Hello there cheap flight aficionado! I’m so glad you picked up my book and found my website.
It has truly been a labor of love putting together this guide for you and I hope you’ve found it useful. Now that you’re armed with all the best websites and booking techniques, it’s time to start booking your next vacation!
I’ve assembled some goodies as a special thank you for your patronage. Below you’ll find budget travel bonuses, all free to download, as well as information on how we can stay connected.
The Affordable Travel Guide is just the beginning.
I have a series of books to provide you with the skills and inspiration needed to travel more and if you click around this site you’ll also find more tools at your disposal.
Affordable Flight Flowchart
I know a lot of people like to see visual summaries and hold on to quick reference tools, so the first thing I put together is an Affordable Flight Guide flowchart.
Want to know how to best book a cheap flight to your destination? Click the link below and a series of yes or no questions will lead you to the answer. Decision making hasn’t been this easy since the Magic 8 Ball.
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD YOUR AFFORDABLE FLIGHT FLOWCHART
Carry-On Checklist
Your carry-on is the most important bag you will pack, and should contain all the essentials. Make sure you have everything you need before leaving the house with my free carry-on checklist.
Print this sheet out before your trip and you’ll be set to jet.
YOUR CARRY-ON CHECKLIST IS READY
12 Bucket List Destinations
Need travel inspiration, stat? These 12 little-known bucket list destinations are sure to make for a trip you will never forget.
From swinging off the edge of the world to descending into a volcano, it’s amazing how much there is to discover outside your office!
GET INSPIRED WITH THESE 12 BUCKET LIST DESTINATIONS
5 Useful Websites for Travelers Outside the U.S.
Are you an Expat or traveler based outside of the United States? Good news! First, deals work in reverse often times, so if you hear about a $300 flight from San Francisco to London, chances are you can find a similar deal from London to San Fran. But, there’s more!
International flight alert sites are on the rise. Here are some you should check out for great airline deals around the world.
AMERICANS AREN’T THE ONLY ONES WHO GET FLIGHT DEALS…
Master List of Budget Airlines
Flying on a budget airlines is a great way to save money on your trip. It’s a no-frills ride but could save you hundreds in the end. This list contains all the budget airlines in operation, check it out to see which ones fly near you.
THE MASTER LIST OF BUDGET AIRLINES AWAITS
ABC News Interview
After my first article was published in The Washington Post, I did an interview with ABC News about my budget travel tips. I’ve attached my extended interview below. Some of these tips are in the book, but I also talk about lodging and safety while traveling alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’ve received so many questions that I will be doing a series of videos on social media to help address some of your common problems. In the meantime, let’s go through a few below.
Q: Do you sometimes book partial legs for cheap only to find that you can’t make the full trip work due to the cost of other flights/bad connection times?
This is a valid concern, and the reason why you want to make sure you’re allowing yourself time to make connections. At worse, I’ve had plans before where available departing flights and departure times for my activities conflicted, so I was hopping around from city to city. If you only have one intended destination, however, getting there is rarely a problem, even if you have to make a stop or two along the way.
Q: How do you take time off of work effectively without burning so much time?
I was surprised to find that a recent survey to readers revealed most people wanted to know how I travel with a full-time job. It appears time is the second biggest impediment to travel, right after money. I will be writing a book on this topic alone, but in the meantime, I suggest you stick to the rule of proximity and go somewhere no more than an 8-hour flight away during a long weekend or holiday.
You can take a red-eye flight so you’re spending time on the flight that you’d be sleeping anyway and arrive first thing in the morning to a new destination. I did Amsterdam for 3 days, and I’d do it all over again.
Q: Can I still get the comforts of paying full price when I buy a cheap flight?
Ah, the age-old question of comfort versus savings. I’m not going to lie to you, flying economy is rough. I can help you make it more bearable, with suggestions on what to pack and how to pass the time, but I’m not Houdini and I can’t magically make your seat expand or flight attendants serve you high end liquor. What I can suggest is that if comfort is really your priority, that you look out for sale fares on first class flights, or redeem your award miles for the same.
Q: Are regional flights on small planes safe?
Absolutely! I talk about this in the budget airlines chapter. Most of the budget airlines are new, and have to adhere to strict safety guidelines in building their fleet. Also, as someone who’s been on a shaky propeller plane with a total of 4 people including the pilot, don’t sweat this so much. The more dangerous method of transport is driving, so worry about insurance for your rental car instead.
Q: How do you know you are not getting ripped off, or that the site is official?
If you stick to any of the sites I mentioned in my book, you’re in the clear. When you’re using a travel aggregator like Momondo, you can sometimes be redirected to another sketchier site. My suggestion is to go for it. The odds of the site being illegitimate are slim if they show up on the search results, and worse case scenario you’re not confirmed and your money is refunded, like in the case of an error fare that is not honored.
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If you want to be part of a dynamic community of like minded travelers, follow me on Facebook. I share live videos with budget travel tips, new podcast episodes and updates from conferences and trips I take.
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