While many of the best premium ticketing strategies require some flexibility with dates, there’s many ticketing strategies you can check even if your dates are locked in.
When it comes to the Travel Lifecycle, people are usually in one of three stages: Trip Dreaming (no destination, no dates), Trip Planning (have destination, but no dates), and Trip Booking (have destination and dates, need to book tickets now!).
We recommend using FCF at the start—rather than at the end—of that Lifecycle, because you infinitely increase your opportunity for a great deal if you’re thinking about tickets while choosing a destination and/or dates.
BUT we know that’s not always possible in reality. So if your destination and dates are etched in stone (cousin Clint’s wedding in Paris on February 14, the old romantic) then we’ve got a list of things to try—which often do NOT come with the otherwise common availability challenges that tend to arise when you’re later in the Lifecycle and have locked yourself into dates.
Book what you can now, and continue to check for better space
If you thought that once you booked a flight there’s no chance of scoring a better deal on that trip, think again. We have and we’re upgrade open-minded. Are you? Here’s how secret (last-minute) cheap seats can vastly improve your (already-booked) flight: The Iterative Upgrade Mindset.
Check Partner Space
You’d think an airline’s own miles would offer the best value on their own flights. Well, that’s not necessarily the case as we uncover with American and United. And what’s more—when you find the best value with miles (even if it’s not being redeemed for that airline’s flights), you’re not just getting a better value, but often more availability too.
Check Using Miles for Upgrade, Not Free Tickets
I’m a huge fan of using miles to upgrade, rather than using them to buy a free coach ticket (like most people do). Why you should be doing this too—including great availability oftentimes.
Check Using One-way Mileage Awards
Most folks buy a round-trip mileage ticket when traveling. We have another way. Actually, we have two: two one-way tickets. Divide and conquer! Because one-way tickets increase our chances of getting a First or Business Class seat at a lower award-cost level.
Check Mixed Class Fares
Sometimes it makes sense to travel to Europe in Business Class, and return in premium Economy, or vice versa. Find out how mixed-class fares can make for a much better value.
Across the Pond
If you travel to Europe often, heads up. You can take advantage of the fact FCF’s three u-turn strategies that can net Biz Class to Europe for less than Premium Economy than the other way around, and date restrictions are often minimal.
Consider the Leg Stretch Strategy (LSS)
FCF’s out-of-this-world Leg Stretch Strategy (where airlines connect three continents for an extremely low price) to Europe, South America, and South Pacific.
Consider Buying Points or Miles
If you see a great miles or points deal and you don’t have any miles or points—but you see an FCF Sweet Redeem report with dates wide open—it isn’t the end of the line. You can buy them when they’re cheap. I do it all the time. Here’s also how to buy up to 500,000 points with Amex.
Check Vacation Packages
Package deals can offer amazing value. We found a package deal on American, Delta and United to Hawaii that offered a 33% saving with accommodation at a five-star hotel. And with vacation packages, finding volumes of dates with availability of discount seats can often be easy.
Check Amex’s IAP Discount
If your dates and destination are etched in stone, why not nip a couple hundred or more extra greenbacks off the price? We’ll show you the Latest Amex IAP Discounts to Asia and exact dates are almost never an issue.
BA AARP $200 discount for Business Class travel
When airlines offer a gift, take it. In this case, British Airways’ $200 AARP discount per flight, yours for a mere $16 a year—and available to anyone of any age! This often has great availability too.
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