I could have bought myself a cup of coffee and donuts.

6. Sign up to e-mail newsletters

Hate e-mails? Start loving them especially those from airline companies.

They usually send updates about the company’s happenings. You may find that this information is irrelevant because all you want to know are the promo fare updates. Be patient with the updates you receive. You can also learn a lot from their newsletters. Be sure to check your e-mails from time to time.

Today, I have tons of e-mails from airline companies. To keep the e-mails organized, I assign them to specific folders with their respective names. Thus,these e-mails don’t go into my inbox. These messages go to the folders right away. Smart hack, isn’t it?

7. Every day, perform a mock booking for the places you want to go and for the connecting flight, if there is any.

Now this is what I have said about patience. Did you know that there are some airline companies that don’t publish or advertise promo fares all the time on social media or on their website? Yes, I experienced this situation many times,but performing a mock booking often saved me!

You certainly have to be very consistent on checking the website each day if you want to book the cheapest airline fare. Doing so won’t cost you a dime.

If you can play online games on your computer or on your phone everyday, why can’t you check and perform a mock booking on an airline website to see if it offers a promo.

Trust me, I have done this several times. My friends and running buddies have benefited from this hidden promo. Take note that this kind of promo lasts only a day,that is, it is already gone the following day.

8. Watch out for 12 midnight flash promo sale.

Many airline companies love giving this kind of promo. Some are announced, but they mostly do this unannounced.

Thus, you have to be vigilant when Cinderella runs home and leaves her glass shoes because she will also book for that cheapest airline fare to get away from her “beautiful” stepsisters and stepmom. This promo may seem odd, and only people who stay up late can benefit from this.

If you are a night owl and loves sleeping late at night, you may want to exert additional effort by checking the airline website. You may hit the jackpot, and then you can plan for your next trip.

9. No credit card, no problem!

Ok! Not everyone has a credit card, right? Websites usually require credit cards for payment. However, this may be one of the reasons why you can’t grab the best deal.

Do you have friends? I won’t believe if you don’t have any. Do you have friends who have a credit card? You definitely have at least one. Approach this friend and ask a favor. Ask if he/she wants a cheap airline ticket, and tell him/her that there is an ongoing sale.

Ask this friend if he/she wants to get one. If he/she refuses, ask your friend if he/she can let you borrow his/her credit card instead,so you can book yours. Tell your friend that you will pay cash as soon as you complete the booking process (not later, not on the next day).

Thus, you have to bring the money for the ticket. By doing so,you will gain his/her trust and confidence. If your friend agrees, book the ticket immediately.

Most local airlines nowadays are already affiliated with payment centers that cater airline ticket payments.

Some banks are also affiliated with these airline companies. They appear on the payment options once you have checked out after booking an airline ticket. Thus, you don’t have any reason for not being able to book online.

Be informed on these benefits, because they are made for you to experience other culture and to visit places you have not seen yet.

10. Download the airline’s mobile application

Certain promo fares are offered exclusively only on their mobile applications. Thus, they are not available on their websites, thereby ensuring that their marketing strategy for their mobile application is utilized. I experienced checking promo fares on a mobile application, and the application is worth it.

11. Sign up for a membership

I did not sign up for a membership. However, I discovered that this is also helpful because members can be awarded with points whenever they book a ticket.

For instance, if I accumulate a huge amount of points, then I can get free trips without spending a dime. Even if you are not a frequent flyer, you can still benefit from the membership because you can use it in time.

Where’s your next travel?

These tips and hacks should help you on your next travel or(for some) your first travel within your country or outside the country. Not exercising all these tips won’t lead you to success in booking the cheapest airline fare. You need a hustle for this.

You won’t get any cheap airline fare if you are lazy. So get used to them, and all your efforts will be worth it.They can even also help you save thousands.

Travel while you are still young and while you still have the energy. Don’t wait for the time when you are already taking maintenance medicines and experiencing pains on some parts of your body.

These expenses can grab a huge amount of money that you should have used on traveling while you are still young. The world is so big and full of surprises.

Explore, get lost, be stranded, meet people of different races, experience different cultures, and learn different languages. You can see the world in a different perspective when you travel.

Good luck on your hunt for the cheapest airline fare! I won’t expect you to thank me; but if we meet during one of your vacations, don’t be shy to treat me for a cocktail drink, just kidding. Enjoy and happy traveling.