“How do you do find your bargain trips?"
That's among the most common questions we've been asked over the years about our travels.
Others include "What's your favorite country?" and "How do you travel with only rollaboard suitcases?”.
If there are magic secrets for finding bargains, we still haven't uncovered them in a quarter-century of reasonably intensive travel that includes more than two million miles flown, hundreds of nights in hotel rooms and on cruise ships, and well over 80 countries visited.
We can, however, modestly offer some suggestions
We've previously written here about our main travel-on-the-cheap strategy. Find a bargain airfare, buy it, and then decide where the final destination will be.This works particularly well in Europe, Asia, and anywhere low cost airlines and/or extensive rail networks exist.
Ah, you say, but where do you look for bargain airfares?
In our experience, there's no substitute for research. A tourist lost in New York City asked a local, "How do I get to Carnegie Hall?" "Practice!" was the quick reply.
Likewise, "Research" is our immediate answer when asked how to find bargain fares, We often spend upwards of four hours a day between the two of us doing our travel research. For us, it's a pleasant pastime.
We read the FlyerTalk forums on mileage run deals and premium fare deals. We scan several travel blogs - we list some of our favorites on our home page. We check Google Flights and ITA Software.
ITA software in particular is a very powerful tool, but it has a steep learning curve, You can learn to use it by accessing sources like Nerd Wallet, or simply by reading about extension codes and routing codes on the ITA website.
We also subscribe to a few free and paid websites that highlight cheap fares. Needless to say, we spend time perusing the actual websites of the airlines we commonly fly.
A key component of a thrifty purchase lies in acquiring a good idea of the average prices, high and low, of any fare being considered. With that knowledge, you can jump quickly on any attractive looking fare that appears. Finally, know the rules regarding the purchase. Do you have 24 hours to cancel? Are there any limitations regarding seats, luggage, or miles learned?
We'll offer one caveat. In your eagerness to buy a bargain airfare, make sure there are lodgings available in line with your budget.
Your cheap air ticket may not look as attractive if you can't find a hotel under $300 a night. This can sneak up on you especially if your destination is an island or otherwise isolated locale (Iceland, Malta), or if there's a national holiday or major convention taking place. Ask us how we know!
Oh, and book early when possible. Watch your flight right up to the day of departure. For just one example, we made four or five changes as our May 2026 trip to Australia approached, each one an improvement over the previous itinerary. We ultimately flew outbound on a different airline (United) for less than half the price of the one we'd originally booked (Starlux). Most of the U.S. domestic carriers have curtailed or cancelled change fees. Keep an eye on your hotel reservation for the same reason, especially if you're staying with a major chain.
All of this can be a convenient way to plan travel. What, however, if you have to be in a certain place at a certain time, whether to board a cruise or to attend a friend's wedding?
That's a more challenging proposition and we'll discuss it in Part Two.
Thanks to subscriber Daz for suggesting this topic.