You probably read my previous blog of our trip to Singapore and wondered how I was able to snag a very cheap airfare for my family and me. But for those who just stumbled on my blog today, here’s what happened – we were able to book a round trip airfare from Cebu to Singapore for 4 pax which cost around 6,800php or 1,700php per person. I was also able to book a Dumaguete-Cebu flight for 499php. Very cheap, right? It’s like taking the tourist accommodation for the ro-ro boats to Cebu except you won’t have to wait for 6 hours to get there. Very convenient indeed.

You’re rich and you won’t need to be strict on airfare budget? Who knows when you’re going to end up poorer than you are today and would need these tips? Haha. Kidding! Let’s both pray you’ll always have the money to be able to afford to travel because nothing is more rewarding than to go to a new place you’ve never been to before. 😉

So if you want to learn tricks to fly at a cheaper airfare, read on.

The secret, revealed…

💡 Follow airlines’ pages on social media – So okay, you can’t follow all the Facebook pages of the 5000 existing airlines in the world. Start off by following those airlines that actually travel from your point of departure to your point of destination. For my case, I’ve been following Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and its rewards program- Getgo, Airasia, Scoot, JetStar, and more recently, Jeju Air. Why Jeju Air? Because they recently announced a $15 airfare to South Korea and I’ve been eyeing this country for so long! That’s actually the point of this first tip. You follow these pages to see upcoming seat sale announcements and be in the know by following their posts.

💡 Sign up for airlines’ email alerts – Just like following airlines’ social media pages, you can get alerts of seat sales from airlines to your email by doing this. You might get annoyed with all the spamming but the news of a seat sale will always be good news.

💡Sign up for airlines’ rewards program – Examples are Getgo, Airasia Big Loyalty, and Mabuhay Miles. Airlines always have special promos for their loyal members and this one enabled me to book my cheap flights to Singapore with Getgo. Some airlines also have priority access for members on seat sales where airlines allot a day exclusive for their members. Imagine booking for seat sales a day before the official day of the seat sale? Yep, that’s how it works for most airlines.

💡Consider flying on a budget airline – These airlines and the low fares they offer will surprise you. Focus on your goal! It’s the destination that matters, not the airline!

💡 Be flexible with your travel dates – You can not expect to have luck on your side all the time where airlines always favor your traveling dates and offer the lowest prices on these dates. Prices are usually high especially on the weekends and holidays so always be open to traveling on any day. There are many hearsay that traveling on a Wednesday will give you the best prices. Why don’t you check on this right now? 😉

💡 Choose the earliest flights – Go for the first flights in the morning or the ones that fly during the wee hours of the day. Don’t be afraid to take red-eye flights! These flights are definitely the cheapest flights to take and any blog out there will tell you so.

💡Book in unusual hours – Don’t book at 12MN! You may think this is the most ideal since that’s when the seat sales start but know that everybody is anticipating to book at that time so the website traffic is heavier than usual. You’ll only end up frustrated when you can’t get through the airlines’ website. Book at around 2AM to 5AM instead. I know what you’re thinking – it’s too early bla bla bla! But hey, anything for your travel goals, right? This is when most seat sale warriors are peacefully in deep slumber. Tiptoe your way around the website at that time with little to no traffic and voila! You might just score the cheapest airfare of your traveling history!

💡 Search in incognito or private browsing mode – Website airlines seem to have tiny eyes watching your every flight search so when you disregard your first flight searches from hours before and decide to check these flights again, you’d notice a price increase. Unfair right? It’s like they’re scaring to immediately book the flights. Of course that’s what they’d do! So this is why you should always search in incognito mode. Doing so will keep the airlines away from getting information from you by clearing out cookies from previous browsing. Remember to close your browser and open a new one again if you’re going to search for a new route.

Successful seat sale booking would only come if you’ve officially purchased the tickets and it has been confirmed. But many times, website traffic becomes so heavy that you always end up having a hard time securing the flight you’ve chosen.

Here are more tips to become a master of booking:

💡 Decide on a destination (and another option) – Where do you wanna go? What country are you seeing this time? Which mountain are you eyeing now? Decide on this before heading on to battle (of the seat sale wars.) But what if your dream destination is not included in the seat sale? This is where plan B comes in, set aside that destination for now and choose other places. Who knows? This small misfortune can lead you to an unexpected paradise.

💡 Ready all important information of travelers – Complete information of passengers should be ready by the time you sit down in front of your computer to book that dream flight. Name, birth date, passport details and frequent flyer number (if applicable.) These are the most common information needed so it’s best to list them down in your most trusted planner/notebook or type them down on your phone’s notes.

Keep in mind all these tips and say hello to your next adventure without spending so much money on flight fares!