Easiest ways to get the best flight deals domestically and overseas

Nabbing the cheapest airfares can involves hours of work but chances are it will pay off. Here’s how you can get a cheaper airfare and save yourself hundreds of dollars.

Nabbing the cheapest airfare possible can involve hours of trawling the web just to save a buck.

But if you’re willing to roll up your sleeves and do some of the dirty work there’s a good chance you’ll save some cash.

There’s no denying Aussies love to travel and a getaway is even better when it can be done without spending a small fortune.

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I am a sucker for booking flights well in advance to avoid getting stung before airlines inflate their prices to catch out the disorganised jetsetter.

But I’ve quickly learned there’s a few tricks of the trade to making sure you get your hands on a stellar price without jeopardising your holiday plans.

JETSTAR PRICE BEAT

No-one wants to save a dollar if it means flying with an airline that’s likely to throw your travel plans into disarray at the eleventh hour.

Booking domestic flights is relatively easy but there are some simple tricks to paying even less than the advertised price.

Low-cost carrier Jetstar will price-match any deal you can get from a rival airline provided it meets set criteria.

This includes flying within a certain time of the comparable Jetstar flight and is an economy fare. The no-frills airline will match the flight price of the rival carrier and knock another 10 per cent.

I’ve used this to wipe off the charges on interstate holidays multiple times, and it is a discount many travellers are none the wiser about.

There’s some simple steps jetsetters can take to get cheaper flight deals.

FLIGHT TIMES

If you’re flying at peak times like weekends, school holidays and public holidays there’s a good chance you’re going to fork out more cash.

Early birds who don’t mind getting up well before the crack of dawn have a good chance of saving themselves some serious cash.

Flying to your destination on the first flights of the day also means you’ll escape paying another night’s accommodation compared with arriving at your destination late the night before.

SPECIAL OFFERS

Airlines are desperate to get bums on seats so they’re constantly rolling out specials including $1 fares and buy one, get one free deals.

Sign up to airline specials and if you’re lucky enough you may score yourself a rock-bottom deal.

But be warned: You may have to be flexible with your flight time and dates — often they are for departures mid-week and away from the peak travel season.

INTERNATIONAL FARES

This can be a nightmare trying to find the quickest and cheapest routes.

I recently booked an overseas multi-trip fare and to help ease the burden I got help from a travel consultant.

But always do your own price comparison online to ensure you are getting the best price possible before you get anyone else to lock in those travel plans for you.

Sometimes price comparison sites spruik the cheapest deals but this can come with disastrous consequences if they are not reputable sites.

In December Australian budget airfare company Bestjet went into voluntary administration, leaving many travellers thousands of dollars out of pocket.

@sophieelsworth