Fortunately, I’ve picked up a number of ideas for searching down low-cost (or not less than low-coster) flights from Toronto and past. Right here’s how I hold my flight prices down whereas protecting my sense of journey up.
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8 methods to avoid wasting on flights
From journey apps to bank card rewards, right here’s how Canadian frequent flyers keep on price range.
1. Search the good means
The primary website I all the time test when reserving a visit is Google Flights, which has a ton of instruments many individuals don’t learn about. Along with itemizing flights, it will probably assist you to discover decrease costs. For instance, you possibly can set alerts for value modifications to your most popular dates or for any date for a given vacation spot. It additionally exhibits you a value grid for various dates, and a graph that predicts when fares will peak.
Final yr, Google Flights added an AI function that permits you to describe your supreme journey—for instance, “household weekend ski trip in Canada” or “one-week journey to a metropolis with nice museums and structure.” Google will then seek for the most effective locations and flights that match that question.
The function remains to be in beta mode, so that you must be signed into your Google account to entry it. There are additionally limits on what you possibly can search. For instance, it received’t discover you multi-city journeys or layover requests.
I’m additionally a fan of Hopper, which is Canadian-owned. The app tells you whether or not now is an effective time to e book or you need to wait. If Hopper recommends ready, you possibly can “watch this journey” and obtain an alert when it’s a greater time to purchase.
If you happen to discover a good value however want extra time to resolve, you possibly can pay for Hopper’s “Value Freeze” choice to carry the fare for one, three, seven, or 21 days. If the value of the flight rises, Hopper will cowl the distinction as much as $406. If the value falls, you pay the cheaper price, and if the seat is offered out, you get a refund.
The Value Freeze charge varies by the point window and ticket value. For instance, for a $192 Toronto–Montreal flight in mid-June, the quoted charge was $24 for 3 days and $50 for 21 days. For a $1,016 Vancouver–Hanoi flight in April, the charge was $57 for 3 days and $122 for 21 days.
2. E book on the proper time
There’s a candy spot for when to e book your flight. For home flights, one to a few months upfront tends to yield the most effective costs.
For worldwide journeys, Hopper recommends you begin flight purchasing sooner—about three to 6 months earlier than departure. You may discover nice offers only a month prior, however you threat not getting your most popular airline, flight route, or seat.
The day you e book can even assist get monetary savings. In response to Expedia’s 2025 Air Hacks Report, reserving on Sunday will get you the largest financial savings.
3. Fly on the proper time
If you happen to can, keep away from flying throughout peak durations (March Break, Christmas, and so forth.), when flights can leap by tons of of {dollars}.
After all, not everybody has the pliability to decide on after they trip, however you might nonetheless save by altering your journey dates by a day or two. For instance, flying midweek is nearly all the time cheaper than flying on weekends and might cut back the price by $50 to $100 or extra.
That is very true throughout these peak occasions. As of writing, a direct Air Canada Rouge flight (Commonplace Financial system) from Toronto to Cancún throughout March Break is $2,052 when you fly Sunday to Sunday. However when you’re capable of do Monday to Monday, that very same flight drops to $1,373.
Once you’re trying to find flights or setting alerts, tick the “versatile dates” choice so that you’ll be notified about cheaper fares on alternate dates.
4. Go for the layover
Direct flights are usually costlier than these with a cease alongside the best way. Whereas a layover generally is a ache—particularly when you’re on a decent schedule—spending a number of further hours in an airport could also be price it if the financial savings are important.
