In honor of Independence Day, low-cost Icelandic airline PLAY is offering 35 percent off of select round-trip flights between the United States and Europe.

Fares are valid from four airports in the US: 

• Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
• Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
• New York Stewart International Airport (SWF)
• Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)

What Destinations Are Included in the Sale?

The sale includes flights to Iceland, Copenhagen, London, Dublin, Amsterdam, Glasgow, Düsseldorf, and Hamburg.

How to Book

The sale is valid on flights booked July 3 through July 7 at midnight Eastern Time for travel between September 1 to December 15 (for flights to Iceland, Copenhagen, London, Dublin, and Amsterdam) and September 1 to October 31 (for flights booked to Glasgow, Düsseldorf, and Hamburg.)

To get the discounted fares, book on Play’s website and use promo code: PLAY4JULY.

Note that for Play’s cheapest fare category, only a small personal item that fits under a seat is included in the ticket price. Select a Play Value or Play Flex to bring a carry-on bag with you.

The post Get Cheap Flights to Europe With Play’s July 4th Sale appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Travel booking site Kayak aims to take the guesswork out of buying a plane ticket with its new Best Time to Travel tool. The site uses data from billions of travel queries to predict future flight prices and help travelers decide when the best time to go is—and when to buy for the best deal. 

How it Works

On the Best Time to Travel homepage, enter your destination and choose one of the preselected lengths of trip options (four days, seven days, or 14 days). There’s no way to filter down by airport here, only by city.

The tool will then tell you what month you should go for the best weather, the least amount of crowds, and the cheapest airfare. This can be helpful if you’re flexible on when you’re traveling, but if you have specific dates in mind, you’ll have to wait until the third step to get more customized data.

After you’ve completed step one, the tool allows you to narrow your trip down by month, and then will display the best dates to travel along with a price chart so you can see how fares fluctuate throughout the month. 

Once you’ve picked the dates you want to travel, scroll down to step three, where you can plug in your exact itinerary and Kayak will show you the latest date by when you should book your flight by in order to get the cheapest price.

The post This New Tool Will Tell You Exactly When to Book Your Flight for the Best Price appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Thinking about booking? Better act fast, as the sale ends in the early morning of May 20.

Destinations on Sale

Deals will be available in 50 popular summer destinations worldwide, including:

• Santorini, Greece: $100 off flights
• Venice, Italy: $100 off flights
• Milan, Italy: $75 off flights
• Maldives: $100 off flights
• Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: $100 off flights
• Rome, Italy: $60 off flights
• Lisbon, Portugal: $75 off flights
• Tokyo, Japan: $60 off flights
• London, UK: $50 off flights

How to Book

The sale runs May 17 through May 20 at 3 am EST. You’ll only be able to get the discounted prices by booking directly in Hopper’s app. 

Are There Any Restrictions?

No blackout dates or restrictions apply to this sale.

How Can I Save on the Rest of My Trip?

Need a cheap hotel to go with your flight? You can find amazing discounts on hotels all over the world (without waiting for a sale) at SmarterTravel Hotels.

Book Now

The post Flash Sale Alert! Save up to $100 on Summer Flights to Europe & Other Hot Destinations appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Fly First, Not Last

Sure first class is comfortable, but that’s not what I’m talking about. When flight attendants travel on stand-by, they generally try to get on the first flight of the day, and you should too. It may be early, but these flights are usually cheaper because fewer people voluntarily pay to wake up and travel to an airport before 7 a.m. These flights also have a high “no-show” factor, which accounts for passengers who overslept or decided the night before they weren’t taking their flight but didn’t cancel the reservation, so they just don’t show up. This creates a higher likelihood for empty seats that could be given to those waiting on stand-by or simply to give the passengers on-board a bit more space.

If you’re looking to arrive on time (and who isn’t?), in most cases, the aircraft operating the flight is an “originator,” meaning it’s the first flight of the day for that specific airplane, or it remained overnight at the airport (insiders would call this a “RON”), therefore your plane is already in position for your flight. Airlines try extremely hard not to delay an aircraft’s first flight of the day because it’ll cause a ripple effect for all of the flights that specific airplane will operate for the rest of the day. 

Lastly, should weather affect an on-time departure or cause a cancellation, passengers on the first flight have the benefit of subsequent flights to be rebooked on. Airlines aren’t required to pay for hotels or meals when an issue is weather-related. That could be weather where you are, where you’re going, en-route, or where your aircraft is coming from; a lot can be “caused” by weather and that could mean some unexpected expenses for those booked on flights later in the day.

Don’t Be Afraid of Oversold Flights

For those travelers that aren’t on a set schedule or can adapt to a later arrival, a money-saving opportunity may be found by booking flights that have a high likelihood of being oversold such as flights departing on Friday and Sunday between the hours of 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. These departures, before and after the weekend, are in high demand so most airlines oversell them knowing they can make some extra money by booking seats that don’t exist. They take the gamble that some people won’t show up or will misconnect, opening up seats to be filled by passengers who’ve already paid to be on board, keeping the flight profitable. However, when everyone does show up and check in, the airline has to pay. 

If a passenger is involuntarily denied boarding due to an oversold flight, federal regulations require the airline to pay high fees and compensation, so they do everything they can to avoid that and they start by asking for volunteers to take a later flight. This puts the traveler able to take a later flight in the driver’s seat of a negotiation that could score big returns. I found myself in this exact situation flying from Phoenix to San Diego. I approached the gate counter and identified myself as a volunteer. The gate agent told me that they could offer a $250 future flight credit if I could take a flight departing four hours later and they could bump me to first class. I wavered, stating that the offer sounded good, except that I would be missing dinner with friends which was one of the reasons for the trip. The agent then sweetened the deal by adding in a lounge pass to eat dinner and a refund of what I paid for the flight I would no longer be taking. Deal! I scored a $250 for a future flight credit, a free first class upgrade, and lounge access for free with a $90 refund. 

Miles Aren’t Just For Round Trip Tickets

One of the biggest perks of joining an airlines’ loyalty program, aside from earning elite status, is the ability to accrue miles that you can cash in for free flights. Over the past few years, the industry has drastically changed how those miles are earned, dropping the one mile earned for one mile flown formula and transitioning to miles earned per dollar spent. However, when it comes to redeeming those miles, everyone is on an even playing field. 

The most common thought is to exchange miles for a free round-trip ticket, but many don’t realize you can use your miles for a 50 percent discount on a round-trip reservation. 

For example, if you wanted to fly from New York to Los Angeles and back, use your miles for the one-way segment from New York to Los Angeles, and pay for your return ticket. Although you’ve redeemed miles to get to your destination, you’re earning miles on the return flight you’ve paid for, therefore putting miles back into your account while only paying for one flight out of pocket, scoring 50 percent off. 

The post 3 Incredible Money-Saving Tips from a Flight Attendant appeared first on SmarterTravel.

The Google Flights team analyzed five years of past airfare data to determine the best methods for finding inexpensive flights. Here’s what they found.

Travel on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday

You’ll typically find cheaper fares if you fly on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday than if you travel on a weekend. According to Google Flights, trips departing on those days are 12 percent cheaper on average compared to weekend departures. For domestic trips, weekday trips can be as much as 20 percent cheaper than weekends. 

Avoid flying on Sundays if possible, as that is generally the most expensive day to travel.

Consider a Layover

If money is more important to you than time, choosing an itinerary with a layover instead of a nonstop flight can save you up to 20 percent, says the Google Flights team. 

However, be sure to factor in how much you will potentially spend during a layover to determine if it’s worthwhile—the money you spend on meals, snacks and drinks at the airport can quickly add up and you might not end up saving that much more compared to flying nonstop.

Don’t Believe the Myth About Booking Flights on a Tuesday

If you see a good fare, go ahead and book it—don’t wait around for Tuesday to see if the price drops. The experts say that ticket prices have only been about 1.9 percent cheaper when booked midweek than over the weekend. 

Know When to Book

Timing is crucial when it comes to finding cheap flights. Google Flights’ data shows that U.S. domestic flights are usually lowest priced 21-60 days before a trip, with the cheapest rates found exactly 44 days before departure. However, this does tend to vary quite a bit by route, and isn’t a hard and fast rule.

Flight prices for peak travel seasons have historically risen further in advance. Here’s when Google Flights says is the best time to book for busy travel periods:

The post How to Find the Cheapest Flights (According to Google Flights Experts) appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Southwest Airlines has a fare drop program that most people don’t know about. If you’ve purchased a ticket with Southwest and the price goes down, you can rebook (for free) at the lower rate and get back the difference in cost.

Simply log on to Southwest’s website and rebook your reservation at the lower fare using the “change/cancel” option that will be displayed. You can also call Southwest directly to rebook at the lower rate.

The type of refund you’ll receive depends on which fare you purchased. 

Refundable Fares

You can choose to receive the difference in fare as a refund to your original method of payment, or as a flight credit.

Nonrefundable Fares

For nonrefundable fares, the difference in price will be returned via a flight credit for future travel. If the ticket is a Wanna Get Away Plus fare, the flight credit can be transferred to another Rapid Rewards member if needed. 

Reservations Purchased With Points

For any ticket that was purchased using points, the points associated with the difference in fare will be returned to your account. 

How to Take Advantage of Price Drops

Unfortunately, you can’t set up an automated alert on Google Flights or similar flight search sites to notify you if your itinerary becomes cheaper—Southwest does not allow third-party sites to show its fares. 

Instead, set yourself a reminder to frequently check the price of your flight to see if it’s gone down. Subscribe to Southwest’s email newsletter (or follow them on social media) to learn about any sales which could be a good indicator that your trip cost has gone down.

The post This Secret Southwest Hack Could Save You Hundreds of Dollars appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Under the rule, airlines must refund the full fare to the original form of payment (not via a travel voucher or flight credit) if a ticket is canceled within 24 hours of purchase—even on nonrefundable fares.

How Can This Rule Save You Money?

Imagine you bought a plane ticket, and then the next day, the airline has a big flight sale and the price for your itinerary is now lower than what you paid. If it’s been less than 24 hours since you bought your ticket, you can simply cancel the ticket and then rebook at the lower price without worrying about change or cancellation fees. 

We recommend checking the price of your ticket a few times throughout the 24 hour period after you book to see if fares decrease—this strategy often pays off and you’ll be able to rebook and save.

Knowing about the 24 hour rule can also give you peace of mind if you see an incredibly low fare that you want to jump on. Rather than waiting on getting approval from your boss for time off or for your travel companion to get back to you (and potentially missing out on that cheap flight) you can simply book the ticket, and if it doesn’t work out, cancel it within 24 hours for no penalty.

If you booked a ticket quickly, you can also take advantage of the 24 hour period to double-check the information on your reservation (like making sure you didn’t spell a passenger’s name incorrectly)—something that airlines could charge you to correct.

Important Exceptions to the Rule

This rule only applies if you’re booking directly with the airline. If you book through an online travel agency like Expedia, you’ll have to abide by the company’s refund policy (which is usually not as lenient.) 

Airlines can choose to offer customers the ability to hold a fare for free for up to 24 hours in lieu of offering a refund within 24 hours. Be sure to check that the airline you’re booking with doesn’t offer this before you buy your ticket—American Airlines is one that offers the free 24 hour hold. If the airline does offer the free hold, you can still save money by putting the fare on hold and waiting to see if the price drops within 24 before you actually buy the ticket. 

This rule only applies to flights booked at least seven days before departure, so you won’t be able to get a refund if you’re booking a ticket less than a week before you fly.

How Do You Cancel Under the 24 Hour Rule?

You don’t need to do anything special to get your full refund when canceling a flight reservation within 24 hours. Simply cancel your booking as you normally would, and the airline should promptly refund your original form of payment. 

The post Most Flyers Don’t Know About the 24-Hour Rule, but It Could Save You Big on Your Next Flight appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Great Sale Fare Finds

Here are some examples of great deals for one-way tickets available in the sale:

• New York, NY (LGA) to Savannah, GA (SAV): $39
• Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL) to Washington, DC (DCA): $49
• Los Angeles, CA (LAX) to San José del Cabo, Mexico (SJD): $84
• Boston, MA (BOS) to Charleston, SC (CHS): $59
• Nashville, TN (BNA) to New York, NY (JFK): $59

Important Sale Info

The Fall in Love Sale excludes Friday and Sunday travel, and there may be additional blackout dates depending on the route. 

To find the best deals, check out JetBlue’s sale site and view deals from your city. Only the lowest available fare classes (Blue Basic or Blue) will be discounted. Note that JetBlue’s Blue Basic fares do not allow a carry-on bag, and a checked bag will cost $35—so be sure to factor the extra cost into your ticket price before purchasing. 

The post Snag a Flight for Just $39 With JetBlue’s Fall in Love Sale appeared first on SmarterTravel.

When Should You Buy Flights for Thanksgiving?

To lock in the lowest rates, book your Thanksgiving flights by mid-October. Hayley Berg, Lead Economist at Hopper, tells SmarterTravel, “Fares for Thanksgiving peaked at over $400 in August, but have fallen around 9 percent into September as they do each year.” Berg expects fares to “remain at the current level until mid- to late October.”

According to Hopper, the average flight for a domestic ticket for Thanksgiving weekend will cost around $350 this year. 

For international airfare over the same period, expect to pay around $795 per ticket. If you’re planning on traveling internationally, Berg recommends booking before mid- October to find the best deals.

When Should You Buy Flights for Christmas?

Expect to pay more if you’re traveling over Christmas than you will during Thanksgiving. Berg says that a “good deal” domestic airfare for 2022 Christmas travel is averaging around $463 per ticket. 

However, you don’t want to book your ticket too early—Hopper’s data showed that average ticket prices for Christmas have fallen 3%-5% since August. Start watching prices now, and be sure to lock something in by early October for a domestic flight.

Looking to spend the holidays abroad? Buy that ticket now if you don’t want to overpay. Historically, international airfare around Christmas has started to increase in price beginning in September. With an average international ticket price forecasted to be around $1,300 for this year’s holiday, you’ll want to book as soon as possible. 

How to Get the Best Deals on Holiday Flights

If you can be flexible and extend your vacation (or work remotely), traveling on off-peak days will save you a significant amount of money. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the following Sunday are generally the busiest and most expensive days to fly. 

For Christmas, demand is usually spread out a bit more over travel days. According to Kayak, in 2021, the most popular travel days around Christmas were Wednesday, December 22 and Tuesday, December 28. Since Christmas falls on a Sunday this year, and most offices will be closed on Monday, prices will likely be the highest to fly on the Friday before Christmas and the following Monday and Tuesday. 

To easily see which days will be the cheapest to fly, use Google Flights, which will show you a calendar of fares. For example, we searched for a flight from Boston to Washington, D.C., and you can see that returning on Wednesday instead of Monday can save $155.

When Should You Book Hotels for the Holidays?

Unlike with flights, waiting until the last minute to book your hotel for Thanksgiving or Christmas can save you big bucks. According to Hopper, hotels in big cities will typically lower prices in the month prior to the check-in date, so waiting until the first week of November to book your Thanksgiving stay could save you up to 25 percent.

Check SmarterTravel Hotels in early November and December to snag an amazing hotel deal (and avoid sleeping on your family’s couch for the holidays).

The post When Is the Best Time to Book Holiday Travel? appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Should You Expect Delays and Cancelations This Fall?

Flight delays are continuing to rise as we close out the summer, but historically, delays have decreased moving into the less busy fall travel season. According to Hayley Berg, Lead Economist at Hopper, a travel booking site, “Delay rates are rising in late 2022, with delays impacting over 25% of departures from US airports in the last week.” 

However, once demand slows down in the fall, delays and cancellations should decrease as well. According to Hopper, delay rates generally drop to 12% of flights in September and 14% in October. 

While you can expect to see fewer crowds at the airport in the fall, airlines are still suffering from the same operational issues that caused delays and cancellations throughout the summer. “With airlines continuing to face operational challenges resulting from staffing and training gaps, we expect elevated disruption rates over busy travel days for the fall season,” says Berg.

When planning your fall trip, be sure to leave lots of extra time for connections, and plan to arrive a day or two earlier than any important events in order to give yourself a buffer in case of delays and cancellations. 

Will Flight Prices Stay High for Fall Travel?

Hopper predicts that average domestic ticket prices will drop to $286 in August (a decrease of 25% compared to the peak prices found in May 2022). Flyers can expect to see average fares around (or below) $300 through September, before rising in October and November for holiday travel.

Fall is shoulder season for many popular warm weather destinations, and it can be a great time to plan a trip. You’ll find lower prices and fewer crowds, and the weather is likely to still be temperate in hot spots like Europe or beach destinations. 

How to Find a Cheap Flight This Fall

Mark Crossey, US Travel Expert at flight search site Skyscanner, offers the following tips for finding a cheap flight this fall:

• Book in advance
• Avoid peak travel times like federal holidays
• Use Skyscanner’s whole month search tool to see which dates are the cheapest if you can be flexible 
• Fly on less popular days of the week (such as Tuesdays or Wednesdays)

The post Fall Travel Forecast: Will Fall Travel Be as Bad as Summer? appeared first on SmarterTravel.