Maximizing Travel Savings with Points and Outsourcing Flight Searches

We’re going back to basics this week by showcasing all the strategies, tips and tricks that we use to book the cheapest flight - every single time we fly. That requires some mythbusting about the dumbest tips out there (here’s looking at you, incognito searchers and Tuesday-only bookers) and shed some light on the actual best tips (i.e. Google Flights Explore and price alerts). Never get fleeced on flights again with these tips. 

Special shoutout to the sponsor of this week’s episode, Abundo Wealth!

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00:00 - The 2 most important rules to booking cheap flight: The Flight First Rule and the 24-hour rule

06:50 - Something Hot: Rethinking your departure and destination cities - use positioning flights and the best tip for booking cheap flights to Europe

13:30 - Something Cold: Clearing your cookies and why there’s no best day to book flights

18:40 - A word about the founding sponsor of the show: Abundo Wealth! 

19:32 - The Extra Mile: Why flexibility is everything for finding cheap flights

21:50 - Google Flights primer: Google Flights Explore, Price Alerts and more!

30:00 - Why it pays to take the connection and why it doesn’t pay to be loyal to an airline

34:19 - Watch for pricing shenanigans: One-way flights and the solo passenger penalty

38:00 - How long before my flight should I book?

42:10 - What are the cheapest times of year to fly? Enter: Shoulder Season

46:00 - When to use points and miles instead

48:30 - Get some help from Thrifty Traveler Premium or other award search tools

51:00 - Use your credits, companion certificates  and more - and how to stay organized

53:45 - Why you should never stop booking (& booking again) to make your trip cheaper (or better)

57:00 - Listener Question: Using points/miles + cash and when to mix and match

1:00:00 - Gunnar’s BRUTAL confession about his most expensive flight

Produced by Gunnar Olson
Edited by David Strutt
Show music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot

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Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at podcast@thriftytraveler.com

Get 20% off your first year of cheap flights and points and miles deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium - use promo code TTPOD to save even more!

See what we’re all about at https://thriftytraveler.com - or subscribe to our free weekly points and miles newsletter, The Extra Mile!

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