TRAVEL HACKING.

1) Know when to book airfare

How far in advance?

Start by researching when high and low seasons are, and if possible, try to go during low season for the cheapest flights and hotels.

For domestic flights:  “There’s such a thing as booking too early,” says Rick Seaney, CEO and cofounder of online research tool FareCompare. “Airlines don’t really begin managing their domestic flights until about three months in advance—that’s when they start releasing the more affordable seats.” The sweet spot, he says, lies between three months and six weeks in advance.

For International flights: On average it’s best to book nine to ten months in advance for flights to Asia, about six months before a trip to South America.

Note that this advice isn’t always completely accurate and it really depends on your exact destination.

Which day is cheapest?

We’ve all heard that buying your tickets on a Tuesday, or Wednesday at 1am is your best bet for a cheap fare, but the Airlines Reporting Commission recently discovered that on average, the cheapest day to book is a Sunday.

Keep in mind, however, that Tuesdays might still be a good bet because airline companies generally decide on Mondays whether or not they want to boost sales via increased discounts for Tuesday. Also remember that a flight actually departing on a Tuesday will probably be your cheapest option, because fewer people fly on that day.

How to compare?

Use flight comparison tools such as the Google Flight Matrix or Skyscanner’s full-month search option.

If you’re booking very last-minute and you don’t mind flying at strange times or having a long layover, check out tips to hack Priceline’s bidding option.

If you don’t have much time on your hands to the research yourself, try hiring an expert to find the cheapest possible flight. You’ll pay a fee, but they’re guaranteed to find the cheapest option available.

2) Use social media to research your destination

With so many online resources available these days, researching and planning your trip can be exhausting.

While sites like Lonely Planet and Trip Advisor are a great place to start, you can often discover hidden gems and less-touristic opportunities, I recommend my blog for city or country you’re going to visit lol. 

3) Book travel insurance

In my personal opinion, it’s always a good idea to book travel insurance, because frankly you never know when an unforeseen event could affect your travel plans. I’m a firm believer in finding reasonably priced travel insurance with extensive medical coverage, as well as flight delay/cancellation coverage. 

4) Know the visa rules and regulations

For certain countries, navigating the visa requirements and immunisation suggestions can be a complicated nightmare, so it’s nice to be able to bookmark one specific resource to refer to throughout the process.

I recently discovered VisaHQ, which provides you with all of the visa and immunisation requirements for every possible type of visa for every country in the world. 

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Do you have any additional hacks or tips that you swear by? If so, I’d love to hear them below in the comments.